Swine Flu: Is it really worth the worry? Or is it just a cool name?
Well another flu season is coming and we get a whole new opportunity to be told how this will be the year that thousands of people are going to come down with Swine Flu and potentially die from its deleterious effects. It is therefore vital to go and get immunized! Or is it? Haven’t we heard this one before? Could there be better alternatives to this extremely new and untested vaccine? This health care professional thinks so.
If you really look at the numbers of people who are coming down with Swine Flu and how many of those are actually dieing from it, it is all rather unimpressive. The normal flu still kills many more people than the Swine Flu variety of virus. But of course it is new and sounds cool, and makes good news that we could potentially be killed by something that makes pigs sick for heavens sake! But the reality is that Swine Flu is just the flu. And Chinese Medicine has had safe and effective remedies for things like the flu for millennia. These remedies are tried and true and come without the potentially life threatening side effects of the flu vaccines.
New developments have surfaced recently in the UK from their government Health Protection Agency that has strongly link the new Swine Flue Vaccine to a deadly nerve disease called Guillian-Barre Syndrome (GBS). GBS attacks the lining of nerve cells causing problems like paralysis, inability to breathe and death. In fact in 1976 there was a similar Swine Flu scare which resulted in the mass vaccination of the American population. This resulted in more people dying from the vaccine itself than the Swine Flu “epidemic.” There was also an eight fold increase in contracting GBS in those who were vaccinated than in those people who did not get the vaccine.
So what can you do to avoid the Swine Flu? Or any other flu strain for that matter? Follow these simple steps and you will be way ahead of the dangers people are so worried about:
1)Get good rest. Sleep is when we heal ourselves. Poor sleep can lead to many different health concerns including a lowered immune system.
2)Eat well. Stay away from excess sugar. It has been shown that a diet high in sugar and simple carbohydrates results in a lowered immune system.
3)Wash your hands often! This is one of the most important concepts for avoiding infectious diseases. I wash mine at least ten times per day.
4)Take immune building herbs and nutrients. The Chinese Herbal Pharmacopia has a lot of herbs for building the immune system during times of wellness. This is where the preventative medicine concept comes in. We know it is the flu season coming so build your immune system up before the flu season arrives! I carry herbal formulas for this purpose in my clinic and would be happy to ship them to where ever in the country you are located.
The bottom line here is that the media will definitely want to chase this Swine Flu story as long as they can. It is sensational! There are people getting infected by it all the time now, but in general people are not suffering any major health concerns as a result. The people who are actually dying are the very young and very old, and even then they usually have some sort of debilitating condition already. They certainly do not represent the general population. Really, the vast majority of us are going to be just fine even if we do catch the dreaded H1N1 virus. And if taking the basic precautions that I described above the chances of contracting any flu will be minimal.
And when in doubt, please consider me a valuable resource. I am happy to help you in what ever way that I can. Do not hesitate to call or write with your questions or concerns.
The Estrogen / Thyroid Connection
When looking at thyroid hormones, or any hormones really, it is important to differentiate between the protein bound and free forms of the hormone. When a hormone is created by a gland it is immediately bound up with a carrier protein who's job it is to get that hormone to where it needs to go without being destroyed or lost along the way. Once the hormone is where it needs to be that carrier protein is removed and the hormone is "free" to do its job. That is why these hormones are called "free fraction" or "free hormones."
In the case of thyroid hormones there is a specific carrier protein called Thyroid Binding Globulin. It just so happens that when there are elevated levels of estrogen the amount of Thyroid Binding Globulin in the blood also goes up. This increased number of binding proteins hold onto more of the thyroid hormone which works to hinder them from doing their job. Remember, protein bound hormones can't bind to their receptor. They just float around in the blood. So if you were to do a basic thyroid screen you would usually be looking for the protein bound form (generally due to the lower cost of the test) and everything might look fine. The Thyroid is producing plenty of hormone and the paperwork all looks great. But why then is this woman still having trouble losing weight, losing her hair, struggling with low energy, and not pooping very often? These are all low thyroid symptoms which exist even though the actual hormone levels are normal. "Go home, there is nothing wrong with you." Right? Hmmm....
The reason that these symptoms persist is because the elevated estrogen induces a low thyroid state by stopping the free form of the hormone from binding to the receptor. For all intensive purposes this person is low thyroid. The unfortunate part is that the average blood work up won't account for the interplay between estrogen and thyroid Binding Globulin.
