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In recent medical news, the subject of combining western and eastern medicine has intrigued many researchers. Due to the major differences between these two types of treatments, people might assume that these methods do not work well together. However, in a new study, researchers found that using traditional Chinese medicine, liquorice could help alleviate certain symptoms patients get post intubation,

In this study conducted by the University Department of Anesthetics, General Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy at the MedUni Vienna, researchers analyzed the effects of liquorice. The researchers focused on patients who had just received incubation post lung surgery using a thick tube called a double-lumen tube. After this procedure, patients tend to suffer from sore throats, coughs and hoarseness. The researchers administered liquorice to some of the patients and discovered that the product was able to reduce many of the symptoms. Patients also reported being happy with their improvements.

"The side effects that normally occur are not only subjectively unpleasant for patients, but they can also have a negative impact on the success of their surgery. If a patient develops a cough after a lung operation with severe pain leading to reduced inspiration and expiration, this can cause an entire section of the lung to collapse," commented the study's head investigator, Kurt Rützler according to Medical Xpress.

Based from the findings of this study, liquorice is now being offered in three European hospitals for pre-operative patients. The study, "Double-Blind Comparison of Licorice Versus Sugar-Water Gargle for Prevention of Postoperative Sore Throat and Postextubation Coughing," was published in the journal, Anesthesia & Analgesia.