There is no 'cure' for the common
cold or flu. Naturopathic treatments focus on encouraging
the body to take care of the cold as best it can without suppressing
the immune system with over the counter drugs. The more you allow
the body to do it's own work the stronger it will be!
1. Rest
Stay home and sleep! Don't try and power through a cold, it really
isn't helpful. The only time your body can truly heal is at rest
or during sleep. You are much more likely to recover faster if
you just give yourself a little break to do so.
2. Warming Socks
Many of our patients know the great benefit of this home hydrotherapy
treatment. Do your socks at the first sign of a cold to help give
a boost to your body temperature and get similar benefits to mounting
a fever,increased white blood cell activity! Do your socks in the
middle of a cold to decrease congestion, relieve throat pain, and
help you breath so you can sleep through the night. If you are
unfamiliar with the magic of warming socks ask your Naturopath
for guidance.
3. Castor Oil Pack
What many people don't realize is that 70% of the immune system
is actually located in the gut! A castor oil pack to the abdomen
can greatly enhance the immune response. Studies have shown an
increase in white blood cell levels not long after doing a pack.
Slap one on while doing your Warming Socks and you are set for the night!
4. Watch your diet
When you are sick it's important to drink a lot of water and avoid
sugar, dairy, and any food intolerances that you are aware
of. Sugar will suppress the immune response and slow down the healing
process. This includes the fruit sugar found in a glass of orange
juice so be careful! The vitamin C you're getting from that OJ
isn't enough to offset all that sugar. Avoid dairy for it's amazing
mucus producing abilities. When you're all stuffed up you don't
need to add fuel to the fire! As for food intolerances, you should
avoid these anyway but especially when you're sick. You immune
system needs to focus on getting you healthy again and not on fighting
with food.
5. Our thoughts on Echinacea...
While echinacea has been shown in several studies to improve the
immune response and lessen the severity of the common cold it can
also prolong it and sometimes even make it worse. Have
you ever taken echinacea at the onset of a cold and your symptoms
have gone away, only to return two weeks later with more virulence?
It's important that herbs be chosen for the right reason. Not every
cold is the same. In order to get the best herbal treatment a formula
should be tailored for you.
If you have been doing the above basics and feel your cold isn't
resolving well or that you need further support please call the
office for an appointment. Herbal medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture,
and nutritional supplementation can all be very helpful when used
appropriately.
|
