The new ?2005 bird flu edition? of ?The Homeopathic Treatment of Influenza?, a book by Sandra Perko, PhD, CCN, is available for purchase for the small price of $39.95. Subtitled ?surviving influenza epidemics and pandemics past, present and future with homeopathy?, this book would be a worthwhile investment, if it really works to counteract the effects of influenza and the complications it can cause.
One of the leading causes of death in the United States, seasonal influenza and the complication of pneumonia attack the very young and the elderly. Most healthy people can fight off an infection with an average flu virus. Pandemics or world wide epidemics occur about every fifty years, according to the World Health Organization. During these outbreaks, the effects of influenza may affect any age group and the symptoms are often more severe. For example, during the Spanish Flu in 1918, a mutated form of bird flu became highly contagious among humans and caused the deaths of millions of people. Symptoms appeared suddenly and included a bluish tint to the face and coughing up blood, death sometimes occurred in less than two days. Could homeopathic treatment of influenza have helped any of these people?
First, it is important to understand that homeopathic treatment is not the same as holistic healing, herbal treatments, traditional medicine or any other form of alternative or conventional medicine. Based upon the theories of Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), the homeopathic treatment of influenza or any other disease involves finding a substance that would, in a healthy person, bring on the same symptoms that the sick individual is experiencing and then diluting that substance in water, until chemically speaking, nothing remains but water.
Homeopaths believe that the water retains some ?essential property? of the substance and that the more it is diluted; the more potent is the homeopathic remedy. None of this has any basis in scientific fact, but sometimes, when people believe in a treatment it can work. The question of whether or not it is safe, from a chemical standpoint, the only thing in the bottle is water, so it is as safe as drinking water. What concerns most people is that someone suffering from the effects of influenza or another serious condition would rely solely on a homeopathic treatment, forgoing other forms of treatment, possibly to the point of death.
Unlike other forms of traditional and alternative medicine which in many cases can be supported with clinical trials and chemical research, there is no way to scientifically test a homeopathic treatment of influenza. So, the question of effectiveness can not be answered in a strictly medical sense. If a homeopathic treatment for influenza relieves or reduces symptoms in some people, then it is probably because the person has a strong belief in the system, not because of any medicinal properties associated with the water.
These are the facts about pandemics presented by the World Health Organization (WHO). The bird flu currently circulating in Asia, Europe and Africa is not highly contagious among humans. Those people who have died from the disease were either handling infected birds or were in close contact with a family member who was ill. The fear is related to the facts that viruses can change suddenly, called an antigenic shift. If the virus changed suddenly to a form that was transmitted easily among humans, in the same manner that seasonal flu is transmitted (by coughing and sneezing) then a pandemic could occur quickly, because of air travel.
A limited number of antiviral medications and vaccines are expected to be available if and when a pandemic occurs. Some of the current antiviral medications are ineffective in treating the bird flu in humans. A vaccine for bird flu has not been created at this time and will probably not be available until well after the mutation of the virus occurs, simply because scientists cannot create a mutation of the virus, they must wait until it changes and then collect samples. It sounds like science fiction when the WHO warns that all countries will suffer from the effects of influenza pandemic, a large number of deaths will occur from the effects of influenza pandemic and the effects of influenza pandemic will cause ?great? economic and social disruption. But, the WHO is not trying to create panic. They are trying to emphasize, to the governments of the world, the importance of being prepared.
Knowing these facts, it is easy to see why an individual might seek a homeopathic treatment for influenza. Everyone wants to protect themselves and their families, but the time might be better spent identifying and correcting nutritional shortcomings in the family?s diet and making every effort to maintain a health immune system. The Spanish Flu spread quickly among World War I soldiers due to close quarters and was often fatal, undoubtedly because of weakened immune systems due to combat stress, exposure to toxins, chemical attacks and improper nutrition. To learn more about natural products that can help protect you and your family from the effects of influenza, please visit our website at http://www.immune-system-booster-guide.com.
