Journal Coughs Up Some Evidence
We’ve seen some interesting information circulating lately about the efficacy of over-the-counter cough syrups. The news first surfaced in Chest, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). (I know, I know. But it’s a real journal and a real organization. Honest.) It’s a timely discussion, because, as winter deepens, all of us are more vulnerable to flus and colds, and their accompanying coughs.
So. A recent study, published in the January issue of Chest, found that — quite frankly, as the politicians would say, and despite the billions of dollars spent every year on these “remedies” — they do little or nothing to relieve coughs. (It’s shocking! Isn’t it? All right, it’s not.)
The authors sagely recommend skipping the store-bought nostrums and, instead, treating the root cause of the mucous build-up, the resultant post-nasal drip, and the ultimate coughing jag stimulated by the drip. (On a serious note, please be aware that more serious coughs, accompanied by shortness of breath, fever, or chest pains, may indicate a more serious underlying illness such as pertussis or pneumonia, and may require an antibiotic for resolution.)
OK. Cough syrup is out. What’s in? Well, aside from the age-old wisdom of rest, fluids, and chicken soup — there are some other important steps we can take, not just to treat a cough, but also to prevent one. Regarding the latter, my advice about common colds and coughs is simple: Don’t get one in the first place. Of course, that’s easy to say. But what does it mean, in a practical sense.
It means taking a look at the bottom line when it comes to staying healthy. I like to ask: How much junk is going in, and how much is coming out? By “junk” going in I mean...well, come on, you know what I mean. I mean: white flour and white sugar; Big Gulps; Red Number x, Blue Number y, and Yellow Number z, and all other artificial colors; too much of anything, even good things; and so on. By going out, I mean: How well is your body utilizing its intake and detoxifying the load? (See my previous postings, Love Your Liver, Parts 1 & 2.)
Too much junk in and too little junk out is typical. Added up, that combination taxes all of our systems, and puts heavy pressure on the immune system, specifically. And, hello! Coughs and colds are the body’s natural responses to a weakened immune system. So, to fend off coughs, we should look at the many ways we weaken our immune systems. Allergies, for example are a major culprit. Allergies to certain foods, allergies to annoying people, to dust, to cats, to cleaning products. (Raise your hand if — like me — you can “taste” the aisle with the laundry detergents, dryer fluffs, and affiliated products.)
Total Wellness is about finding these areas of vulnerability. It’s about increasing our ability to detoxify. It’s about optimizing the body’s ability to utilize foods, by correcting a diet gone awry, including appropriate exercise, incorporating targeted supplements, and eliminating from our lives as many sources of stress as we can identify — including those annoying and upsetting people, especially those that exist only as phantom, negative voices in our heads.
And, let’s not forget a focus on the body itself. Some crucial elements include:
• Chiropractic adjustment. A well-adjusted nervous system can better fend for itself in the world charged with microbes.
• The faithful neti pot, an invaluable, simple tool for sinus cleansing. Think dental floss for the sinus. Just imagine how many bacteria and viruses invade through the nasopharynx and — Voila! — you understand the power of the neti. (More to come on neti, too.)
• Xenoforce, an excellent supplemental addition to your regimen during the dark days of winter.
• Red Alert and-or GREENSFirst, good for everyone, but especially important for those fruit-and vegetable-averse kiddies. If they aren’t already drinking their nutraceuticals, the time to start would be now.
• A homeopathic lymph drainage solution, combined with soft tissue manipulation, especially for those prone to ear infections or colds.
These simple, inexpensive, safe, and effective solutions can put you and yours on the pathway to resolving what may have come to seem like an inevitable part of winter's ritual.
So. A recent study, published in the January issue of Chest, found that — quite frankly, as the politicians would say, and despite the billions of dollars spent every year on these “remedies” — they do little or nothing to relieve coughs. (It’s shocking! Isn’t it? All right, it’s not.)
The authors sagely recommend skipping the store-bought nostrums and, instead, treating the root cause of the mucous build-up, the resultant post-nasal drip, and the ultimate coughing jag stimulated by the drip. (On a serious note, please be aware that more serious coughs, accompanied by shortness of breath, fever, or chest pains, may indicate a more serious underlying illness such as pertussis or pneumonia, and may require an antibiotic for resolution.)
OK. Cough syrup is out. What’s in? Well, aside from the age-old wisdom of rest, fluids, and chicken soup — there are some other important steps we can take, not just to treat a cough, but also to prevent one. Regarding the latter, my advice about common colds and coughs is simple: Don’t get one in the first place. Of course, that’s easy to say. But what does it mean, in a practical sense.
It means taking a look at the bottom line when it comes to staying healthy. I like to ask: How much junk is going in, and how much is coming out? By “junk” going in I mean...well, come on, you know what I mean. I mean: white flour and white sugar; Big Gulps; Red Number x, Blue Number y, and Yellow Number z, and all other artificial colors; too much of anything, even good things; and so on. By going out, I mean: How well is your body utilizing its intake and detoxifying the load? (See my previous postings, Love Your Liver, Parts 1 & 2.)
Too much junk in and too little junk out is typical. Added up, that combination taxes all of our systems, and puts heavy pressure on the immune system, specifically. And, hello! Coughs and colds are the body’s natural responses to a weakened immune system. So, to fend off coughs, we should look at the many ways we weaken our immune systems. Allergies, for example are a major culprit. Allergies to certain foods, allergies to annoying people, to dust, to cats, to cleaning products. (Raise your hand if — like me — you can “taste” the aisle with the laundry detergents, dryer fluffs, and affiliated products.)
Total Wellness is about finding these areas of vulnerability. It’s about increasing our ability to detoxify. It’s about optimizing the body’s ability to utilize foods, by correcting a diet gone awry, including appropriate exercise, incorporating targeted supplements, and eliminating from our lives as many sources of stress as we can identify — including those annoying and upsetting people, especially those that exist only as phantom, negative voices in our heads.
And, let’s not forget a focus on the body itself. Some crucial elements include:
• Chiropractic adjustment. A well-adjusted nervous system can better fend for itself in the world charged with microbes.
• The faithful neti pot, an invaluable, simple tool for sinus cleansing. Think dental floss for the sinus. Just imagine how many bacteria and viruses invade through the nasopharynx and — Voila! — you understand the power of the neti. (More to come on neti, too.)
• Xenoforce, an excellent supplemental addition to your regimen during the dark days of winter.
• Red Alert and-or GREENSFirst, good for everyone, but especially important for those fruit-and vegetable-averse kiddies. If they aren’t already drinking their nutraceuticals, the time to start would be now.
• A homeopathic lymph drainage solution, combined with soft tissue manipulation, especially for those prone to ear infections or colds.
These simple, inexpensive, safe, and effective solutions can put you and yours on the pathway to resolving what may have come to seem like an inevitable part of winter's ritual.
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