The invention relates to the use of osmolytes for treating allergic or viral respiratorydiseases, e.g. allergic rhinitis (hay fever) as well as rhinovirus and/or adenovirusinfections. The invention also relates to a medicament preparation containingone or more compounds from the group of osmolytes. The group of osmolytes usedin the invention comprises various low-molecular substances, more specificallyectoine, 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-2-methyl-1H-[1,3]-diazepine-4-S-carboxylicacid (homoectoine), hydroxyectoine, di-myo-inositol-phosphate (DIP), cyclic2,3- diphosphoglycerate (cDPG), 1,1-diglycerol phosphate (DGP), ß-mannosylglycerate(firoin), ß-mannosylglyceramide (firoin-A), dimannosyl-diinositolphosphate (DMIP), glucosylglycerol, taurine, betaine, citrulline, and/ora derivative, e.g. an acid, salt, or ester of said compounds.
