Pangaea Clinic of Naturopathic Medicine

Cold and Flu Season: A Time for Optimization of Immune System Function

A patient walks by the office and decides to come in. She tells me that she was 4 hours late for her appointment with a specialist to go over her chronic sinusitis, and that the receptionist then told her that she would have to reschedule for one month later. She frequently catches every cold that goes around, and seems to have a chronic lingering infection already. With a deadline of 4 weeks, we run a food allergy panel from her blood and begin weekly intravenous drips of immune-stimulating vitamin C, B vitamins, selenium, zinc, and some other minerals. Within 3 weeks of avoiding foods she didn't know she was allergic to, 4 treatments, she was proud to walk into the specialist's office with no complaints. A check-up was done, and it was confirmed that her chronic infection had cleared; another unnecessary surgery had been avoided.

Optimal immune function is powerful; the only problem is that people today rarely are functioning at full capacity. The combinations of a hectic work schedule, pollution, poor diet, and stress set the stage for allergy and pathological polarization of the immune system. This intricate system has two basic "personalities" or phenotypes; one is referred to as cell-mediated (Th1) and the other is humoral-mediated (Th2). Th1 stimulates the cytotoxic and natural killer cells to increase their activity and fight mostly viruses, fungi, and certain intra-cellular bacteria. Th1 is also responsible for cancer surveillance. Th2 is responsible for the development of antibodies, including IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, and IgE, and is largely responsible for the killing of bacteria. Unfortunately, most cases of allergy fall into the Th2 group.

The key to optimal function is this: both Th1 and Th2 use chemicals called cytokines in the blood to further propagate their specific type of immune response. Therefore, allergies must be identified and eliminated in order for a balanced response to occur. If a patient is repeatedly taking in a food allergen that stimulates IgG production, a subsequent Th2 polarization occurs and viral fighting ability (Th1 mediated) drops! A much smaller percentage of the population would catch the cold or flu if they could optimize their viral fighting ability by eliminating the allergens, detoxifying, and getting a Th1 "kick start" with intravenous immune drips.

The first steps to preventing illness involve primary defenses. Obviously, this includes washing your hands before touching any mucus membrane surface of your body. Perhaps just as important is the absolute avoidance of sugar, in both the table sugar form, juice form, and pop form. A small serving of sugar actually serves to cut the activity of non-specific immune cells (not Th1 nor Th2, but your first line of defense) by about 50% for 4 hours. With the level of consumption of sugar, juices and pop we have in the general population, it's no wonder that the flu shot is being pushed so hard.

Do you need the flu shot? The shot is generally deemed necessary in the very old or very young. People in between, who have few serious medical conditions, should aim to optimize their immune function as primary prevention. This means the elimination of allergies, including to foods, detoxification, and immune system repolarization. Once these steps are done, patients won't be

catching every flu or cold that goes around, energy will go up, and they will surprise even themselves with their well-being.

Summary:

- Yearly colds and flus are not normal and are signs of sub-optimal immunity

- Avoidance of germs is next to impossible and more focus should be given on your ability to resist becoming ill

- A healthy immune system can prevent most infectious illnesses that we come into contact with

Balance:

- Pollution and other stimuli support a pathological polarization of the immune system

- Food allergies, toxins, etc contribute to the maintenance of the imbalance and thus the low immunity

- Restoring balance may be as simple as stimulating cell-mediated immunity and avoiding triggers for humoral immunity

Treatments:

- Immune stimulating IV treatments

- Oxidative medicine: intravenous hydrogen peroxide

- Myer's injections

- Herbal medicines

- Allergen avoidance

Benefits:

- Less frequent colds and flus

- No requirement for antibiotics

- Resolution of difficult to treat infections (osteomyelitis, chronic sinusitis, etc)