AcuNut's HealthWatch: San Diego Health News You Can Use
Welcome readers to the maiden voyage of the Healing Art Center's Health Watch. I hope it will help serve as a resource to empower you to make more informed health choices.
Welcome readers to the maiden voyage of the Healing Art Center's Health Watch. I hope it will help serve as a resource to empower you to make more informed health choices.
In light of the Flu Crises of 2009, I wanted to address the concerns for some of my readers about the flu and ways to protect yourself and dispel some myths.
What Does the Vaccine do anyway?
I am not sure when the push for everyone to get a flu shot became so strong - I don't seem to remember it being so dramatic before 2000. Remember that the flu is a virus - it mutates, and it is difficult to predict in advance which strain is going to be the most active. The affects of airline travel around the world only make it more complicated. The CDC makes recommendations annually as to which strains are the most likely to be active based on the epidemiologic evidence, but it's a guess - an educated one, but a guess never-the-less.
Therefore, it is possible that to get a flu shot for a strain of flu that is not even active, so it may not give you any added protection or immunity.
That being said, a bad case of the flu can prove fatal to seniors, those who are immuno-compromised, or with a weak respiratory system. So for these cases, family doctors strongly advises a flu vaccine. Even if the strains are not a perfect match, it can help lessen the severity of the flu once it is contracted.
What about Swine Flu?
OK, first, you cannot get this from pigs. Second, the CDC has stopped keeping track of individual cases and numbers since it is not representative of the outbreak; many people who have the flu are not tested. The H1N1 is part of a class of viruses otherwise known as Strain A influenza, and typically this is a bad case of the flu - enough to keep you down for a week or more and coughing for a few weeks afterwards. Most doctors and hospitals don’t test if there is a positive Strain A s it is enough to know the class of virus. Precautions recommended such as staying home if you don’t feel well, frequent washing of hands, etc. are part of standard good hygiene and should have been practiced all along. Have some compassion on your co-workers and stay home if you are sick.
Many are not aware that there are over 36,000 deaths a year atttributed to the flu, and most of these folks dies of a secondary infection rather than the flu itself such as pneumonia or bronchitis. This has been the case for H1N1 as well.
No shot! Now what?
Rather than being alarmed by the turn of events, the shortage of a viable vaccine is a great opportunity for us to mature in terms of our approach to health care. Our over-reliance on medication and vaccines has given us a false sense of security when it comes to colds and flu (and most other diseases as well don't you think?). We have cultivated a 'Harry Potter' approach to self-care - we want there to be one shot and magically you have the immunity to ward off anything, even in the absence of good self-care and common sense.
While sadly not true, in light of recent events perhaps we will begin to turn our attention back to those activities which, when performed with some regularity, strengthen the immune system naturally, to prevent getting sick in the first place - not just with colds and flu, but with the myriad of chronic illnesses that currently plague our country - diabetes, cancer, heart disease, auto-immune disorders. There's the catch - by turning your attention to flu-prevention, you might add years to your life and life to your years.
The best defense...
Is a good offense. We have heard this saying forever, and it is true in preventive medicine as well. In our next installment, I will address a few things which will help you preserve and protect your body's protective energy, called wei qi (pronounce way-chee), to keep you healthy and fit this winter and beyond.
Most Important: Don't believe all the hype. Fear is also being used as a marketing tool here. Use common sense and you will be fine. To learn more about how acupuncture and oriental medicine can build your immune system naturally, check out my website http://www.acunut.com/. Yours in good health!
© Copyright 2003 - 2009 Jennifer Moffitt, Healing Arts Center Press, and AcuNut.com. All rights reserved.
