Fever Facts and what you can do about it…naturally

Our body’s first line of defense to any sort of “foreign invader” is a strong and healthy immune system.  If this is the case, the body may be able to eliminate the problem all together with little to no bodily symptom.  However, if symptoms of infection do occur the body will activate “reinforcements”; most notably a raise in body temperature, or a fever. 

For all children above the age of 3 months, a fever is actually a good thing.  It’s a sign that their immune system is functioning properly.  Although many parents will panic when their child has a temperature above 98.6 F, the reality is that a child’s temperature may naturally run a bit higher that what is considered the “norm”.

A true low-grade fever is anything between 100 and 102 F.  This temperature is actually beneficial and will assist the body in repelling the “invader”.

A moderate-grade fever is anything between 102 and 104.5 F.  This temperature, although higher than what most parents and even some physicians think is safe, is still considered beneficial.  It’s what’s needed to kill whatever bacteria the body has deemed not beneficial. 

A high fever is one that is greater than 104.5 F.  This may cause the child some discomfort and result in a bit of “crankiness”.  This temperature is generally indicative of a bacterial infection and means the body is dealing with something a bit more than the common cold.  Although it will NOT cause brain damage, it is wise to seek the assistance of a licensed health care provider.

A serious fever is one that is at or above 108 F and this is the only body temp that can actually cause brain damage.  This type of body temperature can rarely be achieved on its own and typically requires extreme environmental temperatures.

Now…on to the good stuff.  What to do about your child’s fever.  A fever will generally accompany sudden decrease in white blood cells (white blood cells help fight infection).  The single biggest cause of decreased WBCs is white sugar intake.  Have you ever wondered why it’s common for fevers to follow birthday parties with lots of cake and ice cream?

Any sort of white sugar intake will affect calcium metabolism, so the first thing to do is give them a highly absorbable form of calcium.  Examples of absorbable calcium would be, lactate, citrate or glycerophosphate.  A big key to getting the calcium into our cells is to also use a source of fats, preferably flax seed oil (vitamin F).  This will “push” the calcium into the cells and the WBC count will rise.  Do not be afraid to use high doses of calcium.  Many times dosing it every 30 minutes can be necessary.

This would be considered the most important recommendation in the acute situation.  Other aspects can be interpreted as more preventative and would be vitamins A and C, thymus extract, and if the child is over the age of 7 some herbal remedies like Echinacea can be helpful.

If your child is prone to random fevers, the likelihood of a food allergy is high.  Excessive dairy intake should be taken into consideration and removed from the diet.

Natural therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome

Applied Kinesiology examination excels in finding the root causes of fatigue.  What needs to be addressed first and foremost is stress; whether that be structural, chemical, or emotional stress. 

Structural stress is often found when the nervous system is not properly controlling the muscles.  This is the foundation of traditional chiropractic care.  When there is disorganization of muscle function the walking pattern is often disturbed.  Torsion may be placed on the spinal column, which further disturbs the nervous system that traverses the spinal column.

Examples of chemical stresses would be iron anemia, low blood sugar, adrenal stress disorder and general nutritional inadequacy.

Iron anemia can be a common occurrence in the menstruating woman.  This can come from a lack of dietary iron intake or more commonly an inability to break down and absorb the iron that is present in our food.  Frequently, a lack of stomach enzymes is the culprit of low blood levels of iron.

Proper nutrition is slowly coming to the forefront when thinking of health imbalances.  Most, if not all, degenerative disease can be linked, directly or indirectly, to a lack of good quality food and nutrition.  There are some very basic dietary changes that can be made to make a big difference.  Good quality protein intake is essential.  This is how our body maintains everything from our joints to our immune system.  Getting plenty of good fats in our diet is absolutely crucial for our nervous system.  A good quality fish oil supplement can make a big difference in your health and research has shown this time and time again.  Certain people may do better, however, with flax seed oil.  Coconut oil is a fantastic source of fat for our body to utilize.  It’s great for heart, thyroid, brain, and gut health. 

