If you suspect COVID 19 (symptoms here) please avoid over the counter anti-inflammatory medication.

The French minister of health has said that "the taking of anti-inflammatories [ibuprofen, Advil, cortisone … ] could be a factor in aggravating the infection."  This position has been supported by the WHO. 

While there is lots of controversy in the medical community about this position, I think that it it is prudent to be safe and avoid ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory medication if you are feeling unwell. If you are are on prescription anti-inflammatory medication please contact your prescriber. If you are reaching for over-the-counter fever reducing pharmaceuticals the current suggestion is to take acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Acetaminophen must be taken strictly according to the recommended dose, because too much of it can cause liver damage. Avoid all alcohol before and after using acetaminophen.

Before you reach for any fever reducing medications I urge you to consider the role that fevers play...

​As amazing as it seems – given the weather this past week – we are in the dreaded Cold & Flu Season!
(insert ominous music here) If fact as I wrote this post CBC announced the first locally acquired flu case in Ontario!
 
In the next few weeks I encourage you to take some extra care of yourself and your family. We are in a near perfect storm for the onset of a colds and flus with the combination of: diminishing sunlight (lack of vitamin D); a return to chill inducing cold, damp weather; and the effects of the post Halloween sugar binge. The only thing that would make conditions more ideal would be large public gatherings with lots of small children!
 
Check out my website for Colds & Flus 101: A Survival Guide that includes cold & flu prevention tips as well as other cold & flu information.
 
For those that would like a little extra support staying healthy this cold & flu season I am once again offering free homeopathic flu prevention. With at least a 90% effectiveness (vs 19% for the 2014-15 conventional vaccine) homeopathic flu prevention is great alternative. Click the link for more information regarding homeopathic flu prevention and links to vaccine information.


I will be holding flu clinics at the Life Loft on:

• November 12th from 9:00- 11:00am
• November 17th from 9:00-11:00am
• November 19th from 3:00-6:00pm
• November 24th from 3:00-6:00pm

 
If you have any questions or if you can’t make it to any of the flu clinics but are interested in homeopathic flu prevention please contact me.

I feel like a harbinger of the fall cold & flu season…I guess I kind of am…except that, the main impetus for this post is actually Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) - a cold virus that is typically associated with summer colds!

You can find out more about EV-D68 here.

The best thing you can do for a cold or flu is prevent it! Check out Cold & Flu Season - Part 1: Prevention for the 5 Things You Can Do To Survive The Cold & Flu Season.

If you do start to feel the beginning of a cold or flu drop everything and rest ASAP – lots of sleep/rest now may save you 5-10 days of dragging yourself around at ½ speed. In the first 24-48 hours of the onset of a cold/flu try taking 3 doses (2 pellets) at 4 hour intervals of either:


Oscillococcinum (Anas barbariae): effective in treating the first stages (first 48 hours) of influenza (fever, chills, body aches & pains, etc.)
or
Aconite 30c or 200c: great for acute illness with sudden onset, especially after a shock or exposure.  Symptoms include: excitement, anxiety & fear; restless; a dry cough; and burning heat with a flushed face.

If the 'prevention' and 'nip-it-in-the-bud' ships have sailed and you are now SICK a great place to start is by following the recommendations provided in Cold & Flu Season - Part 2 Treatment. With colds and flus I generally only recommend homeopathic intervention if:

1. If there is either no improvement or a worsening of symptoms
2. If the symptoms are intense (headache, fever, etc.) or unbearable (aches & pains, sleeplessness, etc.)

EV-D68 is a respiratory virus that is currently circulating in the USA and has been impacting children and youth quite hard. Some reports have indicated that 15% of children with the virus are ending up in the intensive care unit. Most cases will be mild and self limiting with symptoms typically last for five to 10 days.

EV-D68 symptoms are similar to common cold: runny nose; cough; sneezing; fever; increased respiratory rate; and wheezing. The concern is that this particular strain of the virus appears to be causing respiratory distress – difficult/forced breathing -  particularly in children with a history of  respiratory illness, such as asthma.