A careful history looking for high estrogen conditions like breast cancer, breast cysts, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or hormone replacement therapy for example should all come into play when considering complaints of low thyroid function. This is thinking outside the box of mainstream medicine. These cases are missed all the time which is unfortunate. It is also of course a great idea to have a look at estrogen levels and there is even a test for Thyroid Binding Globulin. These are tests that I can order if your primary physician is unable or unwilling to order them for you. Be prepared for such a response.
This is just another example of how hormone imbalance can have a negative affect on sexual function and health in general. Let's face it... Someone who is experiencing low thyroid symptoms for any reason is generally low energy. And I think that we all know how great sex can be when one or more of the people involved is, "too tired!" Let's be proactive here. Healthy sexual function can translate into great overall health and lend itself to a positive outlook on life. It is as natural as breathing, sleeping and pooping! And when it comes to thyroid health all of the above can be involved. The solution may be a simple as just looking for the right thing.
Human Sexuality: A TCM Perspective
When looking at any condition in the body the Traditional Chinese approach is to look for disharmony or imbalance in one or more energetic systems. TCM not only considers the problem area, but the entire body qualifying it as a true Holistic modality. But when it comes to anything relating to the reproductive system we generally look towards the kidney energetic system. By now you should be well informed about the concept of Qi flowing through our bodies. Indeed the manipulation of Qi is how acupuncture does what it does. But more specifically a type of Kidney Qi or Jing is where we want to focus our attention here.
Jing is the energy that propels us through life. It blossoms during puberty and wanes in our older age. When our Jing is all used up, so are we. It is natural aging so to speak. It is quite natural when talking about sexual function that some of these energies will weaken as we age. But what about younger people out there who are experiencing declines in sexual energy? What about the ever growing number of young couples who are having trouble conceiving? And what if you are just not happy having good sex over for you in your later years? How does the Traditional Chinese approach address these problems? The first thing to do is to recognize the stressors.
There are some really quick ways of using up Kidney Qi or Jing. The first of which is inadequate nutrition and rest. Both of these are an ever increasing problem in our culture. Our food supply is ever diminishing in nutritional quality, and we are pushing ourselves harder all the time. Our culture's idea of rest is watching television or playing video games. This is not true rest as the body requires. Add to that our addiction to stimulants and sugar and I have detailed a scenario that will gradually tap the Qi of the Kidneys and may lead to a decline in sexual health. The rock star lifestyle just isn't sustainable... nor the life of a couch potato for that matter!
The bottom line here is that you get what you get at birth when it comes to kidney Qi. You cannot build more, but only chip away at your reserves. In order to preserve kidney Qi it is essential that you support a healthy lifestyle to manage your daily Qi needs. If the daily stuff falls short you have no choice than to tap into your reserves which will hinder your sexual energies among other aspects of a healthy life.
The kidney energetic system is only one way to look at sexual dysfunction, and usually relates low function symptoms like low libido, poor erectile function in men, premature ejaculation and low fertility in both sexes. But other disharmonies can of course be involved. For example there could be what we call damp heat conditions which would be indicative of many types of STD's. There could also be blood deficiency or blood stagnation which could affect fertility in women, lubrication, menstrual cycles, etc. Indeed, there are a lot of ways to assess the underlying patterns leading to compromised sexual energy. It is important to sort out which disharmony you may have and address it directly.
The good news is that acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine as a whole can be very effective in helping with many of the conditions I have mentioned. There are some very powerful herbal remedies, and good old acupuncture is always there to help urge your body to thrive. Regaining proper balance within the system is key to enjoying a happy and healthy sex life (and of course an eager and willing partner helps too!). I hope that you will consider acupuncture as a first approach over the more drastic alternatives out there in the medical world. And if you are looking for an understanding, non-judgmental, and truly caring acupuncturist I'm your man. Rest assured I will take the best care of you that I can.
Please do not hesitate to call with your questions or concerns whatever they may be.
The Unheard Thyroid
The Symptoms
Low energy
Difficulty losing weight
Weight gain even with high levels of exercise
Constipation
Hair loss (particularly of the outer third of eyebrow)
Get sick easily and/or often
Low libido (in both men and women)
Infertility
Cold hands and feet (or just plain feeling cold!)
Currently taking Thyroid medications but still feel crummy
Do any of these sound familiar? All of these symptoms can be related to low Thyroid function. Many of these are extremely common complaints in my practice and affect a large portion of the population.
