Colds and Flu
Myths:
Colds and Flu are unavoidable.
Facts:
Because we are more vulnerable to colds and flu when we are tired, have a poor diet, have weak immune systems, etc., we can lessen the likelihood of getting sick this season with some healthy actions.
See recommended supplements.
See self help and prevention tips. Overview:
The term "common cold" refers to an acute upper respiratory infection
which can be caused by one of over 200 known viruses. The most common of
these are the groups known as "rhinoviruses" and "coronaviruses," which
together account for about half of all adult colds and do not generally
result in serious illness, while the rest are caused by an assortment of
other viruses, including adenoviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses,
orthomyxoviruses (including influenza A and B viruses, which cause flu),
paramyxoviruses (including several parainfluenza viruses), respiratory
syncytial virus, and enteroviruses, some of which can and do cause more
serious illness.
Apparently we mostly get colds through directly touching things that have cold viruses on them - door handles, towels, hands- when you go to the grocers, the doctor's office, the movie theater, the gym; when you shake hands, dress your sick child, etc.
In fact some research has suggested that being in the same confined room with someone who is sneezing with a common cold does not necessary cause you to get a cold. You have to touch their contaminated hand/skin and then touch your own nose, eyes or mouth.
Colds are transmitted by one of two means
- Direct contact: A person inhales or breathes in the virus from droplets
or vapor in the air when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes, or
droplets enter the eye from the air.
- Indirect contact: Hand to hand, or hand to mouth contact from touching
the secretions directly, or touching a person or object that has come in
contact with the infected secretions. The virus can then be transmitted to
the mouth or nose, or to the eye from where it travels to the nose via the
tear duct.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of a cold are usually nasal, and include runny nose, sneezing and
nasal congestion. There may also be some other symptoms such as sore
throat, cough or headache, but the symptoms of a cold are mainly confined
to the nose/head. If there are many more or severe other symptoms, the
illness may not be a cold, but flu or some other type of infection.
A cold is most contagious in the first 2-3 days, lessening each day until
after a week to 10 days there is little chance of contagion. Once a cold is
contracted or "caught" it can be 12 hours to several days before symptoms
begin to show up. The cold virus enters the body through the mouth, eyes or nose.
Causes:
Colds viruses are transmitted by one of two means:
- Direct contact: A person inhales or breathes in the virus from droplets
or vapor in the air when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes, or
droplets enter the eye from the air.
- Indirect contact: Hand to hand, or hand to mouth contact from touching
the secretions directly, or touching a person or object that has come in
contact with the infected secretions. The virus can then be transmitted to
the mouth or nose, or to the eye from where it travels to the nose via the
tear duct.
Conventional Treatment:
Drink lots of liquids and stay in bed. See your doctor if you also have a fever, or if your lungs get involved.
Complementary Treatment:Shopping TipsEssential: Vitamin C Complex 1000mg 120 vcaps -
1000 mg 120 vtabs with natural buffers to help the body utilize the vitamin C more efficiently, Essential: Garlic 500 mg 100 caps (PG5) -
Garlic, PGF 500, is a dietary supplement of high potency garlic Very Important: Colloidal Silver 4 oz (EB1094) -
Colloidal Silver 4 oz (EB1094) by Earth's Bounty Very Important: Immune Health Basics 250 mg 60 caps (BET21) -
Immune Health Basics 250 mg 60 caps (BET21) Very Important: Children's Chew Immune HB 25 mg 60 tabs (CCIMM) -
Children's Chew Immune HB 25 mg 60 tabs (CCIMM) Helpful: Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula -
Dr. Grossman's whole food formula for retinal support and overall eye health. Helpful: Dr. Grossman's Whole Food Multivitamin 90 tabs -
Dr. Grossmans Whole Food Multivitamin
Dietary Supplement 90 tabs made from organic botanicals and food
The perfect compliment to Dr. Grossman's Advanced Eye and Vision Support Formula Helpful: Echinacea-Goldenseal Supreme 2 oz -
Echinacea-Goldenseal Supreme 2 oz Helpful: Jasons Famous Cold and Flu Formula -
Jasons Famous Cold and Flu Formula (tincture) - 2 oz bottle. Designed by Jason Elias, MS, L.Ac., Mth., author of "A-Z Guide to Herbal Remedies", and "Chinese Medicine for Maximum Immunity", and "Feminine Healing". Recommended Vitamins, Supplements, Herbs & Other Nutritional Products
The Basics
- Most important, stay well rested during flu season
- Wash your hands before/after you go somewhere. Wash your hands regularly. The flu virus can live for up to 72 hours on surfaces. Wash briskly with soap and water for 30 seconds. This is actually one of the simplest yet most effective ways to avoid colds and germs.
- Don't touch your mouth, eyes or nose without first washing your hands
Fighting colds and flu
- Fight the flu with supplementing with at least vitamin D3 1,500 to 2,000 I.U. per day. Relatively few foods naturally contain vitamin D, the most abundant being oily fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel, or old-fashioned, cod liver oil. Because of limited natural sources, numerous foods, such as milk, are vitamin-D fortified. For most people of fair skin, 10 or 15 minutes in noontime summer sun can lead to the production of 10,000 IU (International Units) of Vitamin D.
- Wipe down equipment you use at the gym. Most gyms have towels and disinfectants by the exercise machines. If you gym does not, make a complaint to the management. Drape a clean towel over shared yoga mats and sauna and locker room benches
- Stay clean at the hospital. If you're visiting a hospital, wash yourself and your clothes right after. Don't use bar soap in any hospital bathroom or set your purse on the floor. And researchers recently found that one in three stethoscopes used by emergency-medical-service providers was contaminated with MRSA (a germ highly resistant to antibiotics).
- Don't share. You're at increased risk of colds if you share razors, soap, towels, or other personal items.
- Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep causes excess stress on our bodies, and compromises the immune system.
- Drink plenty of water. Water flushes out your system and keeps you healthy. If you have a cold, drink plenty of water because it keeps your body hydrated and helps reduce the symptoms. Try to drink 6-8 glasses of filtered water a day. Note: RO water does not have minerals in it and you should add a few drops of a liquid mineral solution to your RO water.
- Eat a healthy die. Keep your sugar and refined carbohydrates foods to a minimum as these can lead to a depressed immune system. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables which are full of great antioxidants for maintaining health, and add whole grains to your diet such as brown rice and sprouted breads.
- Manage your stress levels. Numerous studies have shown that chronic stress can compromise the immune system. Try taking at least 20 minutes out everyday either to take a nice stroll in the woods, do yoga, meditate or do some regular relaxation technique that works for you.
- Do aerobic exercise regularly. In a research study originally appearing in the November 2006 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, women who did aerobic exercise, usually brisk walking for 30 minutes every day, had one half the colds of a non-aerobic placebo group.
- If you have to take an antibiotic, make sure to take a probiotic at the same time to build up the healthy bacteria in your gut. Antibiotics kill both "bad" and "good" bacteria in the gut.
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