Two months ago I wrote about how to get prepared for the winter viral season. You can read my post Immune Enhancement During the Cold and Flu Season to find out about the many techniques for keeping your health all year. Many of my patients stay very healthy through every cold and flu season by following the key strategies I explained in my article. But sometimes, some who do come down with a virus will ask me, “What do YOU do if you have the flu?”
Die Grippe
In this column I’ll concentrate on how I support my body’s defenses when viral respiratory disease sets in. Our body’s first line of defense to get a respiratory disease from the lungs is the phagocyte – a cell that eats bacteria, viruses, etc.. Phagocytes are known to play an integral role in early infections. There are two populations of phagocytic cells in the lung: the alveolar and dendritic macrophages.
Alveolar macrophages are predominant in healthy lungs and are considered to regulate and modulate the immune system under normal conditions. During viral diseases, the next sort of macrophage, called dendritic cells, play an integral role in our immune system’s reaction. Their principal role is to act as our body’s central control center, interacting and stimulating T cells and B cells to initiate and control the immune response to the viral pathogen.
Dendritic cells
These can be found through the respiratory tract and continuously survey for invading pathogens. During infection, there’s a substantial influx of these cells to the lungs. These cells get the viral protein antigen, either straight through viral disease, or by consuming dead or dying virally infected epithelial cells. Following this, the dendritic cells produce inflammatory cytokines and interferons. The interferons have a po-tent impact in controlling viral diseases. Interferons also stimulate the maturation of phagocytes, which results in improved production of antibodies.
Another essential step in the creation of defenses against severe viral infections is that the intrusion of the mature dendritic cells into the lymph nodes. In the lymph nodes, the dendritic cells stimulate various T-cell lymphocytes (CD8, CD4, CD11) to generate viral specific antibodies. The amounts of these cells reach a peak at 18 to 48 hours after viral exposure. This is another frequent question I get asked. Since one of the significant challenges of effective traditional antiviral treatment is keeping up with the ever-changing viral strains, I’m careful about relying on this kind of therapy for myself due to the ability of these viruses to mutate and the problem pre-dicing the proper strain of flu that may infect us later on.
Influenza A
Most of you have heard of Influenza A. This strain of virus is the most likely to mutate and is the one most commonly responsible for many pandemics. Viruses mutate in just two mechanisms:’antigenic drift’ and’antigenic shift’. Antigenic drift is the most common and involves small, slow changes in the surface antigens of the virus. Antigenic shift entails more extensive genetic alterations and contributes to viruses capable of pandemics. Among the most important elements to keep in mind about viral influenza and any respiratory disease is they cause oxidative stress to the body.
Personally, I prefer to rely on supporting my immune system to stay healthy than on the’hit or miss’ strategy of trying to forecast the viral strain for the next year. Among the most important elements to keep in mind about viral influenza and any respiratory disease is they cause an oxidative stress to the body. Obviously, those patients with preexistent health conditions that deplete antioxidants (such as heart disease, diabetes, etc.) are more vulnerable to viral infections.
Antioxidantien
Antioxidants like glutathione are extremely supportive to the body’s defenses in acute viral infections due to their ability to enhance macrophage ingestion of viruses, stop viral replication and shield white cells from damage by viruses. Other procedures of encouraging the immune response to viral infections are herbal supplements that naturally encourage healthy white cell reaction – phagocytosis and migration into lymph nodes and generation of viral antibodies by lymphocytes.
From an Eastern Medicine standpoint, white cell response and phagocytosis are generally improved by healthy lung energy. I’ve used herbs like Cordyceps, Lonicera flower and Andrographis for a long time to encourage my healthy white cell response to severe infections. I also like using an herb named Astragalus since it’s both a kidney and lung herbal formula, which I find useful in encouraging lymphocytic generation of antibodies and immunoglobulins.
Herbal benefits
Additionally, the majority of these herbs have antioxidant effects, which as I mentioned, supports the body’s defenses. Besides these natural sub-stances, I enjoy a promising and safe substance that’s been developed and employed for at least ten years known as Silver Hydrosol (liquid). It was made by using nanotechnology to make a silver nutriceutical nanoparticle called oligo-dynamic silver hydrosol, or just, silver hydrosol. Additionally, the majority of these herbs have antioxidant effects, which I said is encouraging for your body’s defenses.
During research, this silver hydrosol particle has been shown to act on viruses from denaturing the surface proteins or nucleic acids of this virus, and for that reason it might help kill the virus regardless of what its protein or genetic mutation. Other benefits found in this research utilizing silver hydrosol contained the stimulation of white cell generation and improved phagocytosis (the white cells ability to’consume the infective cells’). As with many other remedies, the best results are obtained by using the product in the first 48 hours of this disease.
Follow the steps
Here are the steps I take within my private health protocol whenever I feel I’m coming down with a flu or cold.
- At the first “early” signs of viral respiratory disease, I try to give my body utmost support. I highlight”early” because the sooner I will encourage my body’s defenses against a cold or respiratory virus, the better. Even conventional therapies, such as taking antifungal medications like Tamiflu and amantadine, work best if taken early. In my experience, most individuals call for help after the symptoms have been apparent for a couple of days. Unfortunately, by then the body is currently in a very weakened state. That’s why I decide to act fast and attempt to educate my patients to do the same. Remember that your immune system is responding to a viral disease almost immediately with its full resources active within 48 hours. That’s when you need to support your immune system.
- I eat a nutritious diet with lots of foods that contribute antioxidants, such as fruits and vegetables. I certainly avoid sugar, as it has absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly and have to be processed by the enzymes of white blood cells. If my immune system is taking good care of my sugar intake, it has fewer resources to treat a viral disease.
- Stress reduction is quite important. Stress is a prime contributor to our immune system being low in the first location. I get tons of rest and drink fluids when I’m sick and try to not engage in situations that I know might improve my stress levels.
- I wash my hands frequently. Viruses are spread through the air and from contact. The last thing I need to do is punish somebody I care about. But I do not use antibacterial soaps, since they aren’t effective against viruses. Just lots of soap and water does the job. Remember that your immune system is responding to a viral disease almost instantly with its full resources active within 48 hours.
- I take a fantastic multimineral or multivitamin to encourage my white blood cell function. These usually consist of Vitamin C, D, E, selenium, magnesium citrate, zinc, and many others.
- Taking glutathione precursors is a fantastic idea before you get sick. But they don’t assist in the acute phase of a viral disease. These precursors include N-Acetyl Cysteine, glutathione pills/ apsules, MSM, SAM or whey protein. Since they may take days to be converted to usable glutathione in the body, and their conversion into glutathione is inhibited by oxidative stress (the viral disease ), I discover that my body functions best when I take glutathione at a liposomal form. It’s the only oral glutathione that’s intended to get absorbed whole and begins supporting your immune system within 20 to 30 minutes of ingestion.
- Regarding the use of herbs, I start them as early as you can. If I’m around a sick person, I often take them instantly to provide my body maximum support for my immune reaction.
- I also like to add 1 teaspoon of silver hydrosol one to three times daily to my protocol to help support my immune system function.
- As always, if my flu actually comprises any substantial symptoms, especially breathing problems and recurrent fevers, I contact my physician.