Just like most colds & flus EV-D68 spreads via bodily secretions such as saliva, nasal mucus, or sputum – coughing, sneezing, close contact with infected patients and contact with contaminated surfaces.


Prevention

Update October 17, 2016

The calculator that I referred to in the original post is no longer active, luckily these apps are available and even easier to use than the original!

Opti-D Time Calculator

D VitaMeter

We have known for a very long time (at least 1926) that adequate levels of vitamin D reduce the incidence of respiratory infection, colds, and flu.  It is not so surprising then that as we head into the darkest time of the year –the winter solstice December 21st- the incidence of colds & flus are increasing. We do store vitamin D in our bodies from the summer, the problem is that by this time of the year, without adequate exposure to sunlight, we have used up our stores.

Your skin naturally produces, and then absorbs vitamin D (which is actually a hormone) with sun exposure. In the winter months it is likely that you are not getting enough sunshine to replenish your stores of vitamin D.  This niffty calculator will tell you how much sun exposure you would need to get at various times of the year. Only a few minutes every-other-day for the super pale (nearly transparent) like myself and up to 24 minutes if you have darker skin. 

As your stores of vitamin D drop, your ability to fight infection decreases leaving you with 3 options: 

1. Get sick.
2. Withstand the freezing temperatures and stand in a t-shirt outside at noon for up to 24 minutes every-other-day. 
3. Increase the vitamin D in your diet  - dietary supplementation.

Sources of Vitamin D...

So now you are sick! What do you do now? There is no cure for a cold or flu. Suppressive medications, e.g. decongestants, will allow you to ignore your cold/flu for a short period of time, but in the long run you will likely only increase the duration and intensity of your cold/flu!

Learn more about the effect suppressive medications have on your body.


Things I have learned about recovering from a cold/flu:

1.     Do all 5 things suggested in Cold & Flu Season - Part 1 Prevention.   


2.     The best defence is offence - Flush Your Sinuses
Gargling and using a netti pot literally kill and wash away the pathogens that are attacking your system while soothing your irritated mucus membranes. At the onset of any symptoms gargle and use a netti pot. Gargle deeply once every 3 hours for at least 60 seconds, continue to gargle for at least 1 day after you feel better. Follow your netti pot instructions.

• Gargle recipe: 15-30ml (1-2 tbsp) real apple cider vinegar (optional), 250ml (1c) of warm water & 2-5ml (½-1 tsp) salt.

Tip: If I am on-the-go (aka not following my own advice and resting) I will mix up a large batch of the salt & vinegar to take with me and use throughout the day. 

Well I am sad to say that cold & flu season is upon us.  While it may see logical to blame the vectors in our lives (aka children, colleagues, fellow commuters, etc.) more times than not our own immune system to blame. 

Most of us are exposed to cold or flu viruses on a fairly regular basis, but we only get sick when our bodies are in a weakened state. A weak immune system means that cold & flu viruses are able to get a foothold in our bodies and proliferate.

So if colds/flus are simply a matter of our individual immune systems being weakened why is there a cold/flu season? There are a lot of interesting theories regarding cold/flu seasons, like the cold nose idea, but I think it just boils down to an end of summer. Summer has a slower more relaxed pace – we take vacations, entertain casually, and we take time to enjoy sitting outside. Generally, we take better care of ourselves in the summer. In the fall everything seems to ramp up to a hectic pace as we get the kids off to school, head back to the gym, and tackle the piles of stuff we procrastinated all summer. In addition we spend less time outside getting our vitamin D and the weather is erratic which means that we get chilled often.

5 Things You Can Do To Survive The Cold & Flu Season

1.  Eat well
 Food is your fuel. Crappy food equals crappy performance.  Strive to eat only real food – nothing processed. Keep your diet high in fresh vegetables and fruits all year round.  Many people recommend increasing your garlic intake during cold/flu season and for good reason.


2.  Drink well