acupuncture, classical herbal medicine & zero balancing

My whole family had COVID last month. We are grateful that it was so mild. Also grateful that I had many treatment options at my fingertips. I have been keeping up with what medical doctors and NDs have been doing to treat COVID, as well as continuing to study Chinese medicine, so I felt pretty ready when it hit. Here are some of the things we did.

When my son was sick (testing positive for COVID 2 days later, when he was feeling better) I started doing nasal rinsing and gargling to reduce the viral load. We had all been taking Vit C, D and zinc regularly but upped the dose. We also took Quercetin and NAC and, of course, Chinese herbal medicine.

So speaking of fear… I’m hoping to relieve a little fear, if you were worried about coming to see me. Having recently had COVID is the best booster out there. Natural immunity, at this point, is certainly better than a booster based on a 2 year old variant. The chances are slim that once you’ve had it that you can catch it again, at least until it mutates a few times. Some do get it again, but it is rare, and more common in people with deficient constitutions.

Not that I want you all to get it, but if you do, I hope you got the mild version like we did (headache, fever, fatigue, dry throat). And let me know if you would like some support with supplements and herbs. Telehealth appointments are an option.

For prevention and early treatment of COVID and other viruses, one of the best things we can do is treat the area that the viruses come in and hang out: the nose and throat. Gargling is one way to get to the throat, while a spray will take care of the nose and behind, where the nose and throat meet. This effective method has been shown to reduce PCR positivity and shorten the duration of illness.

There are many options for what anti-viral/microbial agent to use use. Solutions of Betadine (povidone-iodine 1%) and hydrogen peroxide (3%) are highly effective. Grapefruit seed extract has anti-viral and anti-microbial effects, as do many essential oils, like the ones used in Listerine. Obviously, Listerine is great for gargling, but not so great for spraying up one’s nose. Xlear Nasal Spray contains grapefruit seed extract.

The goal is to decontaminate the nose and throat to reduce the viral load that your body has to deal with, and to reduce the transmission of the virus.

2 teaspoons Betadine in 6 ounces of water

Use nasal spray or syringe bulb and spray up nose – snort it to back of throat and then spit it out.

Gargle the rest of the Betadine solution, spit it out – do not swallow.

Finish with Listerine gargle

This method is recommended for early stages of COVID or flu, or if nasal symptoms continue. This can be done up to every 4 hours while you are awake. Read More »

Gargling is an easy way to reduce infection and transmission of viruses. Antiseptic mouthwashes, like Listerine, effectively reduce oro- and nasopharyngeal (mouth, throat and nose) viral load and inactivate coronaviruses.

The nose, throat and salivary glands are major sites of virus replication and transmission during early stages of coronavirus infection, as well as other respiratory viruses and bacteria. Targeting these areas with mouthwashes and nasal rinses can help prevent progression and reduce transmission of the disease.

While the vaccines aim to prevent viruses from replicating in the lungs, they do not prevent viruses from replicating in the nose, mouth and pharynx, which has a different type of mucosa than the lungs and this area is the first area to be infected.

The easiest thing we can do is to gargle daily for prevention of transmission of viruses and bacteria. Alternatively, gargling can be applied after exposure to someone who is sick or potential exposure after flying or being in a crowded place. This can be helpful for all people regardless of vaccination history.

What to gargle and how often: Read More »