Treating colds and flu the natural way
What are they?
Colds and flu are viral infections of the upper respiratory areas – nose, sinuses, throat and sometimes the bronchii (air passages into the lungs) as well. They are generally self limiting diseases which resolve on their own after a few days, but symptoms can be eased and complications avoided by naturopathic/homeopathic treatment.
The bigger picture
Flu has strong seasonal and epidemic nature. Especially at the change of seasons running like wildfire through communities and even continents. It is spread by contact (sneezing etc) but the breakouts occur faster than can be understood purely by personal contact. So there seems to be an almost innate susceptibility to the flu at certain times. The doctors of the past observed the acute symptoms like: fever, high mucous production etc. and speculated that the seasonal wide spread occurrence of this disease had a purpose, perhaps to detox and prepare the body for the changes coming up in the new season. So they decided as in Ayurveda (Indian natural medicinal system) to actually circumvent the pain of flu by devising treatments that actually mimic flu symptoms. For example, heating the body and joints with herbal medicated steam (artificially induced fever) and induction of cold-pressed Sesame oil into the nose to promote decongestion and mucous flow from the upper respiratory tract. These treatments would be given before the patient got flu and would not be used during the acute phase of flu itself.
On the other, hand modern medicine would see flu as caused by an exposure to a virus and lack of capacity of the immune system to cope with the ‘invasion’. Treatment would involve priming the immune system by prophylactic vaccination, managing symptoms by pain killers and fever reducing medicines, and treating the secondary infections by antibiotics.
From a naturopathic point of view this form of treatment is highly surpressive of symptoms which are the body’s only form of expression of disease, and often leads to a long period of rebounding or re-occurring flu. Never feeling totally sick but also not feeling well and vital.
Alarm bells!
You can’t take every cold and flu to the doctor but sometimes you do need to. How to differentiate? The very young and old, especially young non-thriving children and very frail old people would in general be more susceptible to complications. Watch them carefully, treat naturopathically and if they don’t respond see a medical professional – obviously I would recommend a registered homeopath. If you feel uncomfortable about a situation even with a robust person, see a doctor.
Don’t do any cardio-vascular training/games when you have flu – there are risks of heart complications. If you are on a big sports regime, rather work on flexibility via stretching or light yoga.
And now for the naturopathic home treatment
Rule number one is rest, and that means total bed rest at home, not working. The problem with ‘over the counter flu remedies’ available from pharmacies, is that they mask the symptoms allowing you to go to work, but underneath the disease process is raging on without the support of a quiet, stable environment.
Drink lots of fluids, especially warm fluids. The keynote is warm. Colds and flu need warmth. Hot teas especially herbal teas are great, look at the berry teas like raspberry etc for extra tartness and vitamin C. Jack up the warmth with warm spices, add ¼ teaspoon of powdered ginger, turmeric and cinnamon to boiling water with lemon, garlic (if you can stomach it!) and honey – the traditional hot toddy (spiced up).
From the Eastern tradition Chai tea is recommended: tea bag into a cup of full cream milk, add ½ teaspoon powdered ginger, turmeric, cinnamon (clove and cardomon are optional extras), bring the mixture to a boil and let it cool for a few minutes, then enjoy the exotic flavours. You might find it strange that I say full cream milk. Surely dairy is the worst for mucous production? By bringing the milk to a boil the mucous forming nature of dairy is reduced and by adding turmeric and ginger the mucogenicity of the milk is reduced further. The story goes on. The body does not like absorbing bitter and astringent tasting (like turmeric) chemicals from the digestive tract, but by combining it with the ‘sweetness’ of dairy cream the body is fooled into absorbing great chunks of ginger and turmeric and directing the complex to the mucous membranes which gleefully accept their favourite ‘food’ only to find like the Trojan Horse, they have allowed in the sworn anti-mucous enemy.
Eat light nutritious meals especially hot soups with lots of seasoning e.g. Thyme, black pepper, etc etc.
Vitamin C is also good. First choice to get via foods e.g. Citrus fruits, green peppers and chillies and other sour, tart tasting fruit and vegetables. An excellent supplement is the FoodState vitamin C Complex which supplies bioflavnoids (natural co factors to Vit C) and a moderate 250mg of ascorbic acid (Vit C). FoodState supplements are bound into a food matrix which means that their absorption and bio availability is very high. Thus we do not burden the body with megadoses of Vit C which are poorly absorbed and place extra strain on the gut and kidneys to get rid of excess levels.
Echinacea is the number one herbal supplements during times of infection. Take the drops as directed in a little water or juice. If you are seeing a homeopath ask for the Medi-Herb Echinacea or Andrographis Complex. I have had great results with these products.
The main homeopathic remedies used for colds and flu are: Aconite, Belladonna, Bryonia, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Gelsemium, and Pulsatilla etc. Because it is difficult for a lay person to differentiate between the specific indications of each remedy I would recommend using a ‘Colds and Flu complex’ (available from a health shop or pharmacy) which might have some or all of the above remedies in it. Please remember we are talking about uncomplicated flu here. Where there is doubt visit a homeopath who will take the patient’s case and prescribe specifically in terms of remedy, potency and repetition.
To manage fever use warm water, e.g. Soak in a bath, or towel down a child’s face with a dampened facecloth (with luke warm water not cold water). Avoid fever reducing medication. Remember the fever creates an uncomfortable environment for virus and bacteria as well. It just needs to be managed not totally surpressed.
Best wishes for winter, stay warm and look after yourselves.
Dr Ben Wulfsohn – Registered Homeopath
