Why Getting Sick is Good for You (sometimes)

Every acute disease is the result of a purifying, healing effect of nature. 
- Henry Lindlahr (1862 - 1924)

I remember in medical school one of my professors asking,

​"Why haven't we found a cure for the common cold? 
​Because the cold is the cure!" 

 Think about this for a moment. What does this mean?

It turns out that when we become acutely ill with a cold, flu or other acute illness, our body's immune system becomes fully activated in order to eliminate viruses, bacteria, parasites, chemicals, and other toxins. We develop symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and sweating as a way to rid our bodies of pathogens! Gross as it may seem, sweat, mucus, urine, stool, and even tears are all methods our body uses for eliminating the "junk" from our bodies and we definitely want to keep these elimination pathways open! Having and recovering from a cold or other acute and short-lived illness one or two times per year actually keeps the body's surveillance system active and on alert! Aside from helping us get well soon, another major immune system benefit is that it also picks up on any cells that have mutated (like cancerous cells) and destroys them. We need to keep our immune system activated for this to happen. 

As a naturopathic doctor, I encourage my patients to keep their pathways for detoxification and elimination open while we focus on nourishing the immune system and providing gentle palliative therapeutic tools to speed up the healing process without suppressing it. If you are in Kelowna and you experience acute illness frequently or if you would like guidance in selecting effective, minimally invasive non-pharmaceutical options to manage your next illness, feel free to schedule an appointment with me! Together, we can support the body's ability to heal itself!