Michael Egan
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On the article What's Truth and Fiction in Influenza Epidemic? Ask a Patch Pro
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On the article What's Truth and Fiction in Influenza Epidemic? Ask a Patch Pro
Michael Egan
11:10 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
ReplyThis is good topic. It is always my hope and goal to give patients a variety of treatment options. I worked as an acupuncturist in a hospital, so I am not for or against allopathic medicine. But, the question is what are our options and what are the risks and benefits to those options. In China, almost all hospitals are integrated with western and traditional Chinese medicine. Many of my teachers were MD's in China. So what happens if you get the flu vaccine, and still get the flu? We need to look at complimentary methods to provide patients with the best care possible. All options should be on the table. And, according to one of the "fathers of modern medicine", "let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food". Hipporates
Here are some foods that boost immunity:
Mushrooms (reishi or ling zhi): increase the production of cytokines that may help fight off infection.
Ginger, fresh ( sheng jiang): contain sesquiterpenes that may fight viruses and build immunity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23295981
Aged garlic: boosts immunity and can help fight colds and flu http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22280901
Astragalus (huang qi): In Chinese medicine this herbs "tonifies qi" and may help in immunity http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22695229 -
On the article What's Truth and Fiction in Influenza Epidemic? Ask a Patch Pro
Michael Egan
9:59 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
In Chinese medicine, rarely do a we approach illness or health as "one size fits all". There are many factors that determine our treatment approach. But, when it comes to an issue of "public health" the game starts to change. When I was in China during the "swine flu" pandemic, we were all taking herbs in order to try and build up our immune system. Starting with a robust immune system is not always possible. The elderly and immunocompromised persons are at greater risk of getting the flu, and of really suffering from it. In Chinese medicine flu fall under what is called "wen bing" or "warm/febrile disease". And, when it hits a highly populated area...like China, it is VERY serious. During the SARS epidemic, anti-viral herbs were often selected. But, they are selected in a formulation that matches the nature of the disease and the patients constitution. For flu we use herbs that "clear heat and relieve toxicity", and many of these herbs are anti-viral in nature. * Such as "ban lan gen (radix isatidis").* But, prior to getting the flu, starting with a robust immune system is key. Eating right, getting proper rest and hydration, and keeping a low stress life (I know, easier said than done) all aid in the bodies ability to fight off infection and heal. And, as I mentioned in Chinese medicine we often try to build up the body with herbs.
Michael
*Chinese herbal materia medica, Dan Bensky&Andrew Gamble, 1986 eastland press -
On the article What's Truth and Fiction in Influenza Epidemic? Ask a Patch Pro
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On the article What's Truth and Fiction in Influenza Epidemic? Ask a Patch Pro
Michael Egan
9:46 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
With ALL forms of health care, risk-benefit should be looked at. It does become more complex in the matters of public health. For example, an individual who works in public health or comes in contact with a ton of people has a much better chance of getting the bug and passing it on. Here is a link to the CDC so you can take a look at some of the risks and benefits of the flu vaccine: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm
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On the article What's Truth and Fiction in Influenza Epidemic? Ask a Patch Pro
Michael Egan
9:57 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
In Chinese medicine, rarely do a we approach illness or health as "one size fits all". There are many factors that determine our treatment approach. But, when it comes to an issue of "public health" the game starts to change. When I was in China during the SARS epidemic, we were all taking herbs in order to try and build up our immune system. Starting with a robust immune system is not always possible. The elderly and immunocompromised persons are at greater risk of getting the flu, and of really suffering from it. In Chinese medicine flu fall under what is called "wen bing" or "warm/febrile disease". And, when it hits a highly populated area...like China, it is VERY serious. During the SARS epidemic, anti-viral herbs were often selected. But, they are selected in a formulation that matches the nature of the disease and the patients constitution. For flu we use herbs that "clear heat and relieve toxicity", and many of these herbs are anti-viral in nature. * Such as "ban lan gen (radix isatidis").* But, prior to getting the flu, starting with a robust immune system is key. Eating right, getting proper rest and hydration, and keeping a low stress life (I know, easier said than done) all aid in the bodies ability to fight off infection and heal.
Michael
*Chinese herbal materia medica, Dan Bensky&Andrew Gamble, 1986 eastland press -
On the article What's Truth and Fiction in Influenza Epidemic? Ask a Patch Pro
Michael Egan
9:57 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
ReplyIn Chinese medicine, rarely do a we approach illness or health as "one size fits all". There are many factors that determine our treatment approach. But, when it comes to an issue of "public health" the game starts to change. When I was in China during the SARS epidemic, we were all taking herbs in order to try and build up our immune system. Starting with a robust immune system is not always possible. The elderly and immunocompromised persons are at greater risk of getting the flu, and of really suffering from it. In Chinese medicine flu fall under what is called "wen bing" or "warm/febrile disease". And, when it hits a highly populated area...like China, it is VERY serious. During the SARS epidemic, anti-viral herbs were often selected. But, they are selected in a formulation that matches the nature of the disease and the patients constitution. For flu we use herbs that "clear heat and relieve toxicity", and many of these herbs are anti-viral in nature. * Such as "ban lan gen (radix isatidis").* But, prior to getting the flu, starting with a robust immune system is key. Eating right, getting proper rest and hydration, and keeping a low stress life (I know, easier said than done) all aid in the bodies ability to fight off infection and heal.
Michael
*Chinese herbal materia medica, Dan Bensky&Andrew Gamble, 1986 eastland press
Michael Egan
4:02 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
In Chinese medicine we have generally two types of patterns for colds and flu. But before I describe them remember that this is not a substitute for seeing a trained health care provider. So, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) we have patterns called "Wind Heat or Wind Cold." Wind Cold is more like the common cold, chills greater than fever, aches, stuffy-runny nose and is relatively mild. "Wind heat" is more severe, Fever greater than chills, sweating, sore throat, thirsty, cough with yellow or green phlegm, extreme fatigue. From this description you can see "wind heat" is much more like the "flu". And as it becomes more severe, that's when we describe it as "wind-heat toxicity" or "wen bing, warm/febrile disease). But, things morph and it can get complex. The treatment should match the pattern of disharmony. Just like in allopathic medicine, antibiotics are not effective on a viral infection, so "wind cold herbs are not used for "wind heat patterns". I think Catherine did a very nice job laying it out out the signs and symptoms.