Tag: immune system

WARMING SOCKS

Now that cold and flu season is in full swing, here is an idea for home treatment to help ward off the common cold.
The warming socks treatment is best if repeated for three nights in a row at the first signs of a cold. It is also useful for sore throat or any inflammation or infection of the throat, ear infections, headaches, migraines, nasal congestion, coughs, and sinus infections/congestion.

Why it works: This treatment acts reflexively to increase circulation and decrease congestion. Areas which are congested or inflamed will give up proportionately more blood than areas which are not inflamed. The internal blood vessel areas for which there is the most use for this hydrostatic derivative method are the brain (head), lungs and pelvic organs.
During the night, the small blood vessels (capillaries) in your feet will dilate in response to the coolness of the socks – reflexively drawing blood from other areas of your body. As your feet become warm, the capillaries automatically begin to contract – pushing the warm blood out to cool the now over warm feet. As your feet cool off, the process begins again. This continues through until the socks are dry, and/or have reached normal body temperature.
Activating the surface capillaries in your body doesn’t seem like much, but they do carry about 800 times the amount of blood carried by the major vessels. So, you’re actually moving a large quantity of blood between your head and feet. Whenever your blood circulates, it must pass through your lungs – dumping off CO2 and picking up oxygen. It must also pass through the liver – which cleans the blood and renews its nutrient and white blood cell supply. And the blood must pass through the spleen, which picks off old red blood cells. With each pass, the blood is cleaned up and reoxygenated.
It has a sedating action, and many patients report that they sleep much better during the treatment. This treatment is also effective for pain relief and increases the healing response during acute infections.

In order to do this treatment, you will need: 1 pair thin cotton socks (athletic socks work fine), 1 pair thick wool socks, a towel and a warm bath or footbath.

The directions are as follows:
1. Take a pair of cotton socks and soak them completely with cold water. If you tend to be cold or have low vitality, try using cool water during the first treatment rather than cold water.
2. Warm your feet. The treatment may not be as effective if your feet are not warmed first. Warming can be accomplished by soaking your feet in warm water for at least 5-10 minutes or taking a warm bath for 5-10 minutes.
3. Dry off your feet and body with a dry towel.
4. Wring the cotton socks out thoroughly so they do not drip and place the socks on your feet.
5. Put the thick wool socks over the cotton socks.
6. Get in bed. Cover well and sleep all night with socks on, it should be relaxing and not uncomfortably cold. If you are unable to sleep because of the cold socks, consider removing the socks and soaking your feet again, this time using cool rather than cold water to wet the cotton socks. Your feet and the cotton socks should be warm and dry in the morning. If your feet are cool or the cotton sock is still damp, consider increasing the length of the hot foot soak.

As an alternative or complement to warming socks try throat or chest warming compresses. Warm the throat or chest with a hot washcloth or shower. Dry the skin thoroughly and apply a thin cotton wrap (to throat) or thin cotton T-shirt (to chest) that has been soaked in cold water and wrung out thoroughly. Cover this with a wool scarf (throat) or wool sweater (chest). Go to bed. By morning, the scarf or T-shirt should be warm and dry. The same cautions for the warming socks treatment apply here.
This treatment should be used with caution on anyone with decreased or compromised sensory abilities such as infants, the elderly, or diabetics as they are at greater risk for heat and cold injuries. Do not use this treatment over areas of hemorrhage, gastric ulcers, malignancy, peripheral vascular disease or conditions aggravated by extreme cold. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at 587- 521-3595.

The Foundations of Immune Health: Part 2 – Stress

Our immune systems are changeable and adaptable. What we do, how we live and what we think plays a direct impact on our immune systems. Because of this, working on the foundational building blocks of the immune system is important in preventing illness.

These foundations include….

  • A good night’s sleep
  • Stress management
  • A healthy diet
  • Exercise and time outdoors
  • Appropriate supplementation.

In part 2 of our immune foundations series, we will be going over how stress affects the immune system and some tips for improving the immune system through stress management.

How stress affects the immune system

Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of how thoughts affect our bodies and physical health. It is a fascinating science that helps to show that health is really more than just the physical, it’s a combination of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our life.

The impact stress has on the immune system works through a couple of different mechanisms. First, nerves in the brain that sense stress goes directly to our lymphatic organs, including the bone marrow, thymus, lymph nodes and spleen which is where our immune cells are created and stored. Secondly, when we are stressed, our bodies release hormones and neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, epinephrine and cortisol). These substances can then attach to specific receptors on the immune cells, which reduce their ability to protect the body.

Additionally, stress can cause a change in behaviours, such as poor diet, changes in sleeping patterns, drinking alcohol, decreased exercise and smoking which can all lead to lower immune function. In order to optimize the immune system, it is important to identify your stressors and learn how to manage them.

Tips for Stress Reduction

Stressors are all around us. There are a lot of stressors in life that we can’t control  but we can control how we cope with these stressors. Here are some tips on how to reduce your stress and manage the stress that you can’t control.

1. Eliminate unnecessary commitments

This is possibly one of the most important tips for stress reduction.  We all need to learn how to say “no”. You only have so much time and energy, so make sure you are doing things you enjoy and that are within your current capacity. Having time to rest is a necessary commitment.  Remember you don’t have to please everyone.

