Happy 2013- Wishing you a year filled with good health, naturally!

We are really busy at the clinic right now with colds and flu- much of what we are seeing are people with the common cold who come in wishing for a cure to the misery.  I have addressed colds and home management in previous blogs.  It's a good time to refer back to that!  Remember, don't ask for, or accept, antibiotics for a cold.  It will not help! 

What I want to address today is a the flu, influenza!  Influenza A or B.  Specifically, flu A since it will make you sicker than B- but, it all applies to both.  I'm going to give you some tips on prevention and treatment.....including, the immunization.

Let's look at the difference between a cold and the flu- if you've had the flu you can probably skip this part.  After a good old case of the flu you are pretty clear on the difference!  The best rule of thumb is that with a cold the symptoms are from the neck up, and with influenza symptoms are systemic.  Cold symptoms are usually gradual in onset with maybe a day or two of just not feeling well.  People with the flu can almost tell me the hour they got sick- onset is sudden.  Fever is rare in adults with colds although children may run some,  fever with flu may be 101-102 (even higher in children).  People complain of a "bad" headache with flu,  rarely with a cold.  Body aches are mild in a cold but severe with flu.  People with the flu have extreme exhaustion- frequently they are laying on the exam table when I walk in because they are too tired to sit up, and tiredness may last as long as 2 weeks.  Sore throat is more common in flu but sneezing and runny nose are more common in a cold- although all can be present.  People with the flu are usually coughing rather significantly, the cough is much milder in a cold.  These area just a rule of thumb- remember, if it's from the neck up it's probably a cold; if you feel it all over your body, you are so exhausted you can't sit up and are running a fever- think flu

Let's talk about prevention:

First, would be the vaccine.  The CDC highly recommends the flu vaccine for high risk groups.  They define these as persons 50 yeas of age or older, people with chronic health problems over 6 months of age, people with compromised immune systems, all health care providers, persons who reside in skilled nursing facilities, persons 6-18 months on long term aspirin therapy, pregnant women in the second or third trimester and all children 6- 59 months of age.  Allergy to eggs is an absolute contraindication to getting the flu vaccine since it is grown in fertilized chicken eggs.

 Each year the makers try their best, based on available information, to come up with the most likely strains expected to circulate this year.  The vaccine includes a combination of three strains.  The statistics say that you can expect 80% response to the vaccine.  The people who do not build immunity tend to be the elderly, or others whose immune systems do not mount a vigorous response to the vaccine.  Additionally, statistics from the CDC tell us that even when an immunized person contracts the flu the incident of hospitalization and death are lower than among unimmunized folks.

The CDC does not believe that thimerosal is anything to be concerned about- however, I disagree, so I will address the presence of thimerosal in the vaccine.  All multi-dose vials contain thimerasol, which is a preservative containing 49.6% mercury.  Annually some thimerosal-free vaccines are produced but they are harder to find and more expensive.  Pre-filled syringes, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur and marketed as Fluzone do not have mercury, beware, they also manufacture multi-dose vials marketed under the same name.  Fluzone is an inactivated vaccine.  FluMist, a live vaccine, contains no mercury but is not recommended for people under 2 or over 50.  In my experience, these are the two most commonly administered flu vaccines.

Less commonly prefilled, mercury free, syringes are manufactured by Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline and CSL Biotherapies.  Only one, Fluarix by GSK, is recommended for children as young as 3; Afluria by CSL is recommended down to 9- all other are for people over 18.

Whether or not you take the flu vaccine is a personal decision.  I am including this information because it is a personal decision and you should educate yourself before making the choice- this is only basic information.  But, if you proceed, it takes 2 weeks to build immunity after the vaccine and the vaccine does not give you the flu.  The inactivated vaccines just can not do it- they are dead!  The FluMist, which is a live vaccine, is associated with some incidence of symptoms.  The most common reason people "get the flu" after taking the vaccine is that they are incubating the flu virus at the time that they get the vaccine.  But, I've also seen people who get a cold or a cough and believe they've gotten the flu from the vaccine they've just taken.

OK- that behind us let's get to the meat of prevention, as far as I'm concerned!                    

Wash your hands!  And wash them correctly.  That means using good old soap, and it does not have to be antibacterial, to make a good lather.  Rub the lather over your hands for 15 seconds (sing along-Twinkle twinkle little star.....), rinse well, dry with a paper towel or your own towel at home.  Aside from the times our mother taught us to wash our hands, do it after shaking hands, after being around someone who is coughing/sneezing, after caring for someone who is sick, when you get home.  You can use hand gel.  And try to keep your hands moisturized- dry, cracked hands do not provide good barriers.
Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes.  This is a good way to introduce the irus!                   
Get 7-8 hours of sleep
Stay hydrated.  6-8 glasses of water
Eat 5 or more servings of fruits or vegetables, lots of Vit C and E in your diet
Exercise regularly
Drink Emergen-C, or equivalent, 1-2 times daily
Include Echinacea in your supplements during periods where there  is a high incidence of flu in the community- do not stay on it for long periods.  I use the tincture three times daily, every 2 hours if i start to feel symptoms.
Avoid large crowds.  Watch movies at home, limit time at the mall and grocery store, etc.  I'm not suggesting you never have fun but winter is a good time to spend more time at home, with the family, for many reasons.  Avoiding the flu is just one.

