Uso de medicamentos e plantas medicinais no tratamento da Chikungunya em uma comunidade rural no Agreste Paraibano.

Abstract

Chikungunya, an arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, represents one of the main public health problems today, triggering the search for curative practices, whether for medicines or medicinal plants among therapeutic alternatives. That way, popular therapeutic practices combined with scientific knowledge can influence health determinants. The objective of this work was to investigate the medicines and medicinal plants use in the chikungunya treatment in the community of Sítio Várzea Comprida in the municipality of Pirpirituba-PB, since it is considered an emerging disease in Brazil. For data collection, a structured questionnaire was applied to identify socio-epidemiological characteristics and the prevalence of medicines and medicinal plants consumption for the treatment of chikungunya. The research corresponds to a cross-sectional, qualitative-quantitative and descriptive study, whose sample follow-up was residents of the rural community of the municipality of Pirpirituba-PB. The sample was made up of 15 participants affected by chikungunya, the majority of whom were female, aged between 31-60 years, with income in the range of 1 to 3 minimum wages, farmers, educated up to primary school. All interviewees mentioned having used at least one medication for chikungunya symptoms, with systemic corticosteroids being the most cited. Regarding medicinal plants for treatment, nine people reported having used them, and nine plants were mentioned, including genipap, rosemary, turmeric and lemon balm. The leaves were the most used part and tea was the main form of preparation. As a result, a higher prevalence of medication use as a therapeutic practice was observed compared to herbal medicine. Among the participants, 66.7% used medications with guidance from qualified health professionals, however 60% also mentioned having self-medicated. The use of the natural cinnamon product known for its anti-inflammatory activities and pain control was also presented. In view of the above, there is a need to reinforce the guidance provided by health professionals to people affected by chikungunya regarding health condition information with a view to promoting the rational use of medicines and medicinal plants.