How to Stay Healthy during Cold and Flu Season

Many people consider flu shots to be their main protector from the flu. However, the shots only protect you from a particular strain of flu, developed for a specific flu season, and are effective, on average, only 50% of the time. Flu shots do not protect you from common colds and other viral infections.

Holistic medicine offers other means to minimize effects of flu or a common cold or even prevent them.

One example is the use of French homeopathic remedy Oscillococcinum, which is widely available at drug and food stores. If you are exposed to a person exhibiting flu or cold symptoms, take one dose a day for the duration of exposure, but if you think that you’re getting sick yourself, take one dose every 6 hours to either stop a cold in its tracks or diminish its intensity and duration.

During the flu season, which also coincides with the winter holiday season, if traveling by airplane, going to parties or family gatherings, take a dose of Oscillococcinum in advance to stay protected from flu and other germs.

The other method, Biopuncture, consists of injecting natural, homeopathic products into acupuncture points. When done by certified practitioner and administered within first 24 to 48 hours from the onset of your symptoms, this treatment can alter the course of common cold or flu by shortening their duration and diminishing the intensity of the symptoms.

Common sense measures, such as washing your hands frequently, not sharing drinks or food, and avoiding touching your face, can also help prevent you from catching a flu or cold. Also, good nutrition, a full night's sleep and staying hydrated are all good ways to stave off getting sick.

For more information about how to stay healthy in the winter months or to schedule a consultation, contact Dr. Polina Karmazin of South Jersey Holistic at info@southjerseyholistic.com or call 856-528-2258.

About Dr. Polina Karmazin and South Jersey Holistic:

Polina Karmazin, MD, is board certified in integrative medicine and acupuncture. She has more than 25 years of clinical experience in family medicine as a Board Certified family doctor where she combined conventional treatments with traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, biopuncture and homotoxicology to care for her patients. South Jersey Holistic specializes in holistic pain control and does not use narcotics, NSAIDs or steroid injections. Instead, they use biopuncture and acupuncture, which are highly effective modalities for acute and chronic pain and sport injuries. They promote true healing of medical conditions, pain and wellness by addressing the root of the problem.