This article once again outlines the adverse effects of giving even over-the-counter drugs to young children. We tend to think every fever, even slight ones, require treatment. But giving fever medications to babies and small children too often inhibits their immune response overall, and can lead to hypersensitive reactions such as allergies and asthma.

When we have a runny nose, or cough from a cold it is the body’s way of healing us. The runny nose serves to wash out whatever virus or bacteria has entered our bodies, and the cough helps to get rid of whatever is in our lungs or throat that is not good for us.

If we suppress these symptoms with antihistamines and decongestants, we stop the healing process of the body, and either delay our return to good health, or in the worst case cause a more serious illness to develop.

A recent study at Cornell University has resulted in this observation:

…that allergy symptoms may help protect against cancer by shedding foreign particles from the body.

In my own practice I see over and over how much healthier people get when they let their bodies do the healing, not drugs. The human organism has a marvelously efficient way to fight disease if we only let it!

There is a change this year in the focus of the flu vaccine program of the California’s Department of Public Health, following a recommendation by the CDC. Their new focus is the vaccination of healthy children, instead of the elderly. Their reasoning is that young children who succumb to the flu have an active, intense response to it, which puts more of the virus in the air. Their reaction to the flu coupled with the tendency not to follow hygienic precautions, consequently exposes more people.

To reduce adult exposure to the virus, the Board of Health proposes that we vaccinate more children. Also, their findings reveal that the vaccine is less effective for people over 70 years of age to prevent the flu because of their already compromised immune systems.

When the body encounters a virus or bacteria, it mounts a response (symptoms) to fight it off. This immune response, in a healthy person, is what keeps us healthy and alive. It is a sign of health to have strong symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose which all act to rid the body of the pathogen.

Vaccinating healthy people against a disease that their bodies are capable of handling robs them of the chance to strengthen their immune system–because a good bout of the flu or a cold is how the body “tunes up” the immune system.

Children are not able to advocate for themselves. The push by the California Department of Health (and the rest of the country) is to “encourage” permission from parents, mostly in school settings, for their children to get vaccinated. Many people are unaware that, in California, there is a law which allows people to decline vaccinations based solely on a philosophical objection.

Everyone has the right and responsibility to advocate for his or her child’s
present and future health and to educate themselves on the pros and cons of
vaccination so informed consent can be made.

Click here for more information on the changes to the CDC recommendations.

Randy and Lisette have co-authored a chapter in the new book “Helping Kids Grow Up Easier“. This book contains an introduction to many different types of therapies that could be useful in treating children’s illnesses. It covers the basics of the treatment, where it is most effective, how to choose a practitioner, and much more.

The book is now available on amazon.com.

Lisette was interviewed by the Los Altos Town Crier, June 17 Health Issue, on Homeopathy’s effectiveness in treating seasonal allergies.

Click the link below to view the article:
Get to the root of the cause with homeopathic remedies

This article cites a study on infants who have been administered antibiotics in the first months of life, and how that affected their overall health. It is a small study, but the beginnings of what most of us in alternative health have known for years, a child’s immune system reacts negatively to suppressive medications.

Lately many doctors are questioning the common practice of prescribing medications for cold, coughs, and ear infections. They are looking more closely at how important it is for the body to heal itself of these illnesses. Overuse of over the counter drugs for colds and coughs is not necessary, and may even be harmful. Read more….

Lisette was recently interviewed for Wave Magazine’s Special Issue on Health and Wellness. Click here for the text of the full article.

In 1876, Claude Bernard, a French physician studied fever in animals, and showed that if the body temperature of an animal was raised by 5 to 6 degrees, he would die. This forever changed our view of fever, for prior to this work, fever was viewed as one of the best of the natural defenses of the body. It was essential in fighting infections, and even encouraged in illness to “burn” out the disease.

