Many may feel lost with the thought of not having a medication that can treat the novel Coronavirus. Thankfully, our bodies are naturally equipped to recognize, fight and heal from viruses.
The news is full of dire warnings about the Coronavirus spreading throughout the world. Turn on the TV and more countries have reported the virus infecting someone. Listen to the radio and it seems the infected count rises every hour. Social media is crammed with posts and comments. Airports are testing the reduced number of passengers that are traveling for fever (one of the earliest symptoms). And multiple cities are now under quarantine.
Many viruses are notorious for mutating. The novel coronavirus is now transmitted from droplets containing the virus passing from human to human. This new strain doesn't currently have a developed vaccine to prevent infection. It takes time to figure out what the new strain consists of, how it developed and then create a vaccine. Scientists believe the vaccine may be as much as a year away.
Antibiotics are only useful for secondary bacterial infections. Antibiotics have no effect on viral infections caused by viruses such as the coronavirus. Taking a series of antibiotics does not prevent or treats the flu, the coronavirus or any other virus for that matter. Antibiotics kill bacteria not viruses.
How Our Body Fights The Coronavirus
Many may feel lost with the thought of not having a medication that can treat the novel coronavirus. Thankfully, our bodies are naturally equipped to recognize, fight and heal from viruses.
The mucous membranes of your nose and throat trap the virus, as well as dust, foreign bodies, and bacteria, rendering them harmless. The small microscopic hairs, called cilia, that line air way passages sweep over 100 times per minute and can sweep the virus right back out.
If your cells become invaded, a distress signal is sent through MHC, a chemical in every body cell, that recognizes what's foreign to the body and what belongs there. This chemical boots the viral protein to the surface of the cell. Killer T-cells, a type of white blood cell, sense the distress call and kill the cell and the virus within by coating the cell with toxic chemicals. The dead cells are cleaned up by macrophage cells which surround and consume cellular debris and pathogens. Coughing is how the debris is expelled from the throat and lungs.
If the virus gains momentum, The viral material in the macrophage is detected and triggers more production of white blood cells including T-cells. The body temperature starts to rise as the body tries to boost new cell production. The fever is one way your body fights against the virus. Another immune cell, single B-cells in the lymph glands, produces antibodies that rush to the site of the infection, trap the virus and prevent it from replicating. If no serious complications occur, the entire process lasts from one to two weeks.
The immune system is the primary weapon in the battle with the coronavirus. The main function of the immune system is to protect our body against various infections. As we all know, our immune system destroys any foreign body which threatens to harm your body. If your body's immune system is weakened it opens the door for innumerable diseases and coronavirus complications. Those with immature or weakened immune systems are at risk for pneumonia and secondary bacterial infections. And while the very young and old and those with respiratory problems are especially vulnerable, new studies reveal that in the US, 40% of those hospitalized due to the coronavirus are between the ages of 20-54 years old.
Boosting Your Immune System
A poor immune system can leave you more vulnerable to illnesses like the common cold and the flu, and even contribute to the development of cancer and other serious diseases. You might be sabotaging your immune system without even knowing it. Many common lifestyle habits can have a negative effect on the health of your immune system. Replacing bad habits with healthy habits can bolster the strength and effectiveness of your immune system. Consider where you could implement healthier, immune-boosting habits. More than ever before, it would seem prudent to bolster your body's ability to fight back. Our immune system can be boosted and maintained with the proper foods and change of lifestyle.
Foods and Supplements that boost immunity include:
Vitamin C: Found in lots of fruits and vegetables but especially citrus fruits. Vitamin C fortified foods abound. And of course it's found in supplements. Why does Vitamin C work? It increases production of white blood cells, antibodies and interferon.
Vitamin E: Whole grains, leafy green vegetables, and nuts all contain Vitamin E. Vitamin E stimulates the production of Killer T-cells and increases the production of B-cells which manufacture antibodies.
Vitamin A increase the level of immunity and you can have it in your diet by eating sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and pumpkin or any kind of orange vegetables.
Carotenoids: Beta carotene boosts Killer T-cells. Carotenoids are found in carrots, sweet potatoes, kale and spinach. It increases the number of infection-fighting cells, natural killer cells, and helper T-cells, as well as being a powerful antioxidant.
