I am writing about the flu this week as it hit pretty close to home with my husband being laid low last week. So far, I have been able to avoid catching it, using the following protocols. Knock on wood!
Also, although he had a fever for three days, he recovered more quickly than I expected and did not develop many respiratory symptoms, other than a little stuffiness. As you may know the fever in flu often lasts a week or more and respiratory symptoms for weeks afterwards. I think we had a good outcome because we went into full-on, flu-fighting mode from the outset.
Widespread Flu Activity in Montgomery County
Health officials have notified us that the flu is widespread in our community. Hospitals are restricting visitors from entering if they have flu-like symptoms in order to safeguard staff and patients in the hospital.
Tips for Preventing the Spread of Flu
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care. Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine. Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.
Tips for treating flu at home
Aggressive treatment with natural remedies at the earliest possible time creates the best results.
Vitamin C Therapy
Vitamin C is a potent antiviral if given at high enough doses, following this protocol. It can also be used as a flu preventative as it boosts your immune system.
- Ascorbic Acid may be tough on your tummy, so I recommend using Sodium Ascorbate which is available at the Vitamin Shoppe.
- Start dosing in 1000mg-3000mg doses every 2-3 hours throughout the day, to bowel tolerance (this is exactly what it sounds like!)
- When bowel tolerance is reached, reduce dosage by 20%
- If bowel tolerance is reached again, reduce dosage again by 20% (and so on). Your goal is to take the highest dosage you can tolerate.
- Vitamin C is harmless in large doses. The only side effect is loose bowel.
- Lypo-spheric Vitamin C can sometimes be as effective as IV Vitamin C and will not cause loose bowel.
We carry this product at our office, if you’re interested, and are currently running a 10% off special
Chinese Herbal Medicine
One of the great Chinese doctors came to visit the US a few years ago and spent a lot of time traveling through the country. At a dinner in his honor, he was asked what surprised him the most. He replied “Americans believe there is no cure for the common cold or flu!” A recent study concluded that the reason there were fewer Chinese deaths in the 1918 flu epidemic, compared to other countries, is due to Chinese Herbal Medicine, which is still the primary medicine in China and throughout much of Asia. My advice is to get an herbal consultation at the earliest possibly time, preferably at first onset of symptoms. We can Skype if you like, which might be better for not spreading the virus. As always with herbs, it is best to get a Chinese medical diagnosis which allows us to individualize your formula. For example, a cold can be hot or cold in nature. If you grab the wrong herb formula, you could worsen your symptoms.
Gua Sha and Cupping
I would encourage everyone to have cupping and gua sha tools at home and learn how to use them. In a pinch you can use a jar lid or a coin to do gua sha on a suffering loved one. Clinical studies show these techniques boost your immune system for 4-5 days. They also relieve aching muscles, cough and stuffy head. This is great DIY medicine folks!
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