Trying our best to avoid "whooping it up"

Southeastern New Brunswick has recently experienced an increase in the incidence of Whooping cough. The symptoms of whooping cough (pertussis) generally begin much like a mild cold, with head congestion, sneezing, running nose, low grade fever and mild cough.

In adults and young adults the cough may remain persistent with a hacking cough, ending in an air hungry “whoop” for 4-12 weeks. The condition in adults and older children is generally not life threatening. For babies and young children, whooping can become more serious, leading to difficulty eating, drinking, or sleeping.

The province of New Brunswick is encouraging everyone who comes into regular contact with babies and young children to be (re-) vaccinated for whooping cough, and to ensure that children’s vaccinations are up to date. Routine immunization for pertussis is given at 2, 4, 6, 18 months and again at 4 years. Immunity gained from immunization is thought to last 4-5 years, having had the whooping cough provides between 10-30 years of resistance to the illness. A woman who is breastfeeding her child, who had whooping cough in the past, will mount antibodies if re-exposed to the bacteria, and this immunity can be passed to her nursing infant.

Naturopathic philosophy focuses on prevention. Naturopathic treatment strengthens the person’s resistance to diseases versus reacting to the infectious organism itself. We do have medicines that can eradicate specific microbes once they’ve taken up residence, but we’d prefer to support our patient’s tissues, making them less hospitable to infection in the first place.

If you’ve contracted pertussis, have chosen not to vaccinate, or want to add to the prevention allotted by vaccination, naturopathic medicine always has something to offer. Supporting the immune system should come first and foremost in this discussion. If our defenses are strong enough we need not worry about which specific infections are going around. With a stronger immune system we may still “catch” infectious diseases, but our presentation will be milder and shorter in duration. A plan to support immune function is best developed on an individual to individual basis. Excellent nutritional intake is always the foundation for such a plan. Identification and elimination of food sensitivities, and chronic low grade infections can also alleviate burden on the immune system. There are many natural medicines combing herbs, homeopathy, vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements formulated to address immune system vitality.

An acute whooping cough infection should be addressed with anti-biotics. Anti-biotic treatment can then be augmented by a combination of herbal medicines; a formula would include herbs to kill the bacteria, herbs to soothe the cough by fighting inflammation, as well as expectorants to facilitate clearing the mucous. Thus, an herbal formulation can offer support in fighting infection, but also to help the tissues to regain normal function.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine developing in the early ninetieth century at a time when whooping cough was much more common than it is today. Many of homeopathic remedies that were used to treat pertussis historically remain relevant choices for those seeking natural, safe solutions for the disease today; drosera, bryonia, rumex, and antimonium tart are all worth considering in this category.

Acupuncture is used to support specific organ and energy pathways (meridians) within the body. The lung meridian is responsible for the body’s connection with the outside world, using acupuncture to support and strengthen lung energy is a good adjunctive therapy when protecting against or treating pertussis.

Becoming aware of your health choices when an infection becomes more prevalent with our populations is a part of taking control of your own health. Weighing risk and reward in an educated manner can help to remove the fear of our hearty winters, and all the microbes that pass between therein.

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Powerful Foods to help keep your pace

 

 

I had the pleasure of delivering a talk to the Running Room Breast Cancer Survivor Clinic in Moncton last night. We had a nice chat about some trendy powerfoods and how best to enjoy them. Here are some notes from the evening;

 Chia- The Regulator

High in omega 3 fatty acids, fibre, Protein

My Favorite way: Soaked overnight with fresh lemon juice and a little natural sweetener for a first morning beverage.

Sprinkle on yogurt, add to a smoothie.

Kale- The Energizer

Lowers Cholesterol, aids detoxification, fights cancer and inflammation.

Steam kale for 5 minutes. To ensure quick and even cooking cut the leaves into 1/2" slices and the stems into 1/4" lengths. Let them sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance their health-promoting qualities before steaming. Steamed Kale can then be added to smoothies.

Blueberries- The Fountain of Youth

Can improve memory, are low glycemic index; helping with blood sugar control, high in anti-oxidants.

      Eat raw or fresh by the handful, add to smoothies, yoghurt, oatmeal, and bake with them.

Turmeric- The Inflammation fighter

Anti-inflammatory treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer prevention, improves the liver's ability to detoxify chemicals, lowers cholesterol, protection against Alzheimer’s disease.
Add to stir fries, dips, salad dressings.

Kefir/ yoghurt- For Immunity

Prevention of vaginal yeast infections, improves the immune response, improves cholesterol profile, lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising HDL (good) cholesterol, increases fat loss, boosts the growth and activity of the cells that build bone, helps fight colon cancer.

Survivor Shake

1 tsp chia, 2 cups kale, 1 cup blueberries, ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ cup yoghurt/ kefir

Put all ingredients in blender, add water, cool herbal tea to desired consistency, add ice or frozen banana for smoother texture.