Posted by Dr. James Wilson on Fri, Nov 06, 2009
Whether
or not to get a flu shot is an individual decision, even if you have adrenal
fatigue.
My reservation about the HINI flu shot is the same as it is about any
other flu shot in any other year. Each flu vaccine only protects against one or
two specific strains of influenza. However, there are many viruses and bacteria
that make people ill, especially during the winter months. Vaccination against
only one or two strains, albeit common or particularly virulent ones, does
nothing to protect against the many other causes of flu and respiratory
infections. I have had the same question posed to me by my staff and what I
told them is that the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from
this virus or any other cause of the flu or other upper respiratory ailment is
to continually strengthen your immune function. Arm yourself by doing the key
things that lead to a strong and responsive immune system:
• Be proactive by regularly using (especially in the months preceding and
during cold and flu seasons) the supplements that enhance and build your body’s
own natural immune processes over time.
• In addition, take approximately 2,000 mg per day of the best vitamin C you
can find (sustained-release, pH balanced, with 1 mg of bioflavonoids for every 2
mg ascorbic acid), and 15 to 30 mg per day of zinc gluconate or
picolinate.
• Keep a quick-acting, natural immune booster on hand to help nip things in the
bud in case something slips by your immune defenses.
• Adopt an immune-hardy lifestyle by getting eight to nine hours of sleep a
night; eating nutritious foods with abundant vegetables, whole grains and some
fruits; avoid junk foods and driving yourself with caffeine; and exercise
within your tolerance but without exhausting yourself.
It is true that if you are going through adrenal fatigue, you are more
vulnerable to respiratory infections. However, the steps listed above combined
with proper adrenal support will go a long way toward helping you stay healthy
during the winter. If you do get the flu, it will probably be much milder and
shorter-lived than had you not taken care of yourself in this way. By
continuing to support your adrenals, your recovery should be better, faster and
stronger. An important thing to remember during the recovery phase is that once
you begin to feel better, not to push yourself. Already this fall I know of two
incidences where people with adrenal fatigue got the H1N1 virus, but with
continued adrenal support recovered very quickly -- only to over extend
themselves too soon, get exhausted and further weaken already challenged
adrenals, and then become ill with another virus. Had they taken two more days
to rest and recover, or had they also strengthened their immune systems, they
would probably both have been fine.
Having a flu shot can give you a false sense of security and lull you into
believing you are protected from all flus, when in fact you are only protected
from one or two specific pathogens. Taking care of your body and personal
responsibility for your health, including preparing for the winter by
strengthening your immunity as well as maximizing adrenal support if you have
adrenal fatigue, is an important concept to understand.
Yours in health,
Dr. James Wilson
Posted by Dr. James Wilson on Fri, Oct 30, 2009
Recent media reaction to the "Swine Flu" has caused considerable alarm in many people. It is important to protect the adrenal glands as they are one of the key responders to flu and are important in the body's response and recovery.
The main purpose of your adrenals is to enable your body to deal with stress from every possible source, ranging from injury and disease to work and relationship problems. Your propensity to develop certain kinds of diseases and your ability to respond to chronic illness is influenced significantly by the adrenal glands.
During the severe flu epidemic of 1918 that killed an estimated 50-100 million worldwide, 103 of 126 autopsies revealed that the adrenals had been severely affected. In fact, it was postulated that the reason for death may have been adrenal exhaustion rather than the pathogen itself. In another study from the same epidemic, people taking adrenal extracts fare much better through the course of the disease than those who did not.
This strain of flu has been identified as Influenza type A/H1N1, a mutant combination of swine, bird and human influenza viruses, now believed to have likely originated in humans, not pigs. Although a number of people have died with this flu, type A influenzas more typically run their course without complications and end with a full recovery. This type of flu virus usually only severely affects the weak, the sick, the very young and the very old.
So I strongly advise supporting and strengthening adrenal function and your immune system if adrenal fatigue or other related health concerns are present. Our adrenal fatigue website at http://adrenalfatigue.org/ provides information about what is available to effectively support the adrenals.
Additional Measures
Additional measures that help protect against infectious disease include following the usual precautions of washing hands after handling money or shaking hands, and avoiding people who have the flue or are likely carriers of infection.
If someone in the family has the flu, it is especially important to:
- Wash your hands after contact
- Wash all dishes using chlorine bleach (one tablespoon per gallon) in very hot water or the sanitize cycle on the dish washer
- Use separate towels and keep the sick person away from other family members when at all possible
The most common ways to spread infectious disease, besides sneezing and coughing in close proximity, is through commom:
- Handling of telephone,
- Remote controls,
- Doorknobs, and
- Bathroom sink handles
These should be disinfected daily during this time, especially if they are shared.
When traveling, it can really make a difference to:
- Take along moist sterilizing pads
- Wipe down the above items in the hotel room with the sterilizing pads
- Wear a mask while in flight