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is a commonly unrecognized scourge of many health issues.  Some common symptoms of hypoglycemia are

·         Confusion

·         Mood swings

·         Depression

·         Forgetfulness

·         Fatigue

·         Dizziness

·         Heart palpitations

·         Insomnia

·         Headaches

As you can see, low blood sugar can be implicated in many symptoms.  Simple dietary changes as stated above can have a drastic effect on hypoglycemia, but that may not be enough to make an appreciable change.  B vitamins (low potency), especially thiamine (B1), can be indispensable with blood sugar imbalances.  Chromium, magnesium, and zinc can help to stabilize blood sugar and also can prevent sugar cravings.  Early correction is essential as hypoglycemia has been called “prediabetes”.

Hypoglycemia is a great transition to adrenal stress disorder, which is largely unrecognized by conventional thinkers in medicine.  This is very common when dealing with fatigue.  It is common to desire stimulants like coffee, alcohol, and sugar with adrenal fatigue.  It is responsible for much fatigue and may produce other symptoms, such as craving for salt or salty foods like chips and pretzels, lightheadedness when standing up rapidly or aversion to bright light.  Again, the B complex vitamins, especially B6, are critical for proper adrenal function.  Several types of herbs like Licorice root and Rehmannia can help support adrenal health also. 

Emotional stresses can be a commonly overlooked aspect to chronic fatigue.  If the physical body is not supported during times of chronic emotional stress, that person can end up with a physical problem.  Again, the B complex vitamins can be essential with any type of emotional stress.  A multi-mineral with extra magnesium is very helpful also.  Herbal preparations can be very beneficial during times of emotional stress.  Schisandra, St. John’s Wort, and Skullcap can be extremely useful.  Homeopathic remedies can also be of a great help during times of emotional stress.

This is just a very basic introduction into chronic fatigue.  Other aspects that need to be addressed are thyroid disease, food sensitivities and allergies, and general immune system problems.  Chronic fatigue can take over your life very easily and as with any health imbalance, proper diagnosis is the key.

Vitamin D and heart function

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45325473/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

I have been telling patients for quite some time that optimal health is about balance...period. This article is absolutely correct in regards to too much vitamin D causing heart issues. However, I am going to expand on it a little and add that it is more about not enough other nutrients to balance it out. Calcium is a major nutrient used with muscle firing; skeletal muscle and heart muscle. Vitamin D pulls calcium from the food (and gut) into the blood stream. Fats (vitamin F), like flax seed oil, take calcium from the blood and put it into the cells and tissue (skin, muscle...). The first sign of low F is itchy skin and low F can also affect specific heart sounds. Other nutrients that affect calcium metabolism are magnesium, which most people are aware of, and iodine. I have written quite a bit on iodine and its use with the endocrine system, especially with thyroid function. Iodine allows the calcium to be pulled between D and F more easily.

Because of D's effect on pulling calcium into the blood stream, this can also cause it to saturate into the arterial wall. This can lead to sclerosis (hardening) of the arteries. This sclerosis effect is also known as "oxidative stress". Imagine and old bicycle tire that has been sitting for years in a garage. Eventually "dry rot" sets in and the tire will no longer hold air efficiently. When this happens inside the artery, it can break easily (aneurysm). In order to prevent this cracking and breaking, the body lays down a covering; much like spackle on a cracked wall. This covering is cholesterol. The cholesterol that is "stuck" to our arterial wall is preventing it from breaking easily. Eventually the cholesterol builds up too much and then a heart attack ensues. I would argue that the cholesterol build-up is preventing the heart attack from happening sooner.

Let us not forget about other fat soluble vitamins like A, E and K. Remember that word "balance"? Well, these vitamins are no different. They all must be balanced within each other and can "compete" for absorption in the liver.

It is very important the take the right kind of vitamins, not just the cheapest. What most of us do not understand is, taking cheap vitamins is much like putting 87 octane in a top fuel dragster. This simply will not work. It is going to cause more trouble than it's worth. Invest in your health and see someone that is aware of the intricate interactions of all these nutrients so that you can get the most out of your money and effort.