Chicken soup, Rest and Homeopathy a natural perspective on the flu.
You may have heard, there is an Pandemic! Yes, WHO (World Health Organisation) has declared that the Swine Flu had reached a level 6 Pandemic. This means that the virus has spread around the globe and has now become the dominant flu strain and is making a second trip around the world. http://www.wpro.who.int/health_topics/h1n1/
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 is a new virus that has not circulated among humans before. This virus is different from previous or current human seasonal influenza viruses. Because this is a new strain of flu, the seasonal flu shot has no effectiveness, not to mention the problems associated with vaccination in the first place http://vran.org. A vaccination is being developed but has not undergone proper safety testing and has unknown efficacy. There is also a lot of antivirals (tamiflu etc.) but these run into similar problems. As with any drug there are potential and very serious side effects and problems with access when it affects the whole population, not to mention unknown effectiveness.
The virus is transmitted by inhaling infected droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing or by touching contaminated hands or surfaces, the same as the normal seasonal flu. This is why it is so important for people to cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, perhaps using the sleeve sneeze method you may have seen around on the TTC, as well as dispose promptly of tissues and wash your hands often. It is also suggested that you stay home when unwell, and avoid crowded areas where possible.
So what are we to do? Walk around wearing gloves and a mask fearing for our lives and washing our hands all the time? How much fear are you aware of internalizing that has been created around this flu outbreak, even before it had started? How do you think that fear and stress is affecting your immune system? You only get sick if you are susceptible to an illness, and stress is one of the best ways to lower your immunity. How do you think the constant thoughts, prompted by the media and the general hysteria about this flu, are attracting to you exactly what you do not want. Are you afraid of getting sick? Well if you don’t feel like there are options to help you heal in case you do get sick, you are probably are.
The symptoms of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 are similar to seasonal influenza, such as fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and runny nose, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. These are standard flu symptoms and depending on which symptoms are prominent in an individual, Homeopathy can help you to recover from this and any other flu quickly and with much less discomfort while boosting your future immunity. I have seen it many times in my practice and even with myself, symptoms are lessened, the body is able to rest peacefully and then a full recovery is possible very quickly. History shows us that Homeopathy is very effective at dealing with flu pandemics such as the one in 1918-19.
Here is a quote from the famous historian Julian Winston:
Perhaps the most recent use of homeopathy in a major epidemic was during the Influenza Pandemic of 1918. The Journal of the American Institute for Homeopathy, May, 1921, had a long article about the use of homeopathy in the flu epidemic. Dr. T A McCann, from Dayton, Ohio, reported that 24,000 cases of flu treated allopathically (allopyathy is another term for Western Medicine) had a mortality rate of 28.2% while 26,000 cases of flu treated homeopathically had a mortality rate of 1.05%. This last figure was supported by Dean W.A. Pearson of Philadelphia (Hahnemann College) who collected 26,795 cases of flu treated with homeopathy with the above result.
The most common remedy used was Gelsemium, with occasional cases needing Bryonia and Eupatorium reported. Dr. Herbert A. Roberts from Derby, CT, said that 30 physicians in Connecticut responded to his request for data. They reported 6,602 cases with 55 deaths, which is less than 1%. Dr. Roberts was working as a physician on a troop ship during WWI. He had 81 cases of flu on the way over to Europe. He reported, “All recovered and were landed. Every man received homeopathic treatment. One ship lost 31 on the way.”
http://www.hpathy.com/papersnew/winston-homeopathy-epidemics.asp
Another great thing about homeopathy is that it can be used preventatively. If your immune system is already in great shape, and you are in tip top shape, you may avoid getting the flu all together, and even if you do, you will bounce back quicker and be less severe symptoms all the way through. Having constitutional treatment from a homeopath to deal with underlying health issues before hand is a great way to protect yourself from getting other illnesses. For more information on homeopathy please visit http://www.pande.ca/Classical-Homeopathy/classical-homeopathic-medicine.html
What to do if you do get the flu
The easiest way to heal any illness is to give your body the tools to heal itself.
