Flu?
If we but knew
The cause of flu
And whence it comes and what to do.
I think that you
And we folks, too
Would hardly get in such a stew.
Do you?
-The Illinois Health News , 1918
What worked in the 1918 outbreak?
Do we know now much more than in 1918? That was when there was the horrible Spanish Flu pandemic that took the lives of 10 times more people than were lost in WWI. Health officials had no idea how to cure it or keep it from spreading. There were as many treatments as were practitioners to deliver them.
Many cities passed ordinances making the wearing of flu masks mandatory in public places. In addition, inoculations were hastily concocted and given, both practices yielding little positive results. Allopathic doctors stood by while the flu ran its course or the patient died.
Every year a lot of people come down with the flu. So far, it has not been pandemic as in 1918. We can learn from the mistakes and successes of treatment in 1918.
This information is a start. A visit with a Naturopathic Doctor can show you how to stay healthy, prevent influenza, and in the case that you come down with the flu, treat it naturally, effectively and avoid complications.
If you get sick with the flu . . .
- Immediately go to bed for rest. Stay there for 1 to 2 days after the fever is gone. Thousands of people died in the Spanish Flu pandemic simply from getting out of bed and expending energy.
- Allow fresh air into the room without letting it get cold. A cool mist humidifier may be helpful to ease breathing.
- Keep well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Water, dilute fruit and vegetable juices, and chicken and beef broths are best.
- NOTE: A fever produces loss of appetite, so DO NOT eat and interfere with the body’s focus on overcoming the disease. The fever may rise to harmful levels with force-feeding. When the fever is down, fresh fruits and vegetables will aid in recovery as well as easy to digest foods such as rice, soft-boiled eggs, and substantial soups.
- Naturopathic doctors such as Dr. Cheryl Kasdorf offer other at-home procedures to make you more comfortable and speed recovery.
Fever
In influenza, the fever usually runs between 101 ° and 102 ° F, and at this level the body is doing its job by cooking all the viruses to kill them. As long as one affected with flu does not eat or lower the fever with medications, the temperature will not bound up to dangerous levels.
Suppression of fever with aspirin was one of the sure ways to kill a person during the 1918 flu outbreak. Experts suspect that adults as well as children developed Reye’s syndrome, a highly fatal condition affecting the brain and internal organs, from the use of aspirin.
For anyone experiencing higher levels of fever, consult a medical professional to prevent dehydration and other complications.
Those who know what to do . . .
The good news, which is not well known, is that during the Spanish Flu Pandemic, Homeopathic Doctors saw few to no deaths in patients with flu under their care. This is not exaggerated, there are statistics from doctor after doctor that shows this. At the same time, allopathic doctors saw up to 85% of people hit by the flu die, even 50% in the previously healthy 20 to 40 year olds in the army.
Obviously, homeopathic treatment was one of the successes in 1918, and it can be today. A practitioner trained in homeopathy can prescribe the right remedy to match your particular manifestation of the flu, and follow your progress as you get better. This is very individualized, so it is unlikely you will go to the Health Food Store and pick up the right remedy.
Complications
There is risk of serious complications if these simple guidelines are not followed, or in individuals with a compromised immune system. Pneumonia, either viral or bacterial, is the leading cause of death in complicated flu. It is also possible for the nerves, the muscles, especially the heart to be affected, as well as the brain in a type of sleeping sickness. This all calls for acute medical care, and in most cases can be prevented.
Flu Prevention
It is even possible to prevent coming down with the flu when all around you have it. Reduce your susceptibility by eating healthy foods, avoiding sugar and other immune-depressing substances, exercising, reducing stress, and getting plenty of rest.
In addition, the remedy available in health food stores called Oscillococcinum can be taken as a preventative, as well as the first thing if coming down with the flu. The remedy Mucco coccinum has a similar formula with the addition of a pneumonia strain, and is what I dispense.
And, if you are considering a flu shot, do your research. How does injecting toxic substances and virus strains grown on living nonhuman tissue aid the immune system? How do or don’t the virus-specific IgG antibodies the body produces after injection with a vaccine confer immunity? What is the correlation between the number of flu shots one has gotten over the years to the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease?
Now, you know what to do . . .
. . . and let me assist you maintain your health. Call me for an appointment for individualized health-building and flu prevention with both Naturopathic treatments and homeopathic remedies. 928-649-9234.
