IT’S ALL ABOUT RAISING OUR IMMUNITY

-DR. PARTH MANKAD.

ABOUT FLU :

“Influenza”, “La Grippe” or, in common parlance, simply “Flu” is an acute infectious disease spread by virus. “Virus” is a Latin word meaning poison but is used specifically as a term for a group of pathogens which are barely visible or invisible under the ordinary microscope; they are generally believed to be living organisms or chemical entities on the borderline between the living and the non-living, causing disease in plants, bacteria, insects, animals and man.

Types of influenza

Types A, B, C and D of influenza virus are recognised.

Influenza A viruses are the most important pathogens among the influenza viruses, infecting man and many domestic animals and birds.

Influenza B virus causes influenza and sometimes pneumonia in man, the disease being more endemic than that caused by influenza A virus.

Influenza C virus is thought to cause sporadic, mild influenza-like infections in man.

Para – influenza viruses D, HA 1, HA 2, C A are other varieties.

ABOUT SWINE FLU:

Swine Influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs .

Swine influenza is also called as H1N1 flu, swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu is an infection by a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 that derives in part from human influenza, avian influenza, and two separate strains of swine influenza.. It passes with apparent ease from human to human .

In simple words swine flu is an influenza caused by H1N1 virus which replicates and spreads much faster than other virus .

TRANSMISSION OF THE SWINE FLU:

As with other flu like illnesses, Swine influenza is spread as follows:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Kissing
• Touching infected objects
• Touching nose, mouth and/or eyes with infected hands

CLINICAL FEATURES :

After a short incubation say of one or two days, at the most three, there is felt a

· Sudden malaise

· Headache

· Loss of appetite

· Pain in back and limbs

· Nausea & vomiting ( in few cases )

· Cough & croup

· Upper respiratory tract infection – pharyngitis , laryngits etc.

· Fever – around 103 F

All these features followed by great prostration and lethargy, which takes a person’s general health and vitality too much down.

“ SWINE FLU IS NOT AT ALL DANGEROUS TO ALL WHO IS H1N1 POSITIVE IT IS ONLY DANGEROUS TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING LESS IMMUNITY AND ARE AT RISK TO GET THE COMPLICATIONS .”

People at risk :

* Wrong life style and prone to get infections for which who keep using antibiotics * elderly
* Chronic health problems (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease)
* Pregnant women
* Young children

COMPLICATION OF SWINE FLU:

* Pneumonia – Bronchopneumonia is the most important complication and is responsible for most of the deaths.

* Bronchitis
* Sinus infections
* Ear infections – otitis media
* Death due to acute respiratory distress syndrome.

MANAGEMENT OF THE SWINE FLU :

1.Bed Rest is of primary importance, the sooner, the better. Continue even after recovery.

2. In order to avoid complications like pneumonia the patient should under all circumstances be protected from a draught of air. However, the room should be well ventilated.

3. Isolation is necessary to avoid its spread. It may not be possible as the disease is fast spreading.

4. Diet should be liquid – hot and sweetened. Hot milk. Fruit juice, nourishing soup.

5. The patient should not be given bath (cold or warm) since it causes further chilling, particularly the chest and head.

6. To avoid droplet infection, all the expectorations should be received in a pot and the excretions should be incinerated.

7. As the patient is left a physical wreck, he should be instructed to clothe himself properly and avoid chilling and fatigue at all costs.

It is again stressed that convalescence being very slow, even after mild cases, several days of rest should be insisted upon before the patient is allowed to return to work.

EFFICACY OF HOMOEOPATHY IN SWINE FLU :

Homeopathy was very successful in dealing with the 1918-19 flu pandemic. Here is a quote from the famous historian Julian Winston:

Perhaps the most recent use of homeopathy in a major epidemic was during the Influenza Pandemic of 1918. The Journal of the American Institute for Homeopathy, May, 1921, had a long article about the use of homeopathy in the flu epidemic. Dr. T A McCann, from Dayton, Ohio, reported that 24,000 cases of flu treated allopathically had a mortality rate of 28.2% while 26,000 cases of flu treated homeopathically had a mortality rate of 1.05%. This last figure was supported by Dean W.A. Pearson of Philadelphia (Hahnemann College) who collected 26,795 cases of flu treated with homeopathy with the above result.

