Guest post by Brian Lamb, Medical Herbalist
The old adage: ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure’ is especially relevant with regards to influenza. Here are the factors that can open you up to an invasion by the influenza virus. In essence this means lowered immunity, inflammation and poor lung function.
As you will read later, inflammation and lowered immunity are key factors in preventing an invasion by the influenza virus and toxic mucus (to be explained later) could be a factor determining whether you survivor.
As you can see, there is much to attend to, to prevent an opportunistic influenza virus gaining a foothold in your body. Of the 12 lifestyle factors that open you up to catching influenza most are self explanatory and should be taken as given but emotional disharmony is a factor that deserves further explanation.
Emotional disharmony
It is not generally appreciated that our first line of defence against pathogens exists in our saliva! Saliva contains a protein known as a globulin and of special interest is secretary immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) which is central to mucosal immunity. S-IgA is an immune system antibody right there in our saliva as our prime weapon against pathogens and toxins. However…… emotional disharmony severely depletes it. As well documented by the Institute of HeartMath —who promote a heart-centred life as the bedrock of health —‘only five minutes of anger (whether enacted or ruminated over) can lower S-IgA for up to six hours. The facets of emotional disharmony include: anger, frustration, jealousy, envy, perceived injustice,, lonliness, anxiety, depression, psychosis, compulsive- obsessive disorder, bipolar syndrome, overcare, sympathy and more. Surprisingly, the emotion of sympathy is not a good one. Compassion, like empathy is controlled care, but sympathy is overcare when we over-engage to our detriment and absorb misery outwith our orbit. Many who got caught up in the outpouring of irrational sympathy and grief during the funeral of Princess Diana may have noticed follow-on lowered immunity and colds.
To be continued……..
