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A great number of pathologies fall under the heading of “winter illnesses”, with the scope of presenting in a simple description a few of the common aspects of various pathologies from an interpretative, diagnostic and therapeutic standpoint.
First of all it is good to know that by “winter illnesses” we mean cold-related pathologies, but this is not a prerogative of winter since a summer thunder shower or a swim in a freezing-cold river can also cause cold-related pathologies. And let’s not forget an exaggerated usage of air conditioning can cause a very quick temperature drop in people who are walking in, all sweated up, from a very hot environment.
The seasons for “cold-related illnesses” are therefore various, but the particular tendency of each individual to catch one of these illnesses must not be ignored.
Even though this “tendency to get sick” is sometimes present, the idea of a “child whose throat or lungs are fragile” is a myth: except in rare hereditary constitutional situations, a child (or an adult) of this type became that way because of incorrect behavior from a therapeutic and food-related point of view; by balancing out these food-related aspects and by repairing the damage of incorrect therapy, people go back to being able to defend themselves from these pathologies quite effectively.
It is useful, therefore, to cite some practical examples that explain what we just said. We want to point out the damages of abuse of antibiotics, of incorrect feeding habits, of food intolerances and of intestinal problems.
Antibiotics
Today's society uses antibiotics practically every time there’s a fever, but in so doing it forgets that fever is only a symptom and that it expresses an individual’s reaction against some aggressive agents.
Antibiotics are an excellent weapon which may be used effectively in a few rare occasions, but it must be kept in mind that it only acts on bacteria and on pathologies of bacterial origin (pneumonia, bronchial pneumonia, bacterial tonsillitis), but has no effect whatsoever on viruses, which are actually responsible for more than 90% of winter illnesses (colds, tracheitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis, etc, even when accompanied by fever).
Moreover, side-effects of antibiotics are more and more evident. Prescription of useless antibiotics borders on criminality.
By contrast, intense fatigue and debilitation after a flu may well be caused by antibiotics, which alter the patient’s normal microbic flora and lower his ability to defend from other infections.
In an excellent British study on cold-related illnesses of children, two groups of children were treated against illness in two different ways: the first group was given normal antibiotics while in the second group anti-fever drugs were prescribed, when needed, but the illness was allowed to run its course; the treatment lasted all winter. The following year, the children who had been treated with antibiotics caught the same illnesses with the same frequency, while the illnesses of the children who were not treated were halved.
A similar study was done in Italy. Children treated only with oligoelements on the following winter caught only 80% of the illnesses caught by the children who had been treated normally with antibiotics.
Incorrect feeding habits and food intolerances
We must unfortunately remember that we ingest low but traceable levels of antibiotics from preserved foods or foods that come from livestock farms where antibiotics were used.
Most of all, think of how many useful vitamins are lost even just when food is refrigerated.
Very many people whose throats or noses or lungs used to be “fragile” never had a cold or other cold-related illnesses again after they balanced out their diet with a constant integration of vitamin C, Manganese, Copper, Zinc, bioflavonoids and sometimes magnesium chloride.
What’s responsible for illnesses, then? Temperature, personal fragility or lack of a diet lacking in a few very simple substances?
Intestinal dysfunction
Most of the people who see a doctor for problems of repeated colds have a history of infantile gastroenteritis or have had intestinal parasites or food intolerances or severe intestinal constipation.
The intestinal wall is of fundamental importance in the development and maintenance of immunity and of defensive ability.
Every antibiotic ingested alters this intestinal function, which means that intestinal cleaning should be regular and the presence of healthy live bacteria such as fermented lactobacillus (unless the patient is intolerant to milk) should be assured as preventive action against this type of diseases.
Hyper-sensitivity or food intolerances
These aren’t actual food allergies (such as irritation after eating strawberries); they’re rather an general intolerance with symptoms that are very similar to the ones of allergies; in the presence of a food intolerance, inflammatory reactions accumulate over time as if the body were slowly poisoned.
A food intolerance can be developed for any type of food (the most frequent intolerances in Italy are for flour, milk, seed oils and yeast) or for any food contaminants. An individual may keep craving and eating bread and get sick as a result of contaminating chemical substances contained by bread.