The most common remedy used was Gelsemium, with occasional cases needing Bryonia and Eupatorium reported. Dr. Herbert A. Roberts from Derby, CT, said that 30 physicians in Connecticut responded to his request for data. They reported 6,602 cases with 55 deaths, which is less than 1%. Dr. Roberts was working as a physician on a troop ship during WWI. He had 81 cases of flu on the way over to Europe. He reported, “All recovered and were landed. Every man received homeopathic treatment. One ship lost 31 on the way.”

(Ref. from hpathy.com )

PREVENTIVE :

most cases causes only mild symptoms and the infected person makes a full recovery without requiring medical attention and without the use of antiviral medicines. The only requirement is alertness of the right time and keeping the general health up and not to get panic with the name of swine flu.

Along with the all other preventive measures like wearing mask or avoiding contact with infected people and healthy diet one can use homoeopathic medicine in advance to prevent the self from infection.

Homoeopathic remedies increase one’s immunity for the same disease and work just as a harmless vaccine. ( as there are many side effects of the vaccine of the swineflu which are even more dangerous than the disease it self ) It also prepares the antibodies to fight with the infection if we get it.

Following 2 remedies can be best possibly act as a preventive in swine flu :

1. GELSEMIUM 200 – ONCE IN A DAY FOR 3 DAYS.

2. INFLUENZINUM 200 – ONCE IN A DAY FOR 3 DAYS. *

* it is always advisable to consult a qualified homoeopath before taking these remedies.

CURATIVE:

Homoeopathic remedies is having too less to do with the name of the disease as it is being given on the basis of the symptoms / sing s and general vitality of the person. So it can help magically to the person and help in reduction of the severity of disease and stops complications to happen.

One single and simple remedy can take care of the whole state of the sick individual which even includes the psychological phobia produced due to swine flu which no other medicine can cover. HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE CAN ALSO HELP IN REDUCING THE FRUSTRATION / PHOBIA / FEAR /PANIC HAPPENING DURING SWNIE FLU OR BEFORE OR AFTER DETECTION OF SWINE FLU.

As the symptomatology of the swine flu in this 2009 season appears following homoeopathic medicine can best possibly act :

1. GELSEMIUM 200
2. INFLUENZINUM 200
3. ARSENICUM ALBUM 200
4. RHUS TOXICANDRON 200
5. EUPATORIUM PERFORATUM 200 *

All these remedies can be differentiated only after talking to the patient. Repetition of the remedy also depends on the severity of the affection of disease.

* Homeopathic remedies need strict individualization .Please consult a qualified homeopath before taking any homeopathic remedy for Swine flu / influenza

FINAL NOTE:

Our body is ever ready with the equipments to fight with any new or old diseases happening to us but for that our immunity has to be kept up by ourselves.

Factors necessary to strengthen our immunity are

· HEALTHY FOOD

· HEALTHY AND POSITIVE THOUGHTS

· STRESSFREE MIND

· GOOD SLEEP

· AVOIDING UNNECESSARY ALLOPATHIC MEDICATIONS.

· TAKING TREATMENT FROM ALTERNATIVE BRANCH LIKE HOMOEOPATHY OR AAYURVEDA FOR EVEN SIMPLER PROBLEMS.

· DOING LIGHT EXERCISE, YOGA, PRANAYAM, MEDITATION OR AT LEAST WALK FOR 1 KM. /DAY.

· LISTENING GOOD MUSIC EVERYDAY.

· FOR KEEPING THE HEALTH ON TRACK IT IS ALWAYS ADVISABLE TO TAKE HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT AS IT IS THE ONLY THERAPY WHICH CAN HELP ON THE BOTH PLANES MIND AND BODY AND HELPS TO KEEP US WITH HEALTH IN ALL AREAS.

SWINE FLU IS NO MORE A BIG DEAL IF SUCH SIMPLE THINGS ARE FOLLOWED TO RAISE THE IMMUNITY.

HAVE A NON- INFECTIOUS TIME FURTHER.

For all queries, further inquiry or suggestions your comments are much welcomed.