Colds

though you may feel miserable, colds are a relatively harmless condition.  Symptoms include a stuffed up or runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat and maybe a cough. The symptoms are generally focused around your head and chest.

You can often feel a cold coming on by a tickling in your nose or throat a few days before the full onset.  If you think you are coming down with a cold and want to help avoid it … come in for a quick acupuncture treatment.  The treatment will help you bypass the cold entirely, or will alleviate the symptoms and shorten the life of the cold.

The Flu

The flu or influenze is an entirely different thing. It attacks your respiratory track and then entire body as well.  Symptoms include: muscle aches throughout your entire body, feeling totally exhausted, fever, headache and sore eyes.

Flus can lead to pneumonia or other complications leading to death.  This is why the medical community is so very concerned about a pandemic.  You are especially at risk if you have existing conditions such as heart disease, respiratory conditions, heart disease etc.

Though it is a challenge getting accurate statistics, according to the Wikipedia …

The B.C. government has reported 1,059 severe flu cases as of February 2, 2010. 49 of 56 fatalities were people with underlying medical conditions.

Can Acupuncture Help with the Flu?

Acupuncture is an ancient treatment system that has been helping fight the flu for centuries.  Not only can it help prevent the flu, but can also help treat the illness once symptoms have begun to appear. Acupuncture helps prevent the flu by strengthening your  immune system.

Make your appointment now … and avoid the Cold and Flu season entirely!  604-839-9789

What can you do to avoid getting a cold or the Flu?

Wash your hands regularly.

Use any kind of hand soap  (antibacterial soaps are not necessary because colds and the flu are spread by viruses NOT bacteria).

When you are out and about, avoid touching your face, specially your eyes.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), autumn is associated with the element Metal and with the lungs and the colon. The lung is a tender organ as it is the uppermost organ and is susceptible to wind and cold, which may lead to a sore throat, a cold etc.

Switching to a diet of Autumn foods
Adjusting your eating habits with each new season has a tremendous effect on your health.

Autumn foods are white in color and pungent in flavour. Choosing white foods will help relieve cough, nourish skin, and relieve constipation by promoting body fluid production. Move away from eating summer fruits and vegetables into eating more autumn produce.

White foods include:

Turnips, almonds, potatoes, cauliflower, yams, soybean milk, garlic, onion, etc.

So give it a try and let me know how this autumn diet works out for you!