February 2006

Colds and Flu

According to Chinese Medicine, it is the cold and wet weather which invades our bodies and causes colds and flu to do battle with our healthy qi. According to modern medicine’s germ theory, we get a cold or flu when our body is unable to resist invasion of a bacteria or virus. Whether we subscribe to any of these theories or not, we may end up experiencing a cold or flu sometime in the winter months. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that 10 to 20 percent of Americans come down with the flu during each flu season. To tell if you have a cold or the flu, the following link is quite good: http://www.health.gatech.edu/main/3_news/cold_vs_flu.php . The CDC offers tips on what to do at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms.htm .

Prevention

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” Ben Franklin

You can take common-sense steps to prevent getting a cold or flu. Here are my top 10:

1. Get enough rest. This includes sleep and other relaxing activities.

2. Drink enough water. Hot tea is a perfect alternative to cold water on a cold day.

3. Don’t eat a lot of sugar. Sweets and sugary drinks have been shown to reduce immune function. (Bernstein, J., et al, Depression of lymphocyte transformation following oral glucose ingestion, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 30:613, 1977)

4. Gentle exercise regularly. Moving your muscles is the only way your lymph system can clean itself out. Your lymph is the basis of your immune system.

5. Take a small dose of vitamin C and zinc. Especially if you are exposed to sick people regularly, taking these immune system builders can function as a bit of insurance. Without at least a few of the above practices, though, I’m not sure that just taking supplements will keep you healthy. Here is a link to a zinc/C study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16373990&query_hl=5&itool=pubmed_docsum .

6. Stay warm. Chinese medicine sounds a bit like your Mom used to when it comes to cold and flu. Don’t go outside with wet hair or exposed skin if it is very cold or windy. Be sure to wear a scarf to cover the back of your neck and head. This area is called the Wind Gate in TCM, and it is important to close this area off from drafts.

7. Do some immune-building QiGong. There is a simple exercise to do that will pump up your lung qi: Stand with your legs grounded and slightly bent. Relax your shoulders and align your spine. Gently allow your arms to lift in front of you and fall. Let this take you into an arm swing, with no emphasis on pushing your arms backwards, only letting them rebound from swinging forward. Do this for 5-10 minutes every morning and you will feel the difference.

8. Have fun. Laughing and spending time with people that make you happy gives your brain signals that all is well.

9. Take some herbs. If you know you are prone to cold and flu, there is a special Chinese formula just for you. It is called Yu Ping Feng San, or Jade Windscreen Formula. The idea is that this formula protects your Wind Gate from pathogens as well as Jade would. Doesn’t sound very cozy, but Jade is thought to be a valuable healing stone. There are only 3 herbs in this traditional formula. Recently this formula was studied in regards to preventing SARS: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16437735&query_hl=8&itool=pubmed_docsum .

10. Have some acupuncture. Yes, this is number ten on the list. Acupuncture is wonderful, especially when you are already having symptoms. But when it comes to prevention, you should only need Acupuncture is you have compromised immunity. Otherwise, you should be following the above steps with success. If you do find yourself getting sick a lot, you should consult your MD along with your Acupuncturist in order to make sure you are not having a larger health issue that is causing suppressed immunity.

Treatment

Okay, you have a cold or flu. Don’t waste any time beating yourself up for not preventing it- this will make you feel worse! Time to move on and get healthy. First, do what makes sense in terms of getting over it: rest, drink fluids, take some chicken soup, and rest some more. The good news is, TCM has a lot to offer us with respect to symptom relief. There are formulas to take right when you feel the first inkling of illness, which can “head it off at the pass”. There are formulas for a stuffy nose or a runny nose; stronger formulas for a sinus infection; formulas for body aches; formulas for coughing. There are formulas to build you back up if a cold or flu has left you depleted. This is an area where Chinese herbal formulas really shine: after all, it has been many thousands of years that humans have been getting colds and treating them with herbs. A brief consultation with a qualified herbalist can speed your recovery immensely.

Best wishes for a cold and flu- free winter!

Any comments on this article can be directed to: marian@marianhughesacupuncture.com .