The Flu
13-03-2009
This is an item i wrote about influenza, which seems to be making its way through Lexington right about now.
It's flu season again. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 8% of the nation's deaths last week were from the flu and flu-associated pneumonia. Considering all the ways there are to die, that's a pretty substantial percentage.
Here's more bad news-- there are only four FDA-approved drugs that have antiviral properties against the Flu; all of them are relatively new, and all of them have side effects that are potentially serious; and this year, Flu viruses have developed resistance to at least three of them.
And even more bad news-- the Flu vaccine, which has been with us for more than thirty years now, has failed to reduce the incidence of the flu. In fact, incidence of the flu has more than tripled since the vaccine's introduction. Every year, at least half of the people I see with the flu, were vaccinated for it. Aggressive marketing campaigns for the vaccine products have made them very popular, but have failed to make them any more effective.
There are some things that can be done to help prevent the flu. First and foremost is staying away from people who have it. This means that trips to public places should be minimized, since contact with infected people is more probable. Frequent hand washing, with soap and water, might also be helpful (remember that antibacterial hand sanitizers have no effect on the flu, as it is not caused by bacteria).
Keeping your body as healthy as possible is also a good step to take-- being extra careful to get good sleep and good nutrition. While there may not be any hard data available o exactly how much effect this will have on this year's flu season, it stands to reason that it will improve your odds of avoiding or recovering from any epidemic, and it's a good step to take in any case.
Herbs to strengthen the immune system can also be beneficial. Some ideas for this are included in my blog entry on immune health, so i won't repeat them here.
Usnea is one herb in particular that i always use during flu outbreaks. It contains Beta Glucans, which have a demonstrated and well-researched effect on improving immune function. It also contains some antiviral substances, which keep the virus from taking hold in the body, and some substances that help reduce fever and body aches if the illness is already in progress. Year after year, this is the herb that i rely on to keep me from getting sick while treating individuals who have the flu, and one of the most common ones i give to the patients who have it.
Melissa, or Lemon Balm, is another herb with antiviral properties. It produces drowsiness and sleep, but can be very helpful in people who are run down and need deep sleep in addition to its antiviral properties. However, this herb is not for everyone, and especially not for anyone who is already experiencing respiratory distress.
Thyme can be a very useful herb in keeping the lungs free of infection. Often, people who become extremely ill in association with the flu also develop bacterial infection, in which case thyme can make the difference between recovering and dying (as mentioned elsewhere, antibiotic resistant bacteria tend not to be resistant to the variety of substances in herbal medicines) .
Prevention of the Flu is the best possible situation, but if it does strike prompt and thoughtful treatment can make the difference between a relative short period of ill health and an extended one.
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