Chinese Herbs & Viruses
The Coronavirus pandemic might have heightened your awareness that most of the respiratory virus outbreaks in the last few years have originated in China. Swine flu, bird flu, SARS, and now Covid19. Interestingly, there are many herbal formulas in the Chinese medical pharmacopoeia that focus on treating virus induced illnesses. Some people may be skeptical that Chinese people long ago knew about treating viruses because viruses were only discovered in recent times. Though it is true we have only had the means to microscopically identify viruses in recent years, their effects on the body, chills, fever, congestion, aches and pains, and malaise, have been around throughout the ages. Adding to the skepticism, Chinese medicine refers to these conditions as an external invasion of “Wind”. The idea that the “Wind” makes you sick has been ridiculed by modern science as an old superstition. But, turns out, viruses are largely conveyed and transmitted by the wind, which includes coughing and sneezing. A sneeze propels microbes away from the body at a rate of 65 mph! In in places where contagious viruses abound, like China, Fall fashion includes a face covering for this very reason…to stop the wind!
So we can safely assume ancient Chinese people weren’t actually taking herbal medicine formulas “the Wind” but for viral epidemics. Further, as the Chinese medical pharmacopoeia lists many different herbal remedies for different symptom patterns and stages of the disease, it’s also fair to presume that establishing this level of sophistication took a long time to figure out. This means Chinese doctors have been prescribing “plant based medicine” for viruses for millennia. And like all other medicine, that which works sticks and that which doesn’t , falls away. And even though China’s discovery of how to use plant medicine for respiratory viruses was discovered long ago, that doesn’t diminish their effectiveness against the viruses we are observing today. Who knows, the “novel” viruses like Coronavirus may actually have been around for a long time and have just come out of dormancy and resurfaced, making them appear “new”. Regardless, mother nature is still a powerful ally in the war on viruses and given that this new Coronavirus may be around for at least a few annual cycles, this treatment approach is well worth your attention.
Many people are focused on the promise of a vaccine to deal with Covid19 but that might be even a year or two away; some say even longer for a safe vaccine. It is worth noting that there is still no vaccine for SARS, which Covid 19 shares 80% of its structure and genetics. Given the effectiveness of the annual flu vaccine….do you really want to solely rely on the sketchy possibility of a “got it right on the first try” vaccine? There is something to say about “tried and true” and that’s where ages old “plant based medicine” comes in.
But, there’s even better news! You don’t have to wait until you are sick and symptomatic to take advantage of this reliable traditional technology. Many other formulas were created to help build immunity in people who were prone to colds and sniffles and chronic congestion episodes. Thought these symptoms might seem “minor” and even “normal” (since everyone else has them too) they are really a sub-clinical sign of impaired immune function. We see lots of standard blood labs that indicate compromised immune function, particularly people with all the conditions seen as “risk factors” for Covid19
So if you’re ready to become proactive in treating and preventing respiratory issues, contact us to set up a consultation to discuss a treatment plan customized for your needs.