2. Reframe your thoughts

After you have eliminated unnecessary commitments, identify your stressors. Although we may not be able to eliminate these things from our lives, we can learn how to reframe our thoughts so what was once stressful is now just an opportunity for growth. You can learn about reframing your thoughts here.

3. Breathe

When you take deep breathes, you are activating the parasympathetic or relaxing part of the nervous system. It helps to lower your stress response. There are a number of different ways you can deep breathe. One of our favourites is belly breathing. To do this, place one hand on your abdomen and one on your heart. Try to keep the hand over your heart still, and only move the hand on your abdomen with each breath. As you breathe in, you should feel your abdomen expand and as you breathe out you should feel it go back in. Stopping what you are doing and taking 10 deep breathes once an hour is a great way to keep stress low.

4. Journaling

Set aside time every day to journal. This is your scheduled time to let go of what might be weighing you down. Write down everything you are thinking, the stresses you are feeling and the things that are on your mind. Getting it out on paper will help you to see your stressors and help to reduce the amount of space they occupy in your mind. For an extra stress management, end your journaling with writing down 3 things you are grateful for. Check out Dr. Bjorndal’s Journal: Moving Beyond – A journal into self-discovery – this is a great book to get you started!

5. Meditate

Meditation is a great way to bring your mind into the present moment and take a break from focusing on your stressors. There are a couple ways to meditate. You can find a guided meditation on YouTube, or meditate by focusing on your breath or mentally scanning your whole body. Make sure when you are meditating you are sitting in a comfortable position. Sitting on the ground with crossed legs or sitting on a chair with your back supported and feet flat on the ground are great options. Take the time to slow down your breathing and focus on you and your body in the current moment.

6. Schedule time for yourself and practice self-care

Doing things that you love and make you feel good are important for your health. Prioritizing you and your health will help to reduce stress to make you a better parent, spouse, child and/or employee.

To get help with stress management, or learning more about what you can do to keep your immune system healthy, book an appointment with one of our naturopathic doctors.

 

The Foundations of Immune Health: Part 1 – Sleep

In Naturopathic Medicine, prevention is one of the founding principles that we follow. One of the ways we can ensure the prevention of illness is by ensuring that our immune system is healthy. Having a strong immune system means that we are able to defend against illnesses so that we either do not get sick or have a very short illness period.  To build a strong immune system we must look at its foundational building blocks. These include…

      • A good night’s sleep
      • Stress management
      • A healthy diet
      • Exercise and time outdoors
      • Appropriate supplementation

With the start of school and the current pandemic, these foundations are now more important than ever. For the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing tips about how to best implement the foundational building blocks and some of the best ways to support your immune system.

This week we will be discussing sleep and the impact it has on immune health.

Sleep and the Immune System

 

When we get sick, we often also get tired. This is the body’s natural way of telling you that it needs sleep to help you get better. Sleep plays a major role in regulating the immune system. When we sleep our bodies produce and release proteins called cytokines. Cytokines are used to help the body effectively fend off any infection or illness coming our way. Sleep is also key in establishing immunological memory. It allows the body to store information about a current infection or illness so that the next time it is exposed to it, the immune system can quickly and effectively fend it off.

Sleep deprivation can leave a person susceptible to many different illnesses. While many supplements can be prescribed to help with sleep, we must first address how lifestyle plays a part in sleep. One of the best ways to get a good night’s sleep is by establishing a regular routine. This means getting up at the same time every day, creating a relaxing bedtime routine and going to bed at the same time every night. You can read more about the different sleep hygiene tips we have here and here.

If you struggle with sleep and are looking for support, book an appointment so that we can help support you and prevent illnesses.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Every day, I am constantly reminded of how amazing our bodies are. While I was out enjoying the sun this past weekend, I reflected on Vitamin D and how incredible it is that our skin can produce such an important molecule when exposed to the sun.

Vitamin D is an important part of maintaining regular body functions as well as preventing many diseases. Some of the benefits of Vitamin D are…

      • Maintaining calcium and phosphorus balance
      • Promoting strong bones
      • Reducing inflammation
      • Decreasing cardiovascular risk
      • Lowering the risk of cancer
      • Reducing overall mortality rates
      • Lowering the risk of pre-term birth in pregnant women
      • Reduced incidence of dementia
      • And it plays a major role in a healthy immune system. It is associated with…
            1. Increased production of antimicrobial peptides by the immune system.
            2. Less respiratory tract infections
            3. Fewer cases of influenza
            4. Fewer autoimmune diseases

 

Despite longer exposure to sunlight in the summer, Vitamin D deficiency is more common than you may think. In Canada, cold winters have us bundling up, staying indoors and limiting our exposure to the sun. The long winters can put our bodies into a deficient state. Additionally, ageing, disease, obesity, medications and genetic mutations may put a person at risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Luckily, your naturopathic doctor can test your vitamin D in office and help you reach the ideal levels.  This quick test can help us identify causes of illness, help prevent many diseases and promote optimum health.

With the start of back to school right around the corner, it is a good idea to discuss with your naturopathic doctor about the importance of vitamin D.  Book an appointment today to have your vitamin D levels tested.