Colds and flu (influenza) affect an estimated 1 billion people in the U.S. each year. Influenza kills some 36,000 Americans annually, while 25,000-75,000 require hospital care. The rate of colds and flu increase from November to March as cold weather forces more people to stay indoors, increasing exposure to drier air conditions and to people already infected. (Colds and flu are caused by viruses, and viruses survive better in colder, drier weather with lower levels of humidity). The elderly, the sick, and children are especially vulnerable to the viruses that cause colds and flu.

Is It a Cold, or Is It The Flu?

How can you tell if your symptoms are a cold or the flu? While not everyone will have the same symptoms, here are common guidelines for cold and flu:

Fever: Rare with colds; common for flu, lasting for 3-4 days, with high temperatures (102-104°F).

Headache: Rare with colds; common with flu.

General aches and pains: Not serious with colds; common and severe with flu.

Fatigue, weakness: Mild with colds; May last up to 2-3 weeks with flu.

Extreme exhaustion: Unusual with colds; with flu, common and found to start early.

Stuffy nose: Common with colds; may appear be present with flu.

Sore throat: Common with colds; may appear with flu.

Chest discomfort, cough: With colds, mild to moderate discomfort possible; common and potentially severe with flu.

Cold symptoms rarely last longer than 1-2 weeks. Contrary to popular opinion, they are NOT caused by being in a draft. Allergies, stress (psychological or physical) and menstruation may contribute to susceptibility. Diets high in sugar or deficient in nutrients (vitamins and minerals) suppress the immune system and increase susceptibility. Colds are transmitted in various ways, including touching your eyes or nose after touching infectious respiratory fluids found on the skin, or by inhaling air-borne particles or droplets of infected liquid.

The flu starts out like a bad cold, but quickly worsens. Many symptoms, including high fever, headaches, muscle aches, and cough, are more dramatic. If untreated, flu can lead to more serious conditions, including dehydration and bacterial pneumonia, and can cause chronic medical conditions (congestive heart failure, asthma, diabetes) to worsen. Certain individuals — those 50 or older, health care workers, those with weakened immune systems, or conditions affecting the kidneys, lungs or heart — may be at higher risk. Children may also be susceptible to ear infections and sinus problems.
To defend against flu, you should follow many cold prevention steps, including hand-washing, not touching your eyes or nose, using tissues, and covering your mouth when coughing. The influenza virus can live on a plastic or metal surface for days, and can be caught by mere touching. It can also be caught by sick people sneezing or coughing.

Should You Get A Flu Shot?

Flu shots are recommended for people over 65 years of age, especially those with lung or heart conditions or cancer. Children may also benefit from vaccination. When the vaccine is well-matched to the virus, vaccines can decrease the rate of infection by 38-52%.

Flu Shots Alone Are Not The Answer

Flu shots are designed to protect us from 1 to 3 different viruses each season. Which viruses the vaccine protects from is based on an educated guess as to which viruses we will be exposed to. There are over 700 different strains of viruses that cause colds and flu; the vaccine will confer protection for one, two or three of these. Even when the vaccinations work, we are still at risk for contracting a cold or flu due to the other 698 viruses that we have NOT been vaccinated for!

What Can You Do To Foil Colds and Flu?

1.) Basic hygiene. Wash your hands often and be careful not to touch your eyes or nose. If possible, try to avoid being around sick people. If you’re already infected, cover your mouth when coughing and sneeze into a tissue which you should quickly throw away. Rubbing alcohol should be used to disinfect any surfaces that you come into contact with. If you have a cold or the flu, you’d do yourself and others a big favor by staying home from work.

2.) Basic good health practices.

I.) Multiple vitamin/mineral supplements. A number of placebo-controlled studies have shown that adults who consistently take a high potency vitamin/mineral supplement dramatically decrease their risk of infection. When supplemented individuals DO get sick, their symptoms tend to be milder and of shorter duration. These same studies have shown that the number of natural killer T cells, the “police” of the immune system, can be increased by up to 50% by supplementation.

“Once a Day” supplements (one or two tabs per day) were NOT found to increase immunity or confer protection. This is because the potencies of nutrients are too low in one or two tablets to be effective. In order to secure the virus-protective benefits of supplements, they should be taken in optimal (high potency) doses. This will typically be from 6 to 9 capsules or tablets per day.

II.) Adequate sleep and exercise. Lack of either sleep or exercise decreases immunity and increases susceptibility to viruses of every type.

3.) Prevention Specifics.

I.) Vitamin C. In over twenty scientific studies, vitamin C has been shown to protect from flu and cold viruses. In fact, the number of respiratory infections of all types (not just the flu) was decreased by 50% in the vitamin C supplemented group. As with multiple vitamins, the severity and duration of infection was milder in the supplemented group when they did contract a cold or flu. [NOTE: Maxi Multi’s contain 1,000mg of vitamin C when taken in 9-per-day recommended doses].