What to do if you get the flu?

Use over the counter meds that bring fever down.  NO products that contain aspirin in children, this leads to the development of a syndrome called "Reyes."  Beware that there are products that contain aspirin, such as Pepto Bismol
Pain relievers.  Medications and heating pads
Cough medications
Dark rooms
Oscilloccoccinum is a homeopathic flu medication that can reduce the severity and duration of flu-like symtpoms when taken on the onset of the illness.  It can be taken by children as young as 2.  This is available in the US as Oscillo by Boiron
Tamiflu is available by prescription, it reduces the duration of illness by 1-2 days and can reduce the severity of the symptoms, much like Oscillo

When to get worried or call your doctor?

Fever does not go down below 102 in spite of medication.  This means it never goes down with the med.  People sometime call concerned because it goes down and comes back- the fever medicine does not cure the fever so it will come back.  The concern is when it is not relieved at all.
Breathing- difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.  Especially if children are breathing very fast and the area between the ribs or above the collar bone sinks when the child takes a breath.  If there is blue color of the lips or nails.
If the person will not drink or suck on ice
If an infant has less than 6 wet diapers in 24 hours, urine is dark or there is not much of it
The mouth is dry and the eyes are sunken
The person keeps vomiting or retching
There is a change in mental status- difficulty awakening, confusion, hallucinations, fainting or near fainting, convulsions, a child can't be comforted no matter what you try
Worsening of flu symptoms, failure to start to improve after 3-5 days
Worsening of any health problem

Refer to my previous post on colds and flu for herbal/natural remedies.

Take care of yourselves!!!!!


(It appears my computer does not want to download photos correctly today so after the first illustration of good handwashing messed up I did not include others- sorry, hopefully my techno skills will improve!)

This blog will be a short one-  I have grandson's on the way!  But, I wanted to reveal my new logo and talk for a minute about what this means to me.

It was really hard for me to post this, in fact, to accept it from the designer.  Cyndi Hughs, herbalist. Wow!  Am I really?  Who says I am?  The State Board of Nursing in Texas says I am a nurse and nurse practitioner.  I earned that with 4 years in undergraduate school and 3 in graduate school.

But, who says I am "herbalist?"  When do I assume that mantle?  Who says it's ok?  Heck, is it even legal.

There is a debate in the herbal community about certification - should certification be required?  I am on the side of the debate against certification.  Herbalism has been the traditional practice of grandmothers, root doctors, herb wildcrafters and many others.  Herbalism is a way of taking care of our loved ones and our communities.  I am totally against turning our traditional ways of caring over to the government and their certification boards.

That said, calling myself "herbalist" has been a process.  A process that has spanned over 20 years.  So why now?  There are several reasons.  One is that I become a fan of a group of great herbalists in the Gaia Wilderness, New Mexico and a conference they lead that has been called The Traditional Herbalist Conference.  They have changed the name of the conference to Herbal Resurgence-Medicine of the People.  Medicine of the People, that reflects the philosophy of another of my teachers, Rosita Arvigo.  She always said that herbs are the medicine of the people!  That takes the pressure off to be some all knowing professional, which I will never be!  I am one of the "people" that honors herbalism!

The second reason, and the answer to "why now" is that when others begin to recognize you as an herbalist and call you "herbalist" and call on you for what you know....well, it's time.  Perhaps to not accept this gift because of issues of self doubt is disrespectful to the plants and to their gifts. 

Lastly, the issue of legality- oh, who knows.  I am confused trying to figure it out and have decided to proceed with helping people in a way that I can with respect for the plants...and just not worry about it.  (And be thankful I have a lawyer son who knows other lawyers so if I have to place that "one phone call" I know who to call!)

That's all for today.  It's a bit of self reflection that I've allowed myself at your expense lol

I'm working on another blog, promise this one will be helpful for your health....but, I got boys coming!!!!  It's Nona time!

It's an old picture but I love the bluebonnets and our baby eating his plants lol

OK, THIS IS THE LOST BLOG I WROTE A WHILE BACK AND THOUGHT I DELETED.  EVEN THOUGH I JUST POSTED A BLOG ON ALLERGIES, REWROTE AS I "LOST" THIS ONE, I AM POSTING THIS BECAUSE IT HAS A GREAT RECIPE FROM ROSEMARY GLADSTAR!

Help, I'm allergic to my favorite time of year....

I love fall- it is so beautiful, and cool enough to come out of hiding from the blazing Texas heat.  Ahhh, and those years we are blessed with the Fall rains- the earth just comes alive.

That is the case here on the farm this Fall.  I can not believe the change in the land.  The packed clay back and side yard is green again. It looks like a second Spring- the wild onion and garlic are sticking their head up from the ground.  Actually, I have to go have a second look but from here that's my ID.  I just saw one of our wild flowers coming up from the ground just like it was Spring. 