The Problem with the Mainstream Approach
The general ways that a person is diagnosed with a Thyroid condition is through a routine blood screen. There are several particular markers which can indicate either high or low Thyroid function. The most common marker is thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). Typically this has a laboratory reference range of 0.35 - 5.50. If you are out of this reference range you are indeed clinically diagnosable as either Hyper- or Hypo-Thyroid. And chances are that you feel awful! The unfortunate part of working in these reference ranges is that they are extremely broad and do not pick up sub-clinical dis harmonies which might otherwise be causing any or all of the symptoms described above. The message here is that in order to be helped by the mainstream approach you need to have blood work that is way out of normal. As I will describe later I use both the Laboratory ranges and what are called Functional ranges. The Functional range for TSH is 1.8 - 3.0. As you can see, the Functional range is a much smaller range and its use allows the practitioner to detect dis harmonies that may otherwise be hiding or can be addressed before they become serious. But believe me, there are plenty of subjective complaints from people who are just outside of these Functional ranges who slip through the cracks of mainstream medicine. These people need help but are generally not getting it. This is simply due to how the mainstream medical approach looks at illness. The other really important thing that gets missed in a great number of known Hypo-Thyroid patients is the Auto-immune connection. That means that the immune system is actually attacking the Thyroid tissue. The way this gets diagnosed is to look for antibodies against Thyroid tissue. (Antibodies normally help the immune cells target and destroy foreign invaders in the body. In this case the Thyroid is seen as foreign and worthy of destruction.) If there are antibodies against Thyroid it is important to realize that you have an immune disorder first and a Thyroid disorder second. Recently I had two different women come into my clinic with known Hypo-Thyroid conditions. Both have been medicated for many years for these low Thyroid conditions. Neither felt particularly good with their Thyroid medication. I ordered a test for Thyroid antibodies and of a normal reference range of 0 - 40 one woman came up with over 800, and the other came up with over 11,000! Unfortunately, their doctors never thought it necessary to look. Treating an Auto-immune thyroid like a normal Hypo-Thyroid not only doesn't work, it is just not good medical practice. I find this to be really troublesome and scary stuff! I hope that you find this a point of concern as well.
The Good News
The good news is that there is help out there. When I work up a Thyroid patient I make sure to utilize both Functional and Laboratory ranges not only for the Thyroid but for all other markers in the body to look for other contributing factors. Also, knowing that between 50 - 80% of all Hypo-Thyroid patients are actually Auto-Immune Thyroid (Hashimoto's) in nature, I most definitely order an antibody test to rule out this leading cause of low thyroid. If you have Hyper-Thyroid or high Thyroid you definitely have an Auto-Immune problem. The real take home message about Auto-Immune Thyroid is that even though it is the Thyroid symptoms that are making you feel crummy, your primary problem does not reside with the Thyroid itself. The problem is the immune system. Supporting the thyroid itself with pharmaceutical drugs or natural herbal/nutritional formulas simply will not work. And taking some basic thyroid supplements like Iodine will actually make your Auto-Immune Thyroid condition worse! Not until you focus your attempts squarely on balancing out the immune response can you see any significant results with the vast majority of Hypo-thyroid conditions. I will work with you to understand your particular condition and help you successfully treat the core of the problem.
The Unfortunate Reality
Yep, there is an unfortunate reality here... I am an acupuncturist telling you this. Not only do I have to challenge what your doctor might have said, but I have to negotiate the image or expectations of what an acupuncturist knows, or put another way, is allowed to know. I encounter this conundrum all of the time. People generally don't understand my training or ability to manage serious conditions like Auto-Immune Thyroid. And in many instances to do a better job at it than the mainstream approach! Just the other day I was talking with a Pharmacist who after sharing with him about the antibody tests I ran on those two women asked me very sternly, "So once you find that you must immediately refer them to their medical doctor! Right?" It noticeably shook him that I was managing these types of patients. The unfortunate part of this interaction is really two fold. One, my medical degree has been once again misunderstood, disrespected and disregarded. And two, a highly educated person thought it essential to refer back to the very institution which more times than not will miss the true diagnosis, allow for extreme reference ranges to be out of range before treatment, and who's treatment protocol involves replacement hormones (which don't work in Auto-Immune conditions). Or in the case of a known Auto-Immune condition involves either surgically removing or chemically killing Thyroid tissue or chemically suppressing the Immune system which can leave the patient open to much worse illnesses than low thyroid function.
Either way you look at it the mainstream approach is quite severe and in my opinion lacks the sensitivity to manage the core of the condition. But putting my ego aside for a moment, we as medical practitioners must at all times keep the best interest of our patients in mind. I feel very confident in my diagnostic approach and treatment protocols to effectively, and probably for the first time in that person's life, finally address the core of the problem. If people like me don't do it, then who will? It is time that we take a closer look at our options. Just because the mainstream approach is going strong doesn't mean that it is practicing the most up to date medicine. These things that I am handing down here come right out of the very same highly prestigious medical journals that doctors read. Contrary to what my medical degree might imply to the mainstream world, I am only providing information based upon the most cutting edge and up to date research available. And it is my privilege and joy to do so.
