How To Fight That Winter Bug!
By Dr. Matthew Fellner, DACM, L.Ac.
Don’t wait until you’re sick to start taking care of your health! Winter is the prime season for viruses to wreak havoc for three main reasons:
First, virus strains thrive in colder temperatures
Second, we spend more time indoors allowing for higher rates of transmission
Third, without any immunity building exercises, the immune system remains stagnant
There are a few primary factors that increase the likelihood of getting sick and cause us to have a more severe form of the illness. One is the amount of viral load in the system and the other is the internal environment that is ideal for the proliferation of viruses.
Viral load refers to how much of the virus is able to enter your bloodstream. The only way to control viral load is to reduce exposure and maintain proper hygiene. This means wearing a mask when in crowded areas and frequent hand washing.
The internal environment is simply the state of your body at the time the virus invades. If the immune system is weak, viruses are able to reproduce very quickly and wreak havoc on the body, causing a more severe illness. However, when the right steps are taken, we can support our bodies’ virus-fighting abilities.
So, how do we support our bodies’ virus-fighting abilities? It may surprise you that there are 4 simple steps that can go a long way to improving your immune health before and after getting sick.
Get consistent acupuncture treatments – Research has shown that acupuncture not only reduces stress and inflammation, but specifically can boost the levels of immune system cytokines and T cells to fight off infection. Acupuncture powerfully engages the body to improve both circulatory and immune responses. When a virus invades the body, the majority of the virus collects in the mouth, throat, and nasal passages. Acupuncture enhances the body’s ability to deliver a strong response to the surface where the virus is most likely to try and gain entry. This is why it’s important to get acupuncture regularly as each treatment builds on the previous one to up the resistance to cold and flu. Here is the full article if you like to geek out on science & medicine!
Take Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs prescribed by your licensed practitioner – Taking prescribed herbs strengthens the internal environment of the body by way of ingestion, which allows for immediate digestion and effects. When done together, acupuncture and herbs can help you recover faster from being sick and strengthen the body's defense to better deal with the next exposure. This also applies to times when you feel like you have not or cannot recover fully from a previous or existing illness. Many people still struggle with lingering symptoms and fatigue of COVID because of the effect viruses can have on the body, even if it may not be long COVID. There’s also the common cold, the flu, RSV, bronchitis, pneumonia and many more. The combination of acupuncture and herbs can be a really powerful tool to help you get back on your feet.
Breathe deeply – Most people breathe only in the top part of the lungs and so the lungs do not oxygenate or filter properly, leading to weakness and susceptibility to infections. Simply taking 5-10 minutes to deepen and slow the breath can make a difference. Here is a great exercise that also involves mindfulness to improve the lung’s immune function: Inhale deeply but gently without straining or making noise, then imagine your lungs are being cleansed of all the toxins, gently exhale through a little hole in the mouth, and visualize all those toxins leaving the body. Repeat 8-10 times.
Eat more anti-inflammatory foods – Foods high in sugar, processed and packaged foods increase inflammation and make fighting infections much harder. Where you can, substitute fresh vegetables, fruit, and eggs for artificial products. Three foods that deserve special consideration and should be added to your diet whenever possible, are mushrooms, coconut oil, and raw (unheated) honey which all have powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
No one single exercise will make you feel better 100%, immediately. All of these recommendations should be practiced as frequently as possible, daily for the at home breathing and eating ones. We’re here to help build an individualized care plan based on your specific body and its needs, so book an appointment today!