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Beating Colds Naturally
Dr. Wayne Neal
Your body is under attack! What can you do to defend
yourself from the sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and aching cold season? Here
are some natural ways to arm your immune system this winter.
1st Line of Defense
Washing
your hands is the best way to ward off an attack by the rhinovirus. Be sure to
wash under the fingernails. This simple task is the best way of preventing a
cold!
The rhinovirus is the enemy! It is the virus
responsible for the misery of the common cold. The usual way the rhinovirus
invades your body is on your hands. The hands are in contact with the
environment and collect various villains. The fingernails are the favorite
hideout of the rhinovirus. When you touch your face, the virus can enter your
body through the eyes, nose, or mouth.
2nd Line of Defense
Drink
plenty of water and use a vaporizer. Rather than waiting until you have a cold,
preventing dehydration gives your body an extra layer of defense.
Once the virus reaches the eyes, nose or
mouth, it can enter the body through microscopic cracks in the mucosa (the
moist protective layer of skin.) The mucosa needs plenty of water to prevent
drying and cracking. The use of central heating removes the moisture from the
air. As you sleep, your mucosa dries out
and opens you up to infections.
3rd Line of Defense
Avoid
anything with sugar in it until the infection has past. Especially avoid soft
drinks. (Click here for more
information about soft drinks in the August 2005 issue of Highest Level by Dr.
Neal.)
The first two lines of defense take care
of most invaders. If one does get through and infects your body, there are some
important things you can do to build up your immune system. Research shows that sugar lowers the body’s
immunity to infections. Dr. Michael Murray explains this in the Encyclopedia
of Natural Medicine. The sugar causes a significant reduction in the
white blood cells’ function. The white blood cells are the soldiers that the
body uses to kill invaders.
4th Line of Defense
Make
sure your neck is in alignment. The Orthospinology correction supports your
immunity by releasing nerve irritation, relaxing muscles, and improving
lymphatic drainage.
The debris from the battle between the white blood cells and the rhinovirus is carried away by the lymph system. The neck has an extensive amount of lymph nodes and tissue. If the neck is out of alignment and the muscles in the neck are tense, the lymph will not drain properly. This can back up the system or make the infection worse. This is seen with inner ear infections. According to Dr. Michael Schmidt in Beyond Antibiotics, chiropractic adjustments relax the muscle spasms and allow the lymphatic system to function correctly.
5th Line of Defense
Take
zinc lozenges for the throat or zinc spray for the nose.
The first four defenses will prevent most
colds. If you are stressed and your immune system is down, you may still get
attacked by the rhinovirus. When this happens, reach for your secret
weapon…zinc. The mineral zinc possesses antiviral properties. The use of zinc
lozenges provides relief for a sore throat due to the common cold. Another form
is zinc spray for the nasal passages.
6th Line of Defense
Take
vitamin C to reduce the duration and intensity of a cold. It is readily
available, safe, cheap, and effective. Take 1000 mg every hour with 8 ounces of
water.
Your next weapon in the arsenal is
vitamin C. In Burgerstein’s
Handbook of Nutrition, Dr. Michael Zimmermann explains that Vitamin C
stimulates the white blood cells and enhances their ability to destroy bacteria
and viruses! Over twenty double-bind
studies have documented that vitamin C reduces the symptoms and duration of the
common cold. Dr. Michael Schmidt suggests taking 1000mg of vitamin C every hour
with 8 ounces of water. At this level vitamin C kills bacteria, reduces
congestion, inactivates viruses, and lowers fevers. For more information about
vitamin C levels read Dr. Andrew Saul’s book Doctor Yourself or click here.
For further information on this topic, you may contact Dr. Neal at
770.952.5353, by email at DrNeal@humberparkerson.com,
or visit our clinic on the web at www.HumberParkerson.com.
The Highest Level is the monthly e-mail newsletter of the
© Humber Parkerson
Clinic 2006
January 2006 issue of The Highest Level