Zinc: Found in protein, and is available as a supplement. It increases the production of white blood cells that fight infection and help the body release more antibodies.
Garlic: A member of the onion family and available as a supplement, it boosts production of white blood cells and antibody production.
Selenium: Found in a number of protein sources, brown rice, sunflower seeds, and nuts and of course available as a supplement. This mineral increases Killer T-cells.
Omega-3 fatty acids: The omega 3 fatty acids in flax oil and fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) boosts immunity by increasing the activity of macrophages.
Marshmallow Root Tea or Supplements: Has been used to treat infections for centuries. Many throat lozenges and cough syrups as it's one of the most successful natural cold remedies. It naturally kills bacteria that can cause various illnesses. This root is used to treat coughs, colds, bronchitis, inflammation and other respiratory infections.
Astragalus: This is a Chinese root which has been used in Far East as an excellent tonic food and medicinal plant. The root is sold all over the world in the form of six to twelve inch root. The root and its extracts are excellent immune system boosters. You can boil this root along with veggie broth to make an excellent soup. It has been used for lung problems, on and off cold bouts and shortness of breath. This is very useful for chronic ulcers and relentless external infections.
Ginseng Tea or Supplement: has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that may strengthen the immune system.
Raspberries and Plums contains Xylitol (sugar free sweetener) which helps to fight ear and sinus infection and tooth decay.
Echinacea Tea or Supplement. Echinacea is a highly recommended herbal plant used for various herbal remedies. It has been known to treat common cold, influenza and other kinds of infection. Echinacea increases the number of immune cells which helps in the act of increasing the immunity level. It is not toxic and does not have any side-effects making it such a useful herbal plant.
Elderberry Tea or Supplement. Elderberry is high in antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals. It has strong immune supporting elements.
Shiitake and Maitake are best sources of mushrooms to increase your immunity level. It increases white blood cells to fight the bacteria.
Black or Green tea also increases your immunity level. It has good source of polyphenols which helps in clearing the free radicals.
Amla It is the richest natural source of vitamin C. It is considered as a versatile and powerful antioxidant that protects the body. Other than a rich source of vitamin C it is a good dietary source of various minerals and amino acids. Due to its antibacterial and astringent properties it helps to fight against various infections, thus, making the immune system strong.
Exercise: Physical activity helps your body fight off viruses and infections by strengthening your immune system. Thirty minutes of physical activity per day for at least 3 days a week can help boost your immune system. Stretching, walking and biking as some examples of exercises you can include.
Get Rest: Your body heals and recharges itself when you're asleep. It's important to give your body enough sleep time. That's not always easy in today's hectic world. There are herbal supplements that have been shown to promote sleep such as Melatonin and herbal teas like chamomile, passion flower, lemon balm, or hops.
Keep your bedroom sleep oriented, with no laptop computer or work related stuff around and keep it dark with light blocking shades. Wear a sleep mask; ambient light works against sleep. Turn the clock away from you so you don't see the time and worry about it. And so the light from the digital display isn't visible. Lower the temperature of the bedroom. It's been shown the people sleep better in a cooler room. A drop in body temperature means sounder sleep.
Don't drink a lot of alcohol. While you may fall asleep faster when the alcohol wears off it will disturb the sleep cycle. Keep in mind that some over-the-counter cough and cold medicines have as much as 10% alcohol.
Drink lots of fluids during the day but limit fluids an hour or so before bedtime so sleep isn't interrupted by having to use the bathroom.
Decrease Stress Levels: It is thought that prolonged high stress levels weaken the immune system. Each of us has moments when the stress in our lives seems overwhelming. We've just started a new job, had a baby, gotten married or faced an illness. But everyday life can be filled with stressful moments as well. Decreasing stress levels can boost our immunity to illnesses, including influenza.
Levels of stress continue to increase overall as we are facing the novel coronavirus.
Here are a few tips to help keep stress from building up:
Changing your diet to include more fresh vegetables and fruits and less sugars, salt, and refined carbohydrates can be helpful. Decreasing your caffeine intake would help as well. Caffeine can aggravate some of the symptoms of stress. Lemon balm tea is a good substitute for coffee as it has calming properties.
