6 tips from your Acupuncturist for Cold and Flu Season
If you’ve gotten sick more frequently than usual this year, you’re not alone. With Covid, RSV, and other viruses going around, many people have gotten sick multiple times, and some are experiencing lingering symptoms after progressing out of the acute stage of sickness.
If you feel yourself coming down with something or you can’t kick lingering symptoms, here are some tips:
Call your acupuncturist
If you are feeling under the weather, with mild symptoms and a negative Covid test, that is a perfect time to come in for an acupuncture treatment to address your symptoms. I require patients to wear a mask if they are feeling ill and I do a thorough cleaning protocol between patients.
Rest
Your body needs to send energy to your immune system, not your nervous system (I’m looking at you, stress!) or cardiovascular system (no HIIT when you start to feel sick). Take a minimum of one day off work and don’t work from home. Take naps, read books, and/or watch movies and tv.
Eat well
Focus on clear, warming foods such as broth and soups made with meat, veggies and herbs (such as garlic, ginger, onion, bay leaf, thyme). Chicken soup is the classic example. Take extra stress off your digestive system and avoid foods that you know you are sensitive to. For 1-2 weeks, try to avoid sugar, dairy, and keep refined flour products like bread and pasta to a minimum. The cold, damp nature of these foods can inhibit recovery.
Keep warm
Even if you are feeling feverish, make sure to keep your belly and back covered, and always wear socks or slippers. If you go outdoors in cold weather, wear a scarf that covers your neck, and don’t leave the house with wet hair.
Stay hydrated
Make sure you are drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of liquids per day, including room temperature water and herbal tea. If you have diarrhea, replace important electrolytes with a supplement.
Take herbs
Your acupuncturist can assess your symptoms in person or remotely and prescribe herbs that are appropriate for your presentation. I use pattern recognition to diagnose and treat, so not all people with a cold or with Covid will get the same herbs. A person with a high fever, a red tongue, and a painful sore throat will receive herbs to help vent heat from the body, while a person with more dominant chills, a pale tongue, and a feeling of weakness will receive warmer herbs to supplement their body’s defenses.
Most people come to me for hormonal support, pain relief, and to address chronic illness, and they may not realize that I can help address colds and flus. I am always happy to consult via text, phone, or email with my regular patients to prescribe a supportive herbal remedy while they recover. Please reach out if you’d like immune support.