TCM Perspectives on Preventing and Treating Colds and Flus

Flu season is now well upon us – how many people do you know that have already been down this year? Many people are still considering whether or not to get vaccinated – both against the H1N1 and the seasonal flu. There are pros and cons on both sides: there are worries about the safety or efficacy of the vaccines (including the preservatives they come with), as well as worries about the potential severity of this year's H1N1 virus and the fact that complications related to seasonal flus are the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. It is an issue each person or family should educate themselves about to make the best choice for them, including taking into consideration their risk factors such as pregnancy, having a chronic illness, being a health care or child care worker, etc.


Whether or not you choose to get a flu vaccine, it is very important for all of us to take care of our body's resistance at this time. There are the usual recommendations: washing hands frequently (anti-bacterial soap is not necessary), especially after coughing or sneezing (and always using a tissue, or coughing or sneezing into the elbow, not the hand); avoiding sharing food and drink with others to prevent cross-contamination; avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth; and avoiding close contact with those who have a cold or flu. If you are sick, stay at home and avoid contact with others, until at least 24 hours after your fever has subsided.


The best prevention is to follow the above advice to prevent exposure to cold and flu pathogens. Whether or not we get sick when exposed to pathogens is determined by 1) the strength of the pathogen and 2) the strength of our body's defenses, which in Chinese Medicine we call Wei Qi.


In supporting the body's ability to defend itself, proper rest cannot be underestimated: the body doesn't function properly without it. Sleeping at night is like recharging our cell phone batteries – our qi, blood, and yin gets replenished during this time, allowing us to function on full power the next day. If our qi is depleted, we do not have the ability to fight illness.


Also important in keeping our qi healthy, free-flowing, and strong is to do our best to be aware of and moderate the stresses we are facing. We are much more susceptible to illness when we are feeling stressed, stretched, and run down. The fall and winter is the natural time for rest and storage: to keep warm, keep the back of the neck covered, and avoid drafts and wind; to eat hearty, warming foods such as soups and stews; to sleep a little more and conserve our energies. It is important to live according to the energy of the seasons for optimal health.


It is also important to eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Warm, cooked foods, especially cooked with warming and/or digestive herbs such as onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, clove, cumin, fennel, coriander, basil, mint, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, etc. - help aid our digestion and keep our qi strong. Baked pears (especially the Asian variety), perhaps with a bit of local honey, almonds, and walnuts, is a tasty dessert that's good for lung health.


We should stay hydrated, drinking lots of fluids, particularly warm beverages. Ginger tea (1 inch of ginger, sliced and simmered for about 15 – 30 minutes) or ginger and green onion soup (the white parts are especially powerful) are great when you feel like you may be on the verge of coming down with something.


Sinus lavage (netipot) is very helpful for maintaining upper respiratory health, especially if you are prone to allergies, colds, and sinus problems. Similarly, a warm or hot (though be careful that is not scalding) salt water gargle can help prevent viruses in the throat from proliferating, and the mucus membranes clean and moist.


Some people like to take supplements to help boost the immune system, including vitamin C and zinc. Astragalus is a powerful Chinese herb popularly used to boost immune function. Airborne is a supplement which contains a famous Chinese herbal formula for colds and flus (Yin Qiao San) – it is best taken at the first sign of catching a cold, and can be taken throughout the course of a cold to keep symptoms low-grade and to help speed recovery. While some of these Chinese herbs and formulas are now available over-the-counter, it is best to see your Chinese herbalist to be sure that these herbs are right for you and the conditions you present with.


Acupuncture can help to boost immunity, and to address symptoms such as sore throat, fever, headache, body aches, stuffy sinuses, runny nose, cough, and others. Chinese herbal formulas can be very helpful to both strengthen immunity and to treat colds and flus. Many Chinese herbs not only treat symptoms but have potent anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, often without the bacterial resistance that has developed through the widespread use of modern antibiotics. These formulas should be prescribed by an herbalist, because our medicine is tailored to each individual's constitution and symptom presentation. While modern bio-medicine claims that there is no cure for the common cold, Chinese medicine has been treating it for thousands of years.

The fire season

A lot of people say that there are no seasons in Los Angeles, but of course that's not true. When I got here I was informed that there are two seasons: fire season and mudslide season (back home in Canada we say there are two seasons too: hockey season and road construction season).

As the horrible fires of the past few weeks have shown, we're right into fire season now. Coming soon will be the hot Santa Ana winds, which are known to drive people crazy. What can we do to help cope with the hot desert winds, the dry air, and the smoke?

1. Don't expose yourself to smoke and dust. It's hard, but resist the urge to go for a jog outside. Stick to indoor activities, especially when the air is very polluted and in the heat of the day.

2. Stay hydrated. Check my summer cooling post for a recipe or two, and some products I like for hydration and sore throats are Traditional Medicinal's Throat Coat and ElectroMix, from the Emergen-C people. There is also a Chinese herb called Pang Da Hai, which produces a soothing, slippery drink when steeped. In China the opera singers sip it to keep their throats in tip top shape. Ask for some when you come in for a treatment!

3. Sinus flushing. Keep dust, smoke and irritants out of your nasal passages by using a neti pot or sinus rinse.

4. Eat lung supporting foods: If you are suffering from dry cough, irritation, and fatigue, try adding pears, okra and white fish to your diet. Pears are especially useful. Eat the Asian ones raw, or try poaching them or baking them for a sweet treat.

5. If your lungs are a chronic weak spot, you might consider taking Cordyceps, a traditional tonic herb. Check with me or another herbalist to see if Cordyceps is right for your presentation.

breathe easy!
Kirsten

What? Antibiotics don't work for sinus infections?

That's right folks. The results of a new survey of millions of doctor visits show that most people receive antibiotics for sinus infections, which not only don't help most cases, but actually make things worse by creating antibiotic resistant bacteria. Read more about the study here.

Sinus pain, congestion, pressure and infections are something I see in the clinic all the time. Patients who suffer regularly come in begging for a few needles in the face:" give me the cat whiskers!" Acupuncture certainly gives rapid relief to the acute pain of a sinus headache and pressure. But what can one do in the long term to ease the often debilitating symptoms?

1. Regular acupuncture. No surprise that I am recommending this! But aside from relieving the acute stage, regular treatments can keep your immune system strong and your system at its best. Your Chinese Medicine practitioner can also provide herbal formulas for both acute and chronic stages.

2. Limit dairy foods, cold and raw foods and sugar. These all create 'damp' in the body, the pathogenic agent associated with phlegm, mucous and stagnation: recipe for congestion and pain. Other people find specific foods such as wheat sometimes aggravate their symptoms.

3. Sinus flushing. Even the staid voice of Western medicine is beginning to see the incredible power of this ancient Ayurvedic technique. Dr. Don Leopold, chair of the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Department of Otolaryngology who worked on the sinus survey I mention above, suggests it as an alternative to antibiotics: one that actually works. A doctor might recommend something fancy in a package, but I send my patients to the healthfood store to buy a neti pot. The idea might take some getting used to, but if you have suffered with sinus problems and especially the toll chronic infections take on your life, you will get over it when you notice you have gone weeks, and then months, without an infection.

Tomorrow is the vernal equinox. Celebrate spring without fear of pollen: Breathe easy with the wisdom of Chinese medicine!

Kirsten