How to keep your family healthy during cold and flu season.
Over the past several weeks I have been focusing my #WellnessWednesday posts on tips / tools to prevent and recover from the sicknesses that have been going around over the past few weeks. This blog is a short recap of what those videos discussed.
I started my series with a super simple technique to decrease the spread of disease when in close proximity with others. One word “humidity”!! So simple yet so effective. Having your home, classroom, and work spaces maintain a indoor humidity level of between 40% and 60% helps to decrease the spread of disease. Per recent research “ when humidity levels were set to 43 percent, only 14 percent of the virus particles that were released were able to transmit the influenza virus, compared with a transmission rate of 70 percent to 77 percent in a relatively low-humidity environment (23 percent).” [1,2] You can actually purchase a hygrometer to measure your indoor relative humidity levels for about $10. So get a humidifier and hygrometer to make sure your environment is not making you more prone to sickness.
Next up on the tips and tools train was, get this, Chiropractic Care!! I know BIG surprise! I could, and have, written a 20 page essay about the intricate details of the immune system, nervous system, and endocrine systems. But for today lets keep it short and sweet. Together all 3 influence each other and work together to keep our bodies balanced in a concept called homeostasis. As there are changes in the function of one of these systems ( either negative or positive ) there can be a correlated changes to a complementary system.
If there is an issue in any of these 3 systems the other 2 will be affected. As a chiropractor I directly influence the nervous system. It’s my job to make sure that the nervous system is fully functional, so that the immune system can do its job ( fighting off infections, cancer, disease, etc). Studies have shown long term chiropractic patients to have a 200% greater immune competence than people who had not received chiropractic care, and a 400% greater immune competence than people with cancer or serious diseases. [3] A more recent article, from the journal Chiropractic & Osteopathy, reported on the results from a study done to measure levels of immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M before and after spinal manipulation.3 As both of these markers are thought to play a role in immune response, higher levels could indicate a connection between a spinal adjustment and a positive effect on the body’s immune response.[4]. So be sure to add chiropractic care to your self care routine to safely and naturally boost your immune system’s function!
Finally a sweet way to keep the many microbes, that want nothing more than to ruin your vacation, at bay is the not so new buzz worthy syrup made from Elderberries. Yep, I’ve officially hopped on the Elderberry Syrup bandwagon. And I am glad I have. My first experience with the magical berry deemed a ““medicine chest” by Hippocrates was a recent one. My husband, who hardly ever gets sick and certainly doesn’t complain when he is 😊, came home recently looking like he was just hugged by death! Pale, sweating, and sickly he was confined to the bed with a diagnosis of the FLU! In addition to letting him rest I also wanted to do more to help him recover so I stopped by a local health food store for Elderberry Syrup. I heard it can help with the Flu, but this was my first experience with it. Amazing! My hubby was up walking around and feeling like himself within 3 days of my purchase. Our children and I also took the syrup as a preventative measure. No one else contracted the flu and everyone is happy. Per recent research Elderberries have been shown to have antiviral and antioxidant properties. In one study, 60 people with flu-like symptoms took 15 milliliters (ml) of elderberry syrup four times a day. Their symptoms improved 4 days before the people who took a placebo.
In another study, 32 people with flu-like symptoms took lozenges containing 175 milligrams (mg) of elderberry extract four times a day for 2 days. After 24 hours, they reported an improvement in symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and nasal congestion.[5,6]. I love with anecdotal information can be backed up by research! Makes my chiro heart tingle! :)
So there you have it! 3 simple and natural ways to boost your immune system and help fight common viral infections. I certainly hope you can take this information and implement it in your daily routine. If you need a chiropractor to take care of your spine and nervous system, please contact my office Amethyst Chiropractic at 479-271-0000. I’ve attached links to my #wellnesswednesday videos and links to many of the articles I referenced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFkNtmWVCnY
- https://amienvironmental.com/using-humidity-to-reduce-hospital-infections/
- https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20130228/higher-indoor-humidity-levels-might-slow-flus-spread#1
- Brennan PC, Triano JJ, McGregor M, et al. Enhanced neutrophil respiratory burst as a biological marker for manipulation forces: duration of the effect and association with substance P and tumor necrosis factor. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1992; 15(2):83
- Teodorczyk-Injeyan JA, McGregor M, Ruegg R, Injeyan HS. Interleukin 2-regulated in vitro antibody production following a single spinal manipulative treatment in normal subjects. Chiropractic & Osteopathy. 2010;18:26.
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ptr.2729
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15080016