II.) Immune Support. Keep your immune system healthy on a daily basis with this superior formula of immune-enhancing herbs. High potencies of Astragalus, Ligustrum, and Echinacea in addition to a full spectrum of medicinal mushrooms and support nutrients increase natural immunity.

Cold and Flu “Kit” (What to do if you “catch” a virus anyway)

Have your cold and flu first aid remedies on hand before you need then. All remedial measures work best when they are started immediately at the first sign of symptoms. Besides, once you start feeling bad, that’s not the time you’ll want to run around town trying to find a remedy!

At The First sign of any infection:

I.) Immune Boost Liquid Tincture: “Fast Blast” for the Immune System. The immune system has a wide variety of different cells and functions to protect the body. This formula contains herbs to stimulate every aspect of immune function. Potent liquid tincture goes to work “lightning fast” to enhance immunity.

II.) B.A.M. (Broad Anti-microbial) Tincture: Herbal Antibiotic Formula. That’s right, we don’t know what’s wrong. It could be a fungus, bacteria, virus, mycoplasma – or any combination thereof – and this tincture gets serious with all of them. Take during an acute infection to put the “bad guys” in their place. A potent broad spectrum “anti-bug” formula designed for acute infections.

III.) Selenium: 800mcg per day in addition to the 200mcg in Maxi Multis. Continue for 10 days.

Also helpful: Echinacea is one of the most popular herbs for stimulating and boosting the immune system. It acts as an immune stimulant, immune modulator (balances the immune system), anti-viral and anti-bacterial.

For colds, nasal or lung congestion, bronchitis, pneumonia

I.) Bromelain: 2 capsules, 3 to 4 times per day between meals for acute infection, decrease to 1 cap, 3-4 times per day as condition resolves. Bromelain, a digestive enzyme from pineapple, acts to increase the effect of other immune cells by dissolving the mucous coat that bacteria use to “shield” themselves from the immune system. Some studies have shown it to be as effective as antibiotics for treatment of pneumonia, bronchitis, and dental, skin and kidney infection.

II.) Inspirol inhalant: this powerful herbal inhalant prevents respiratory infections from becoming more severe. it also opens the airways and improves breathing. Use for colds, flu, hay fever, sinusitis, coughs, congestion, and bronchitis.

For cough:

Herbal Cough Elixer II : 1 tsp. every 1-2 hours as needed for cough.

For sore throat:

Throat Mist: Use every hour as needed for sore throat.

Renew Energy after Illness

Energy Rehab: Infections can weaken the body, drain energy, and prolong recovery time. This formula supports the body’s energy systems typically affected by any type of infection. Energy Rehab may be continued after the infection has passed to ensure complete energy and immune recovery.

An ounce of prevention will go a long way toward keeping you free from colds and flu this Winter.

Stay well and have Joyful Holidays!

Yours In Health,

Dr. Dana Myatt

 

I think you’ll be surprised at these hidden causes of disease that are often overlooked in medicine. Read on and learn how to protect yourself…
Three Hidden Causes of Disease Lurking in Your Mouth

The cause of numerous health problems— from mild to life-threatening— may be lurking in your mouth if you have ever had any conventional dental work performed. Fillings, root canals and crowns can create a ticking time-bomb for disease elsewhere in the body. Dentistry-caused problems can range from osteoporosis, chronic infections, high blood pressure and arthritis to cardiac irregularities, neurological disorders and even cancer. But don’t expect your conventional dentist to tell you about any of this. In fact, he or she may not even known about these dangers, because the American Dental Association (ADA) denies that these problems exist in spite of vast amounts of evidence.

The “Root” of the Problem: What’s Wrong with Root Canals

“Root canals” are a procedure that destroys the tooth’s nerve, thereby allowing a diseased (rotten) tooth to be left in the mouth without causing pain. This procedure also destroys blood supply to the tooth. The dead tooth is supposedly sterilized at the time of the procedure, but in truth it is difficult if not impossible to completely sterilize a tooth because of the complex network of bone matrix (thousands of little nooks and crannies). The dead tooth, left in the mouth with no blood supply to bring immune factors and oxygen in and carry waste out, becomes a haven for bacteria. Root canal infections are rarely recognized because, unlike living teeth which have nerves to give “pain feedback,” root canal teeth are dead. An infection in a root canal tooth has to be incredibly severe to be obvious to most dentists, and patients will rarely feel any pain because the nerve is gone.

Anaerobic bacteria (a deadly kind of bacteria that thrive without oxygen) take up residence in the dead tooth and from this “safe haven,” shed into the bloodstream where they can infect heart valves, joints or other organs, as well as damage the immune system. Root canals are a HUGE overlooked source of chronic inflammation and infection.

Toxic Metals in Your Mouth

Toxic metals are normally found in the body only in minute amounts. These metals include mercury, cadmium, lead, aluminum, antimony, nickel, and tin. When such metals accumulate in the body beyond these tiny levels, they interfere with normal nerve flow and poison organs and tissues. Toxic metals are commonly used in dentistry as components of fillings, crowns and pins (anchors).

