If you have a fever, aching muscles, fatigue, dry cough, and chest pain, you’ve contracted an influenza virus. A stuffy or runny nose, and a sore throat? You’ve come down with a closely-related virus that causes the common cold.

In Canada, cold and ‘flu season generally runs from late September to April, depending on the temperature and climate in your particular area. Every year the viruses are a little different, but they are no less debilitating or life-threatening. According to Health Canada, between 500 and 1,500 deaths are reported each year due to influenza.

So what causes this increase in cold and ‘flu cases?

Marsden compares winter in Canada to traveling in a jetliner, with its dry, germ-laden, recycled air, for about six months. As the mercury in our thermometers dips, we keep our doors and windows closed, forcing us to breathe recycled air…ideal breeding conditions for cold and ‘flu bugs. Then, we turn on our furnaces, which blow warm, dry air that sucks the humidity from our homes and dries us out, leaving us even more susceptible to cold and ‘flu viruses.

Keep Mucous Membranes Moist

That’s because, according to Marsden, Medical Director for Pascoe Canada, when moist mucous membranes dry out, they shrink and lose their protective qualities. One way to combat this – in your home and, for that matter, when you fly – is to use a saline nasal spray that contains vitamin C. The nasal spray helps protect your mucous membranes and helps prevent them from drying out. Similarly, keeping rooms humidified will help to keep mucous membranes moist; this is particularly important for bedrooms.

As with most diseases, the best line of defence is, without a doubt, prevention. Keeping your immune system healthy and strong will go a long way toward helping you avoid colds and the ‘flu.

As counter-intuitive as it may seem, Marsden noted, just because you never suffer through a cold or the ‘flu does not mean that you have a healthy immune system. “In fact,” he said, “my healthiest client is the one that comes in and says ‘I caught a cold last winter; I had a sore throat and a mild fever and felt better in a day or two’.” This means that they were exposed to a virus, their immune system kicked in as it should and they recovered. Your immune system needs some exercise occasionally in order to remain strong.

Ensure Your Immune System Stays in Working Order

While an underactive or weak immune system can result in an inadequate response to an infection and more frequent and lengthier illnesses, the combination of an infection and an overactive immune system can result in symptoms that are more severe.

To help regulate your immune system – either to strengthen a weakened immune system, control overactivity or just to maintain it in good working order – it’s best to mix a well-balanced diet, filled with fruits and vegetables, with some bioregulatory homeopathics. Marsden recommends homeopathic remedies that incorporate Echinacea, Bryonia, Baptisia, Sanguinaria and Silicea for strengthening, regulating and maintaining immune systems.

“And,” Marsden said, with a bit of a laugh, “don’t forget what your mom used to tell you – wash your hands frequently if you want to stave off cold and ‘flu bugs. And remember to steer clear of antibacterial soaps; they kill off good microbes along with bad ones”

Eric Marsden, BSc, ND, is a Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and Medical Director for Pascoe Canada. He can be reached at thedoc@pascoecanada.com.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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