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I am a primary care physician with an integrative style joining Naturopathic, Chinese and Western medicine. To Your Health provides you the reader with up to date health information to provide education, current standards of care and alternatives to support your health. I hope you find this site useful and beneficial to your well-being.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

INFLUENZA


                      ' Tis the Season
                                                                       
The season has changed and autumn is upon us. This of course means change in temperature to cooler and more windy, damp weather. It also means it is time to think about protecting ourselves from the seasonal pathogen of influenza.

Western medicine and Naturopathic/Chinese Medicine acknowledge influenza as a seasonal illness but address it in very different ways.

Western Medicine
According to the Center for Disease Control, flu season lasts from October to May with every flu season being a bit different and affecting people in a variety of ways. We know in both Western and Naturpathic/Chinese Medicine that those who are more vulnerable must take extra precaution to prevent illness so not to have serious outcomes from the influenza virus.

Western Medicine recommends the flu vaccine as one of the priority measures of prevention. Take a look at the CDC website for recommendations about who should receive the vaccine, how the vaccine works and when it is recommended to get a vaccine.

Chinese Medicine and Naturopathic Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Naturopathic Medicine focus on understanding the patient's underlying constitution and the type of influenza virus and pattern of symptoms. For example a common pattern in TCM manifests as a serious wind-heat or wind-cold pattern, mixed with dampness or food stagnation while the less severe type manifests as a milder wind-heat or wind-cold pattern, and the viral pneumonia type exhibits as heat obstruction of the Lung.
For further explanation of Chinese Medicine patterns and diagnosis, see:

The holistic medicine practitioner must consider the lifestyle and constitution of the patient such as stressful lifestyle, poor dietary habits, inadequate sleep, low immunity or chronic illness that may not allow the person to protect themselves from these climactic factors and seasonal pathogens. Naturopathic Medicine places great importance on supporting the body’s vitality by supporting optimal health with the previous mentioned factors.

Here are some recommendations to prevent acquiring the seasonal flu:
  • Cover coughs and sneezes
  • Wash hands often
  • Stay home when sick
  • Clean surfaces and objects in your environment
  • Consider taking supportive supplements/herbs for your immune system and at first onset of symptoms. Ask your naturopath or Chinese medicine practitioner for recommendations.
  • Acupuncture
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Lifestyle Modifications: adequate sleep/rest, whole foods diet, stress reduction, regular exercise.


Image courtesy of: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/agree-terms.php?id=100111172. Sick Woman Covered With Blanket At Home" by marin.



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