NATURAL MEDICINE AND INFLUENZA Copyright Gillian Martlew, ND 2009
added to the NHAND Articles & Essays archives on 1 May 2009
Whether the swine flu virus turns out to be as dangerous as the 1918 flu strain or not, I want to provide you with some basic common sense information to help you stay healthy, and fight the virus if you do become infected by it.
Immune Basics
The influenza virus is spread mainly through the air, but it is also possible to become infected by touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching your mouth nose or eyes.
Wash your hands regularly with hot water and non-antibacterial soap especially if you touch surfaces likely to harbor the virus. Some viruses can survive on surfaces for 2 hours or more.
We all face some stress every day, but when it becomes overwhelming it can compromise the immune response and make it harder to fight infection. Some people find help for their stress through spirituality and religion, meditation practices, therapy, walking, reading, music, or being out in nature. Try taking on less, and saying no more. I teach EFT to my patients to provide a tool to deal with stressors. Whatever works for you to help you cope with stress, do it….it’s more important than you think.
Frequent lack of sleep compromises many aspects of your health including your immune system. Get to bed early—don’t stay up late on a regular basis, you’ll pay for it with your health. Getting to sleep two hours before midnight is considered better than sleeping later in the morning. If you have insomnia, waking issues or anxiety, work with your health care professional to resolve them.
Drink plenty of fluids, and that doesn’t mean coffee or soda! Try clean spring water with a squeeze of lemon juice, herbal teas etc.
Being a couch-potato is out of the question if you want your immune system working to prevent infection. Gentle (not heart-pounding) exercise increases circulation and improves immune response.
Stay away from excess sugar. Excessive amounts of simple forms of sugar (white sugar particularly) can cause an increase in blood sugar, which stimulates a release of insulin. Excess insulin can depress the immune response. How much is too much? I could find no research on exact amounts, and everyone's body reacts differently, so one slice of Birthday cake probably isn't going to reduce everyone's immune response, but combining the cake with sugary soda and pie could!
A good diet and regular meals containing protein help your immune system to work at its optimum level. Keeping your blood sugar stable, will help your energy, and it can help your immune response too.
Supplements to Consider for Prevention
Most people know about vitamin D and bone health, but few know that optimum vitamin D levels are key to avoiding infection. Ask your health care professional or doctor to monitor your vitamin D and work with you to achieve a therapeutic level of approximately 50-70 ng.ml.
Regular intake of small, frequent doses of vitamin C taken with meals can increase your immune system’s ability to fight infection. Consult your health care professional before taking vitamin C if you are on prescribed medication or have a sensitivity to any of the ingredients in vitamin C tablets or capsules, or if you suffer from interstitial cystitis.
Animal sources of omega 3 fats help maintain many aspects of health. krill oil is believed to be effective to help immune function. Also remember it is just as important to avoid processed and highly heated omega 6 fats. Trans fats and rancid fats may compromise your immune response.
Garlic works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in the body. If you are concerned about constantly smelling of garlic, try cutting a garlic clove into very small pieces, leaving them in the air for about 15 minutes and then swallowing them with water as you would vitamin pills. This will reduce 'garlic breath'. (If you have a strong gag reflex, or have difficulty swallowing pills don't try this). Garlic can be used on a regular basis (unless you are allergic to it—in this case it will do more harm than good) because, unlike antibiotics, ‘germs’ won’t build up resistance to it.
Symptoms and Medical Treatment of Swine Flu
If you have been infected with swine flu the symptoms are similar to regular human flu:
- Fever
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Body aches
- Headache
- Chills
- Fatigue
- More rarely: diarrhea and vomiting and severe respiratory illness
- Swine flu may (like regular human flu) cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) notes that, “people with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic for up to 7 days following illness onset. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.” “If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.”
If you are diagnosed with swine flu your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection.
Action Plan for Infection
It is important to get your health professional's advice before trying any natural remedies, and to seek help if your symptoms do not respond within a couple of days. Children, especially younger children, the elderly and the immune-compromised are the most vulnerable populations. Tell your health professional about any prescribed or OTC medications that you are currently taking.
