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You Don't Need To Suffer From a Cold
Being cold doesn’t cause a cold however; being cold is a form of thermal stress on our system. Stress is one of the five processes that lead to immune suppression and with immune suppression comes an increased risk of all sorts of illnesses. The other four immuno-suppressive processes are poor nutrition, infection, toxins and trauma. Essentially, stress occurs when we are in some way expending energy faster than we can regenerate it at that moment. Sensing this imbalance the body kicks in with a number of mechanisms to compensate and protect us, all too often robbing Peter to pay Paul. Initially, when we are under stress there is an increased amount of adrenaline that is produced and released. This gives us the capability of “fight or flight.” Historically, this gave our ancestors the protective ability to run away from the saber-toothed tiger or to stand their ground against an enemy. If the stress is more chronic, there is an increased release of another adrenal hormone called cortisol. Cortisol does many wonderful things for us such as giving us a higher stable level of energy, improved memory function and lower sensitivity to pain. But, cortisol also has a dark side: the problem is that with long term higher levels of release it is also an immune suppressant. So as cortisol levels go up our immune function goes down. Since the final effects of the stress response have common pathways, if we generally have a stressful lifestyle with work , family and maybe the occasional bad habit or two, then being in the cold can easily be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and with the exposure of any one of quite a number of viruses, we get sick. There are more than 200 different viruses known to cause the miserable signs and symptoms of the common cold. The most common are rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The rhinovirus group causes 10% to 40% of colds. The coronaviruses and RSV are responsible for 20% and 10% of cases, respectively. By comparison, the flu is caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses), and are divided into three types, designated A, B, and C. Influenza types A and B are responsible for epidemics of respiratory illness that occur almost every winter and are often associated with increased rates of hospitalization and death. Well, back to the common cold. Upon exposure, and if your immune system is a bit under the weather, so to speak, the virus gets into the cells lining your nose and starts reproducing. It arrives from other people, by getting coughed or sneezed on, or touching a doorknob that someone with a cold and poor hygiene just touched and voilà you have a cold.It has been said that a cold lasts for 7 days and by taking a fist full of vitamins it only lasts for a week. Well maybe, but with a little bit of help, your immune system can strike back quickly, reducing the severity of the cold while reducing your risk for secondary bacterial infections which are important points. Beyond “take 2 aspirin and call me in the morning”, elements of a helpful and effective strategy include getting enough sleep, eating a high quality, broad diet, drinking plenty of clean water and adding some supplements to your daily regime. The Super Six for adults: [1] Echinadoron (usa.weleda.com) 1 tablet 3 times per day [2] Bio EnRGY C (Longevity Plus) 1 tsp in juice or water 3 times per day [3] Zinc lozenges (20-30 mg) suck on one every 2 hours [4] Vitamin A 10,000 IU per day for a week [5] Black elderberry extract (Sambucol, sambucolusa.com) 2 tsp 4 times per day [6] Fresh Ginger root (organic from the health food store) tea several cups per day This combination will significantly reduce your suffering and your risk of a secondary infection. Strep is no fun! Stock up in advance for yourself and your family, and this too shall pass.
Jesse A. Stoff, MD, MDH, FAAFP is
a licensed Medical Doctor, a Certified
Naturopathic Physician, a Certified
Acupuncturist, and a licensed Homeopathic
Physician. He has authored/co-authored
dozens of articles and 8 books including
co-authoring the bestsellers Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome: The Hidden Epidemic and
The Prostate Miracle. He has also served
as a member of the Clinical Nutrition Board
of Cancer Treatment Centers of America,
Inc. As Medical Director of the Stoff
Institute for Medical Research, he consults
with physicians and medical groups both
domestically and abroad on the subjects
of immune system disorders and immune
reconstitution. As a result of his research
he has developed several new molecular
complexes, one of which is now being
patented as a true anti-biotic replacement.
Dr. Stoff can be reached at the East End
Wellness Center in Riverhead, NY.
631-591-2288. eastendwellnesscenter.com. |
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With the arrival of
colder weather, you
may have noticed
that more of your friends and
family are falling ill with colds.