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Read Dr. Elena Krasnov's Weekly Column in the Health & Fitness section of the 24 Hours Magazine. Look for new articles every week!

Monday, May 04, 2009

Protecting yourself Naturally Against the Swine Flu

Q: I have just come back from vacation in Mexico and I am scared. What should I do to minimize my chances of getting sick with the latest strain of flu?

A: There is no need to panic if you understand what this outbreak is all about. To start with, swine flu virus is Type A influenza virus H1N1. The difference is it is a combination of pig, bird and human flu all combined together in one virus. Symptoms are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, lethargy, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu.

Swine flu is a respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses that regularly cause outbreaks in pigs. There have been reports of serious illness and deaths due to swine flu in Mexico, but the recently confirmed cases in the United States and Canada have been mild.

Spread is mainly through coughing or sneezing. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. You can best protect yourself by taking precautions that we all learned as children: WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY.

If you feel that you may be coming down with the flu, see your doctor immediately.  Antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).  It is particularly important for people who have severe illness and for those with underlying illness (such as diabetes, heart, or lung disease) to be treated. Drugs such as Tamiflu or Relenza are effective treatments.

Naturopathically speaking, your prevention should be the same as if it was regular flu season. I recommend that all my patients who are trying to boost there immunity to this latest outbreak take Influenzinum 9CH at least two times per week. That will increase their non-specific immune response to the influenza virus. You would get protection similar to getting a flu shot. Also weekly doses of Thymuline 9CH to go with the Influenzynum is a great way to stimulate thymus activity. Aking Engystol from Heel daily is also a good method of getting non-specific immune boost. If you want to get more elaborate you can do weekly IV injections of vitamins with Vitamin C in it as well as take herbal extracts to stimulate immune system such as Astragalus, Elderberry and the like. Lymphatic cleansing using homeotoxicology is very useful especially for those suffering from lymphatic congestion due to seasonal allergies and asthma.

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Dr. Elena Krasnov is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and Clinic Director of the Toronto Naturopathic Clinic. Submit your questions online at 24hrs.ca

Co-written by Miranda Tallon-Malisani Holistic Nutritionist