Giving you advice to treat the flu using natural remedies is beyond the scope of this article, and it is important to seek your health professional's advice. However, there are some foundational steps to take to help speed your recovery...
First, stop eating excess sugar and overloading your digestive system with fried foods, and large, hard to digest meals. Switch to frequent small meals with some easily digested protein like natural chicken and vegetable soup, fish and steamed vegetables and plenty of warm fluids with a squeeze of lemon juice—if you find it palatable. If you have a fever, your health professional may suggest clear broths and soups and plenty of liquids with electrolytes.
Second, stay home and RELAX. Being a super-hero is a really silly idea and you’ll share your ‘germs’ with others who will not appreciate them.
Ask your Health Care Professional...
There are many different supplements and formulas available to help immune response. These include herbal, homeopathic, probiotic, mushroom extracts, glandular extracts, vitamins, herbs, minerals and other specialized items. Your health professional can work with you to determine the most effective combination. I will just outline a few options here.
If you have not already worked with your health professional to optimize your vitamin D levels, then ask about the possibility of using a loading dose (preferably using an emulsified form of vitamin D for best absorption) of up to 50,000 units a day (for three days only) to help treat acute infection, your health care professional may suggest a larger dose if it is appropriate for you. Vitamin D in large doses short-term has been found helpful in speeding recovery from seasonal flu but it may not be helpful for H1N1 swine flu. It is essential that you consult your health professional if you chose to consider this option, and especially if you are taking any medications.
Traditionally, people have found organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (about 1-2 teaspoons in hot water several times a day) to be helpful for recovering from colds and flu. Don’t drink this if you are allergic to apples. If you have acid reflux or digestive issues you will need to consult with your health professional before considering adding apple cider vinegar to your diet.
Some people do well with large doses of vitamin C for several days (500 to 1000 mg with each meal for 3 days, then tapering to 500mg twice a day with meals for about 5 more days, before switching to a normal daily dose). Be aware that a dose of vitamin C that is too high for you will cause loose bowels. If you experience this, cut back until your bowel movements become normal again. Don’t take large doses of vitamin C even short-term if you have any kind of sensitivity to any of the ingredients in vitamin C tablets or capsules, have interstitial cystitis, or are on any kind of medication from your doctor—unless you consult with your health professional. Vitamin C could alter the way that your medication works, and it can trigger an Interstitial Cystitis attack in some people.
Colloidal silver is often recommended to kill viruses and bacteria and people frequently take it without professional advice because they believe it is safe and without side effects. Do not use colloidal silver unless it has been recommended by your doctor or health professional. Prolonged ingestion can lead to a serious skin condition called Argyria. This untreatable condition is characterized by grayish-blue pigmentation of the skin. Excess consumption may be linked to hardening of the arteries, immune system problems, fatigue and possible organ damage. It can also react with certain medications like thyroxine, penacillamine, quinolones, and tetracyclines. Absolutely avoid it if you are pregnant or have liver disease.
Elderberry extract has been used as an effective traditional medicine to help limit viral replication.
Therapeutic amounts of garlic can be taken by those who are not allergic to it. Most garlic oil capsules are not effective, your health professional can help you determine which form of garlic might be most helpful for you.
Ask your health professional if colostrum or special extracts from colostrum would be appropriate for you or your family members.
Health professionals can recommend homeopathic remedies or herbal combinations to help your body overcome infection. It is important to ask which herbs, or herbal-combinations would be most appropriate for you.
Problotics aid the immune system via the gut.
Vitamin A from fish oil is a more controversial, but extremely effective supplement used to fight viral and respiratory infections. You will need to consult your health professional to ensure that a short high-dose treatment plan is appropriate or safe for you.
I wish you and your family continuing good health.
Copyright©2009 Gillian Martlew, ND. May not be reproduced in any form whatsoever or copied or stored in an information retrieval system, or made available on a website without written permission of the author.
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