Diseases of the upper respiratory tract are one of the most common diseases that affect a large number of people every day. These diseases include the common cold, sinusitis, nasal polyps, sore throat, epiglottis and pharyngitis. For the treatment of these diseases, various plant species have been used since ancient times, which even today play an important role in the treatment of these diseases. This paper briefly describes the most common diseases of the upper respiratory tract as well as their epidemiology. The main topic of the page is four frequently used herbs, ginseng, Andrographis paniculata, Ehinacea purpurea and Pelargonium sidoides i.e. their mechanism of action in the treatment of upper respiratory tract diseases. All these plants have an effect on bacterial and viral pathogens and strengthen the work of the immune system in the fight against these pathogens. The importance of knowing how active substances from these plants work is that this knowledge can be used to continue research in the field of pharmacognosy and biotechnology.