Our geese and ducks are more active, the chickens are laying and the dogs are down right feisty!  Mike feels more like working on our outside projects and my mind starts turning to drying and tincturing plants!

BUT, there is one big fly in the ointment, as my Granny would say.  ALLERGIES! 

I'm walking around with a paper towel to my dripping nose (forget facial tissue, way to wimpy), my eyes are watering and I start sneezing when I step outside.  If I ignore those warning signs, I get the itchies.  You know- the eyes, the throat, the nose...itch, itch, itch!  OK, I'm not sick - although people frequently present to my clinic thinking they have a cold or a sinus infection or the flu or SOMETHING!  They look at me like I've lost my mind when I suggest they are having allergies, or upper airway irritation to pollens.  The oldsters had it right- my Granny was sick with "hay fever" or "cedar fever."  The term "fever" in those words suggest just how bad one can feel with allergies.

As an aside, have you noticed how heavy the cedar are with pollen- this should be a perfectly miserable year for cedar fever.  Cedar pollen, by the way is the leading allergen in our area.

Miserable- that is a perfect word.  Just plain miserable.  That's how those allergies make me feel.  MISERABLE!!!

So what to do? 

The most important this is to have a strong foundation- you will hear me talk about that concept a lot on this blog.  I am not real fond of the approach I call - "what herb can I take instead of this medicine."  Maybe I should call that approach herbacology- like pharmacology.  Instead, I believe we must build a good foundation of health- and herbs can be used to do that.  They can also help us when we have problems that need a little more help.  I am even willing to admit that there are times we just needs some help NOW!  Then we can work on the building blocks so the problem doesn't continue to overwhelm.

Treatments for problems related to allergies actually should begin with cleansing, toning and strengthening the liver and kidneys.  I also believe that the digestive system should be efficient and we should have healthy mucus membranes to really help us avoid allergic reactions.  In fact, many herbalist and healers believe that hay fever (allergies) are an indication of a breakdown in any or all of these four systems of the body.

The best time to begin a full treatment program is not now that we have the miseries.  A program of 3-4 months toning and strengthening the body is ideal.  I don't know about you but this always catches me by surprise- every October.  I don't think about it until I am in the midst of the misery.

I am going to talk more about things we can do to tone and strengthen our body systems, but, I need help right now.

Here are some ideas I have tried or am intending to try ASAP-

Hydrotherapy- Rosemary Gladstar recommends taking hot/cold showers daily, alternating between the hot and the cold water several times until both feel comfortable.  She states this is a simple way to build general constitution and improve the circulation.  I also think it is a good idea because it helps rid us of the pollens that cause the problem and that we might have brought in from the outdoors.  Especially in our hair- which can then be deposited on our pillows.  This creates a major pollen field!  I do not have access to a shower and I am sure not going to wash all this hair daily but I do take a damp washcloth and run it several times over my hair.

Rosemary Gladstar also recommends Vit A 25,000 units daily, preferably emulsified, bee pollen and local unpasteurized honey.

I have been trying some ideas, with differing results.  I am stimulating my immune system with Echinacea tincture and garlic.  I take a nettle and quercetin combination, which is very helpful when I take it prior to the allergy season (I ran out and forgot to get more until I was miserable!).  Another good helper is Xlear nasal spray.  There are a number of homeopathic remedies to look at and try- be sure that you read which allergies are helped by the homeopathic you need so you get the right one.

I am trying one more remedy provided by a friend- tincture of osha root, licorice and clove in Captain Morgan.  WhoooHooo, it will take your breath away!!!  I am going to put a little local honey with it lol

As a part of this blog I plan to give you a recipe with each blog entry that you can make at home.  I want you to learn that herbalism is accessible to everyone!  This is a tonic from Rosemary Gladstar for allergies (and other respiratory problems).

Ginger Garlic Tonic Syrup

Use fresh ginger root and fresh whole cloves of garlic.  Juice in a good juicer, not a blender (sorry about this, I prefer not to have to have special equipment but this is a great recipe).  Juice  enough to have 1-2 cups of juice of each.  Place the juice in a sauce pan and add enough honey to thicken it a bit and sweeten it (generally 1/4 cup of honey per cup of juice).  Warm enough to mix thoroughly.  DO NOT over heat.  Remove from the heat and add a pinch of cayenne.  The flavor should be hot, sweet, spicy and pungent all at the same time.  Pour into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and wrap securely in a blanket.  Cover with a burlap sack or old rags.  Find a special spot in the garden or outside to dig and a hole and bury your syrup.  I know this sounds strange but Rosemary Gladstar is the grandmother of Western herbalism and I trust her- beside, she states she have tried it without burying it and it was not as good.

For chronic problems is 1 tsp three times daily.  For acute situations, take smaller doses as often as needed; for example, 1/4 tsp every hour.

Warning- it's stinky!

So, from the farm....good luck and good medicine making.

PS Post your allergy remedies so we can all try them!