Gradually fever began to be viewed as a disease. Now we suppress a fever in children as soon as we can, and as completely as possible. This is the major reason parents call their pediatricians and the major cause of visits to the emergency room. Misconceptions abound concerning fevers and the damage they can cause. The good effects of the fever are rarely ever realized in a childhood illness.

Fever is natural. Its job is to reduce bacterial and viral reproduction, it is a signal to the immune system to stand up and fight, using all the tools at its disposal: diarrhea, mucus discharge, vomiting, sweat, cough, expectoration, skin rash etc. These are all elements of the immune response.

However, today we often rely on drugs to heal us, even though those drugs produce their own set of associated symptoms: diarrhea and rashes from antibiotics are commonplace. Even this is the body’s way of trying to deal with the onslaught of the antibiotic. We have very little trust in the body’s ability to heal itself.

Let the fever develop. Study the child’s overall condition, rather than just the thermometer. If he is comfortable, active, eating and drinking well, then wait. See if his body can fight the infection alone. He will be rewarded with enhanced health and an improved immune system. If the child is uncomfortable, a safe, practical way to bring the fever down is a tepid sponge bath.

Sponge Bath

Use tepid (lukewarm) water only, not cold water, no ice or alcohol.
1. With a washcloth gently bathe one section of the body at a time, moving from head to toe.
2. Only uncover the part of the body being bathed.
3. Alternatively, if the child wishes, he or she may get into a lukewarm bathtub.
4. Repeat as often as necessary, even several times in succession, finishing at the toes and starting again at the head.
5. This gently lowers the fever to a comfortable level.
6. This treatment is meant to be soothing and comforting, as well as therapeutic.

Know when to take action.There are times when intervention is needed, and here are some signs you should keep in mind.

Continuous fever of 4-5 days
Fever above 104 degrees Fahrenheit
Lethargy
Rashes
Inconsolable crying
Headache or stiff neck

“New” Bacteria?
The focus in the news lately of virulent strains of staphylococcal bacteria which resist treatment by antibiotics is alarming for many of us. A disease which was common only in hospitalized patients, is now being seen in the general public and becoming more and more difficult to treat.

Western medical doctors and researchers look at this situation from the point of view of the drugs that failed, believing that we need stronger, more effective drugs. However from an alternative, more holistic medical view, the problem lies not in the lack of effective treatments, but in our inability to fight these bacteria.

Bad Case of the Office Flu
Why does the bacteria affect some people who are exposed to it but not others? Anyone would say that has to do with their present state of health. Everyone knows the story of the bad flu that went around the office, and there are those who catch it and recover quickly, those who catch it and take 3 weeks to recover, and those who never show one symptom of the flu! Our response is related to our susceptibility rather than our exposure to the bacteria.

Sophisticated Defense Mechanism
The human body contains a very sophisticated defense mechanism commonly referred to as the immune system. This defense mechanism is always at work to protect us from disease and keep us healthy. Fevers, redness around a cut, even pus and nasal discharge are the body’s way of ridding us of unfriendly bacteria and viruses. When we consistently thwart this process with the use of powerfully suppressive medications like antibiotics, we are weakening our defense mechanism.

The defense mechanisms do not work as well when they are not being used. They need to “work out” so to speak, just like the rest of our bodies. If we never allow ourselves to be ill (to have symptoms) the body never gets a chance to fine tune its responses. Then when we are stressed, we won’t recover as easily.

What’s the Alternative?
By avoiding suppressive medications like antibiotics (any medicine that is prefaced with “anti” is suppressing a symptom), anti-inflammatories, anti-histamines, etc. we can enjoy better overall health, and build up our immune system to lessen our susceptibility to all bacteria and viruses.

So, the next time that cold comes around, and you want to reach for your favorite cold medication, instead try a home remedy, or a homeopathic remedy, or go see your Acupuncturist or herbalist. For that bronchitis you get every year, try to treat it differently this time, look for ways to avoid those drugs with hidden (and not so hidden) side effects. Your body will thank you by keeping you healthy and happy!