While echinacea is usually used internally for the treatment of viruses and bacteria, it is being used more externally for the treatment of wounds. It also kills yeast and slows or stops the growth of bacteria, and helps to stimulate the growth of new tissue. It combats inflammation too, further supporting its use in the treatment of wounds. That is only about half as effective as steroids, but steroids have serious side-effects. Steroids also strongly suppress the immune system, which makes them a poor choice for treating any condition in which infection is likely.
Most people use echinacea for warding off colds and influenza.
This is taken at the first sign of a cold and repeated two or three times a day. European clinics do not use continuous doses of echinacea but rather alternate three days on and three days off. This is because some testing shows that the immune system in healthy subjects can only be stimulated briefly before returning to its normal state. After several days without stimulation, immunostimulants can again be effective. Echinacea has an excellent safety record.