With the exception of plutonium, mercury is more poisonous than any other metal. The safety of mercury-containing dental fillings has been debated by dentists and physicians since the 1800’s, but the “going line” of the American Dental Association (ADA) is that mercury used in amalgam dental fillings is harmless. Unfortunately, a vast amount of scientific evidence contradicts this position. Mercury vapor can be measured in significant quantities from the moment amalgam fillings are placed in the mouth. Mercury is swallowed, inhaled and absorbed directly from the mouth. Other toxic metals found in fillings, crowns and pins can be leached out of place by acidic mouth pH or by galvanic current, the third major “time bomb” in your mouth.

Galvanic Current: A Surprise Problem with Numerous Consequences

Toxic metals leaching from fillings and other dental materials are only one hazard of metal-containing dental materials. When two different metals are in close proximity, a phenomenon called “electro galvanism” (electrical current) is created . This current occurs when two or more different metals are present in the mouth, such as when mercury amalgam fillings and cadmium-containing crowns interact. NOTE: to see this phenomenon in action, chew on a piece of aluminum foil. If you have ANY metal in your mouth (fillings, crowns, pins), you will feel the electrical current, and it will be surprisingly painful.

Electrical currents cause chemical reactions to take place, analogous to electroplating reactions used in jewelry manufacture . Mouth bacteria digest food trapped between teeth and produce acid wastes which contribute to this “battery effect.” The result of having an electrical current in the mouth is two-fold:

I.) Toxic metal release. Mercury and other metals leach from fillings, crowns, pins, etc. under the influence of galvanic current. These toxic metals liberated from dental work can damage the brain, nervous system, immune system and other organs. (Ever hear of “mad hatters disease”? This type of insanity, caused by mercury poisoning, was prevalent in hat-makers who used to use mercury in hat-making).
II.) Electrical currents in the mouth. Electrical currents in the mouth can interfere with brain and nervous system function, endocrine gland function and circulation.

How To Know If Your Mouth Is Making You Sick

If you suffer from any medical condition for which a cause cannot be found by your conventional doctor, consider that a “hidden” cause may be lurking in your mouth. Symptoms known to be associated with toxic metals, galvanic currents and root canals include: allergies, cancer, chronic fatigue, depression and other mood and psychiatric disorders, endocrine disorders, GI problems, immune suppression, neurological disorders (MS, ALS, neuropathy), osteoporosis, gum disease, reproductive disorders, birth defects, kidney disease, heart disease (especially arrhythmia, electrical dysfunction or bacterial disease), high blood pressure, lung and respiratory problems and skin disease. Because of the nature of electrical currents, it is also likely that many cases of tinnitus may be caused by dental problems.

The Method for Accurate Diagnosis

Any doctor or dentist who “doesn’t believe in” any of the above-listed problems won’t offer you sympathy or help. (Remember, these docs and dentists are the ones “spoon fed” by conventional medical propaganda). You need to talk to an holistic physician who can evaluate your case and refer you to a good holistic dentist. More about that in a minute.

Hair analysis is an accurate, inexpensive screening tool for many heavy metals that occur in dentistry, including mercury, cadmium and nickel. Although unproven for nutritional mineral evaluation, the presence of a toxic metal on hair analysis is known to be accurate and warrants further evaluation for the source of toxicity. The mouth is the most likely source of heavy metal toxicity. Learn more about where to get hair mineral analysis performed here: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com//medicaltests/#HAIR

Even in the absence of heavy metal toxicity, the galvanic current effect and/or a root canal infection may still be present. To diagnose theses, I use a careful symptom intake, review all other medical records (to make sure the cause of the problem hasn’t been overlooked and NOT coming from the mouth— we call this a “rule out” in medical practice). Next, I request your full-mouth X-rays and, together with your symptoms, history, other medical records and hair analysis, I consult with an holistic dentist on your behalf. This procedure gives me a solid idea about whether or not your mouth is the source of your medical problems. I’m sorry to report that I don’t know many doctors— even holistic ones— who diagnose dental problems this way, but this is the way I am convinced it should be done.

Beware of “Holistic Dentists”

Dentists who are aware of the potential for toxic metal poisoning from amalgam fillings are becoming increasingly common. They bill themselves as “holistic dentists” and offer to remove amalgam fillings. DON’T GO THERE until you have all the facts!

Remember, there is currently no such thing as an holistic dental school (as there are holistic medical schools), so all “holistic dentists” are self-taught. A very few of them understand all of the above-listed principals, but in my experience, most do not. The majority are only concerned with amalgam filling removal, and even then, their lack of understanding of the galvanic current phenomena means that they cause more harm than good by failing to remove ALL the offending materials at one time.

In this next installment, I’ll explain what I look for in an holistic dentist.

In the meantime, even if this report has concerned you that your problems could be dentally-related, take heart! In the skilled hands of someone who knows what they are doing for, these “time bombs” in your mouth are correctable.

In Health,
Dr. Myatt