Aromatherapy is another way to bring down stress levels. Aromatherapy relies on the use of essential oils. Essential oils are derived from plants, herbs, flowers, woods and citrus fruit peel. Lavender, Clary Sage, Rosemary, Sandalwood, and Tangerine are a few essential oils that have a calming soothing effect. Lavender is used in some baby bath products to help infants drift calmly off to sleep.
Make sure that any exercise routine is completed at least four hours before bedtime. Exercising closer to bedtime might make it more difficult to fall asleep.
Massage, especially on the neck and shoulders, reduces stress, and helps alleviate the headaches that some people experience with stress. Self-massage can be performed on the temples, and back of the neck.
Stretching movements which releases tension within the muscles aids in blood flow, thereby reducing stress.
Meditation is well known for its ability to decrease stress. Meditation can be combined with aromatherapy and gentle stretches after the session is completed.
Coronavirus Prevention
The only 100% effective method of prevention is to avoid coming in contact with anyone else. Since that's not possible for most individuals, there are some steps you can take that lessen the odds of coming down with a coronavirus such as the novel Coronavirus.
Wash Your Hands
Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 to 30 seconds. If you don't have access to soap and water use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel. Rub a dollop of gel on your hands until it evaporates. Use an alcohol based hand wipe. Hand washing is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of both germs and viruses.
Think of all the surfaces you touch that other people touch:
door handles
computer keyboards
supermarket carts
chair arms
telephones
food service trays
stair railings
bathroom fixtures
If a person has the coronavirus, even without obvious symptoms, and touches their nose or mouth and then the door handle, they leave viruses on the handle. You come along and touch the handle to open the door and the viruses are now on your hand. Touching your hand to your nose or your mouth leads the virus right to where it wants to be.
Keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your pocket and use it every time you touch something that other people may have touched.
Be conscious of how many times you touch your face. And stop doing it.
Many grocery stores now provide disinfectant wipes to be used on the grocery carts. Most doors now open automatically so it's not necessary to touch any handles. When you're in the store, apply hand sanitizer after checking out. Both the cashier and courtesy help have contact with hundreds of customers each day.
If you wear gloves remember you still should not touch your nose or mouth as the virus can live on the latex surface. Dispose of the gloves and face mask so others aren't exposed. And don't become complacent thinking that if you wear a face mask or gloves you don't have to do anything else.
The masks are only effective for one wearing. They block large droplets of water but do not seal the area around the nose and mouth completely. If you touch the mask to remove it and then touch your nose or mouth the effectiveness is lost.
Wipe off and Disinfect
You may be diligent about washing your hands but other members of your family or guests, may not be, especially children. Wipe down counters, door handles, and telephone mouth pieces, with a disinfectant. Keyboards are more of a challenge but should be disinfected as well. Careful use of rubbing alcohol works as it evaporates quickly. Don't share toothbrushes. A natural disinfectant with no harmful chemicals are a good option as long as they are strong enough. Vinegar is a disinfectant as well. Household bleach is an effective inexpensive disinfectant. Use one part bleach to 10 parts water.
Use paper towels and cups in the bathroom and kitchen. Don't share food and don't drink from someone else's cup.
Stay Away from Crowd
The more people you're around the more likely it is you will come into contact with someone who is sick.
Conclusion
While any new disease has a frightening potential for spreading illness across the globe, there are efforts we can take to keep ourselves safe. Knowing what the Coronavirus is, what it isn't, how it's transmitted, and how you can decrease the odds of becoming infected are the first steps in keeping you and your family healthy and safe.
Keep up-to-date on where new cases have been found. Visit the world health organization, http://www.who.int/en/for the latest information.
Take necessary precautions yourself and make sure your family does the same.
Don't panic if you come down with symptoms.
Avoid crowded venues. If you do become sick don't infect others by going back to work while you're still ill.
We have so many sources of information available to us these days that it is difficult to sort out what information is credible and which we should disregard.
These three web sites are great tools:
Web Md www. webmd. com
Centers for Disease Control www. cdc. gov
World Health Organization www. who. int/en/
These websites are constantly updated with new information that you can rely on.
Your state and local health departments also have important information on their websites
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