- Sleep! Providing your body with as much rest as it needs is essential to making a full and quick recovery. Your body will use this down time to heal itself when you are not putting other demands on it. Sleeping for 14 hours may be exactly what you need to do to nip this in the bud, and that may be difficult to do when you have family and work demands but the consequence is a longer and more uncomfortable period of recovery. This is often what happens when you hear of people who have had a flu for two weeks, they thought they would just tough it out, and they feel a little better,so they go back to work, and then they get worse again. Give your body the time to heal before you start demanding of it again.
- Drink Lots of fluids. Pamper yourself with hot lemon ginger and honey drinks to soothe the throat and airways.If you are feeling sick to your stomach, avoid drinking water as this will lead to further vomiting, instead sip ginger ale or a juice of your choice. And don’t forget the advice of grandmothers from around the world for centuries, Chicken soup is good for the soul and the flu!
- Gargle with salt.
Gargle with warm salt water to disinfect the throat.
One tsp. of salt into 8 oz of warm water. Do not swallow. - Have a lukewarm bath with a cup of vinegar to bring down a fever and relieve aching muscles.
- If you are congested you can add some essential oil of eucalyptus to your bath. This will soothe the airways and make expelling of mucous easier.
- Vitamin C.
Research has shown that Vitamin C found in orange juice, taken daily, can shorten the duration of the flu.
A recent study showed that 1,000 mg of vitamin C every six hours can effectively relieve, or even prevent, flu symptoms. - Avoid dairy products as they promote the production of mucous
- Avoid sugar, artificial sweeteners and food additives
- See or call a homeopath for an acute consultation to minimize symptoms and help you with a quicker recovery.
- Go see your GP or emergency if symptoms become severe
Here are some examples of remedies that a homeopath might prescribe for a flu depending on the specific symptoms. Note that homeopathy is safe even for children, which is great considering the dangers involved with cold, flu and cough medications for children.
THE ACUTE STAGE
Aconite 30 – Sudden onset from cold winds or getting chilled. Fever and chill, restlessness and anxiety, good at the first stage of cold or flu.
Belladonna 30 – The No. 1 remedy for sudden fevers. Patient is burning, red and hot. Eyes may be glassy and the pupils dilated. Thirsty for refreshing drinks. Inflamed sore throat, throbbing headache, better lying down, worse touch, jarring or movement.
Bryonia 30 – Keynote: any movement causes pain – wants to be still. Painful dry cough. Headache and pains, better from pressure and worse movement. Irritable and thirsty for cold drinks.
Camphora 30 – Icy coldness – yet doesn’t want covers on – but is sensitive to cold – wants cold drinks. A state of sudden collapse, wants carers present during the hot stage of fever. Anxious.
Eupatorium perfoliatum 30 – intense aching in back, limbs and especially bones – which feel broken. Sore skin and muscles, shivering, chills. Thirst for cold water but may vomit food, drink and bile. Headache with nausea, sore chest with cough.
Nux Vomica 30 – Extreme chilliness – shivery, cannot get warm despite heat. May have fever but feels freezing inside. Aching limbs and gastric problems – nausea. Better from sleep, hot drinks, strong pressure and being left alone.
Gelsemium 30 – Aching, tiredness and weakness felt especially in muscles and limbs. Drowsy, dull, apathetic, dizzy and trembling. Heavy eyelids with bruising headache from the neck to head and forehead. Chill and heat. No thirst.
AFTER INFLUENZA
Tuberculinum Aviare 200 – Practitioners use this remedy for clearing up symptoms after flu, especially when the lungs have been affected, Coughs are irritating, incessant and tickling. There is great debility and weight loss and lack of appetite. This remedy braces up the whole organism, reduces coughs and brings back the appetite. 3 doses in 12 hours. One of the following may also be needed:
China – continued debility and chilliness – anaemic and weak with desire to stretch and move. Worse on alternate days.
Kali Phosphoricum – General weakness with spasm – the slightest labour seems like a heavy task.
Phosphoric Acid – Chronic fatigue after flu. Better from warmth, sleep. Feels apathetic, dull, settled despair, indifferent to everything. Low continued fevers. The above can be taken either in a 6C potency 3 times a day or a 30 potency twice a day.
