Kicking the Common Cold and Flu!

This is the time of year when we get bombarded with advertisements for flu vaccines, we hear people talking about how sick they feel, and we catch ourselves, vaccinated or not, making not-so-pleased faces as a passerby coughs or sneezes near us.

There are many things you can do to protect yourselves and your family from feeling knocked down from any virus that hits!

Here are a few basic things to understand about the common cold, respiratory virus and flu:

1. They are caused by a wide variety of viruses, not bacteria. There are no antibiotics or Z-Paks that can help with these viruses, as they are not bacteria infections.

2. Your respiratory tract is commonly affected with these ailments, but there are differences between them that can help you figure out what you’re dealing with and how to appropriately and confidently treat them.

3. Common symptoms of a “common cold” may include congestion, runny nose, cough and a sore throat. Symptoms of the flu tend to be a little more severe if they are not treated properly. A typical trustworthy symptom of the flu is overall body ache, as it tends to affect the joints.

4. One of the most common ways these viruses spread is hand-to-hand contact. That is why it is important to remind ourselves and our kids to wash our hands after shaking hands and blowing our noses.

There are some lifestyle factors that suppress the immune system and actually create an environment that welcomes viruses, rather than fends them off:

-Eating too much sugar: The average American eats an exorbitant amount of sugar in their diet. Among the laundry list of problems this can cause, high sugar intake devastates your immune system. It does so by creating an imbalance in your gut flora. Sugar acts as a fertilizer for bacteria, fungus and yeast. This is key because more than 80% of our immune system lies within the gastrointestinal tract.

-Vitamin D deficiency

-Lack of sleep

-Inadequate stress management

Try not to be fear-based. Just because you may be exposed to the common cold or another virus, it does not mean you are destined to catch it. The beautiful thing about our bodies is that we have an immune system that, when working at its peak, should more easily repel or fight the virus so the severity and duration is not as long as it could be.

How you can prevent and manage a virus with the help of Innovative Health Partners:

-Receive regular chiropractic adjustments during this season. Adjustments have a direct affect on the neuro-immune system!

-Support your body with natural medicine and supplements to effectively knock out the virus!

Ask one of the doctors at IHP what may be best for you and your family. We have an array of natural immune boosters and anti-viral’s that reduce the severity and duration of the virus…safe for adults and children!