One of the most frequent symptoms of this situation is the typical chronic phlegm in the throat that is there even though the doctor can’t find anything in auscultation, and which - nevertheless - “justifies” a very damaging ingestion of antibiotics or even cortisone.
Treating these forms means identifying existing intolerances and organizing a rotational diet, to allow the immunity system to go back to normal efficiency values and correct functioning; therapy of these “phlegm” is often preceded by a DRIA test for the identification of hypersensitivity to mites or yeasts (home dust or mold).
Understanding this phenomenon almost always means healing this pathological tendency to sickness and being able to explain why some people seem fragile and unsuited for cold weather.
Limiting damages from antibiotics
In some cases antibiotics are useful and MUST be taken, but in a targeted way, only when really necessary and after taking all reasonable measures to limit potential damages.
Vitamins - which are not prescribed by all doctors - are useful but insufficient, since antibiotics also damage live microbic flora. Any time antibiotics are taken, it is necessary to integrate them with vitamins of group B, vitamin C and with bioflavonoids but - most of all - with fermented lactobacillus (on an empty stomach) for at least four or five days following the assumption of antibiotics.
Some products that we recommend are Acidophilus (3 capsules per day), Enterogermina (4 vials per day), Colifagina S (4 vials per day), Bioflorin (3 capsules per day), Codex (4 capsules per day).
Vitamin therapy and food supplements
As we already said, it is important to associate (even throughout the winter) Vitamin C - at least 500 mg per day (vitamin C or capsules of rosehip and acerola powder , also in dosages of 500 mg -a natural and therefore more effective supplement ) and Vitamin P or bioflavonoids. The latter must be taken in dosages equal to the ones of Vitamin C and increased if consumption of Vitamin C is increased, since they have a mutual influence with the same final effects (bioflavonoids 500 mg). It is best to integrate Vitamin C and Selenium.
In general we recommend that you integrate these substances with breakfast, and make this a constant habit.
When the weather is very cold, it’s useful to associate Vitamin A to at least 5000 units per day; it may actually be better to utilize its precursor, beta-carotene, which doesn’t have any overdose-related effects; dosage can be increased, so much so that in recent official medical studies dosage of Vitamin A against infections has been indicated up to 300,000 units per day for short periods (Vitamin A, beta-carotene, Rovigon, Arovit).
What we said about continued use does not apply to acute cases: during heavy stress periods in which individual defenses falter, or in case of intense feeling of coldness that looks like a prelude to a sore throat or flu or when already sick, it can be very useful to increase these dosages dramatically for 3-4 days, up to 6-10 grams a day of both Vitamin C and bioflavonoids. They should be taken gradually during the day, so that the level of these substances in the blood is kept constant.
It is important to take vitamin supplements with no eccipienti: it’s not a good idea to eat ten grams of vitamin C if, along with it, we take in 30 grams of talc, lactose, polyvinilprolidone or other things of the sort, because these substances can cause severe intestinal alterations (diarrhea, nausea, etc.) which vitamin C by itself cannot be responsible for if taken in high doses for a short period of time (3-5 days).
Another therapeutic possibility is propolis. This should be taken at the beginning of any infection to stimulate the body’s defensive abilities and also for its intrinsic value as a natural antibiotic and antiviral substance. Take 20 drops 2 or 3 times a day from the beginning to the end of the symptoms or for a few more days, so as to help convalescence.
If the mucosa oro-faringea is inflamed, as in the case of sore throat or tonsillitis, propoli can be applied locally or gargled with during the day. Again, twenty drops in the same dilution, poured into a half glass of water.
For information on the fundamental usage of Tea tree oil (read the instructions at the bottom of the page).
Trace elements and mineral supplements
Copper is the most important mineral element in acute infections: a daily dosage of copper, integrated with other oligoelements such as Zinc or Manganese, can be part of a chronic preventive or therapeutic treatment. In an acute phase, moreover, catalytic copper is frankly irreplaceable and very effective.
As soon as an infection begins (viral or bacterial), I recommend the immediate assumption of 2 doses of Copper (oxyprolinate of Copper, 50 ml, Pidobase 10 ml) or a preparation of oxyprolinate Copper. Keep taking one dose of it every 8 or 12 hours, for two or three days in relation to the patient's improvement.
It can also be taken preventively: if fearing the onset of a cold or flu, you may take 2 or 3 doses together at night.
Copper is a power stimulant of individual defenses and initially it increases these defenses by stimulating, for example, the elimination of phlegm.
It may happen (especially to children) to take copper and – being unable to expectorate, to ingest the phlegm. This irritates the stomach and may determine after a while a sense of nausea and sometimes the vomiting of the phlegm. This happens frequently with traditional oligoelements, it almost never happens with oxyprolinates, which can be mixed together with food or beverages.
It is therefore advisable to give or take copper, at least for the first few times, far from the main meals but followed shortly by a little food (a dry cookie or a piece of bread) to reduce the discomfort of phlegm in the stomach.
The taste of minerals is not always pleasant. Children especially should be given oxyprolinates mixed together with food or beverages.
In case of infection, copper can be taken in combinations: manganese-copper (one dose a day for 7-8 days) when the infection is bacterial, and copper-gold-silver (again one dose a day for 7-8 days) when the infection is viral.
This trace element has a general stimulating function and can therefore be taken to help with convalescence from any infection.
In more complex cases of disease an accurate diagnose by a doctor (pediatrician in case of children) is clearly necessary. While waiting for the doctor’s intervention, it is safe to start the forms of natural therapy in the itemized list. We will evaluate in detail: Pharyngitis, Fever, Flu, Laryngitis, Ear infections, Colds, Sinusitis, Tonsillitis, Adenoids, Coughing , Hoarseness, Difficult breathing.
For more information, also look at the chapter dealing with winter prevention of infections through homeopathic remedies.
We’re listing below a summary of most useful homeopathic remedies useful with this type of illnesses, with respect to common characteristics. Bryonia, for example, is a useful remedy against tonsillitis as well as bronchitis, but in both cases the patient will seek some local warmth, will be very thirsty and will feel pain with certain movements (deglutition in case of tonsillitis and coughing in case of bronchitis).
If the characteristics of the illness are the ones of the remedy, a correct use of the latter can bring about even very fast healing.
Aconitum: immediate, sudden insurgence, after being exposed to a cold wind, of sweatless fever and intense thirst for cold water.
Belladonna: raspberry-like red complexion, congested face, dilated pupils. Patient radiates heat, sweats.
Apis: needle-like local feeling, local desire for ice or cold. Often on the right-hand side.
Phytolacca: local swelling and reddening, sometimes extended to nearby muscles. The pain is worsened by heat and ripples all around. Pus or membranes may be present.
Kali bichromicum: muchus or green secretions may be present. Small and painful cuts.
Mercurius solubilis: intense salivation, bad breath, worsening at night. Possibly accompanied by a burning fever alternated with chills. Pus or muchus may be present. Abundant thirst.
Causticum: after being exposed to dry cold, with a desire of local humidity (inhalations etc).
Hepar sulphuris: it gets worse in the morning and it improves with local warming. It has a tendency to suppuration. Secretions of bad odor.
Arum triphyllum: a feeling of local burning. It gets worse with local warming. Burning and scorching secretions.
Dulcamara: after being exposed to damp cold or humidity. It improves with heat.
Lachesis: pain starts on left side and then moves to the right side. Pale red complexion, feeling of suffocation, annoyance for anything around the neck.
Lycopodium: it starts on the right side and moves to the left side. It usually gets worse between four and six p.m.
Bryonia: intense thirst. Pain at any movement. Very dry skin.
Eupatorium perfoliatum: intense thirst. Pain all over the back. Eyes sensitive to pressure.
Gelsemium: absence of thirst. General heaviness, chills even at low fever.
Ferrum phosphoricum: temperature not high. Sweating does not lower fever. Chills. Red and congested face.
Arsenicum album: feeling of intense inner exhaustion. Secretions give a burning feeling. Pains are really burning pains.
Anascoccinum or Oscillococcinum 200: preventive and healing of all viral infections.
Doctor Attilio Speciani
Clinical Allergist and Immunologist
— Instructions (to be added below, correct order in brackets)
• Selenium Vitamin C (40)
• Kalium bichromicum (50)
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