Treating The Lab Report And Not The Person
Most of the time when I order blood tests for a patient the very first thing they ask about is their cholesterol. Perhaps that is the only part of the test people know anything about. No one has ever taken the time to explain the rest to them. But nevertheless, let’s just say that someone has high total cholesterol of 225. The doctor wants to put them on cholesterol lowering Statin therapy immediately. They do as they are told because if they didn’t they fear death, or worse… A terrible golf game. The follow up test showed a marked improvement in their total cholesterol. It is now 185! Yay!! Problem solved right? By all mainstream thinking heart disease is now under control because the paper showed that the cholesterol is within the “normal” ranges. Well, don’t get too comfortable. That’s not the whole story.
What the doctor didn’t tell you is that not all cholesterol is the same. The “Bad Cholesterol” called LDL is actually made up of different sized particles. The large LDL particles tend to not be dangerous to your arteries/heart in that they do not lead to plaque formation and subsequent poor health. But the small, dense LDL particles tend to be very likely to promote heart disease. The rub here is that Statin drugs are very good at lowering LDL cholesterol, but they lower the wrong kind of LDL. They are great at lowering the large “safe” type and terrible at lowering the small “dangerous” type. So here you have a scenario where someone was told they were in danger without the doctor looking into what size LDL particles there are (any many other important factors such as hsCRP, homocysteine, RLP, Lp(a), and more), and then giving a drug which quite a lot of research has shown to have rather suspect safety records. This then lowers the overall cholesterol by lowering the not-so-dangerous type of LDL while leaving the more dangerous type intact, and leads people to believe that they did the right thing and are now protected!
Well according to the Centers for Disease Control, only 50% of the people who die of heart disease die with high cholesterol. The other 50% have either normal or even low cholesterol! Wouldn’t you, a thinking person, rather compare yourself to the most up to date scientific standards and look into the true markers for heart disease rather than just settling on going the faith based path of doing what you are told by your doctor? And who do you think teaches the doctor? There are several rather large companies behind that one for sure. So the bottom line here is that just making the number smaller on the lab report does nothing to your overall health. This is especially true if you got it that way through the cunning use of medications and not by proper diet and exercise. Aerobic exercise by the way is one of the only things that actually lowers the more dangerous type of cholesterol.
One more concern that I have is pertaining to hormone replacement therapy. I specialize in hormone conditions so I see a significant amount of lab reports and see a lot of hormone replacement therapy going on. This story lends itself to treating a lab report and not the person quite well. It usually goes like this… A person goes into a doctor complaining about various mid-life problems and ends up on hormone replacement. Follow up tests show that the hormone levels are normal and the doctor and patient feel that the proper treatment was given. There is only one thing wrong though. Given six months or so the patient starts feeling the same symptoms returning, but the labs still show normal hormones. When was the last time you heard of anyone on replacement hormone therapy that was actually happy with the results 6 months to a year after starting? What gives?
Quite simply put hormone testing when done in a typical medical office does not look at what are called “free fraction” hormones. These are the ones that are actually doing the work. They are the active form of the hormone. It is much cheaper to look at the “serum” hormones. These are easy to find in the blood and happen to be in the inactive state. Two problems come from this depending upon what hormones were given.
Most commonly synthetic hormones are given. There is currently no test that looks for levels of synthetic hormones in the blood. Synthetic estrogen simply isn’t estrogen. I once asked the Head of Endocrinology (hormones) at the VA hospital in Portland how they monitor synthetic hormone levels and he said quite sharply and with contempt, “we don’t, we monitor symptoms.” If that doesn’t scare the hell out of you it should! So if they do test for hormones they can only test for your own natural hormones which are not representative of what is going on now that there are synthetic hormones in the mix. It is totally bass ackwards thinking!
The other increasingly common thing to see is someone who is tying to do the right thing and take “bio-identical” hormones. Now these are better because they are natural and can be tracked, but for some reason, probably expense, serum hormone levels are what are tested for and not the more expensive free fraction levels. It is important to know that bio-identical hormones are delivered usually through the skin via a cream and enter the blood only in the free fraction state. So looking at serum levels will look normal or even low when in fact the active free fraction levels are usually quite high. This little concept gets missed almost every time. So once again what we see on the report might look great, but the actual state of the person could still be a mess! In fact worse than before starting on the hormones in the first place.
I write this article partly out of anger and frustration I’ll admit. I see so much in the current medical system that is dangerously misguided and unsustainable. Change needs to happen. But I write it more for you, the reader. You deserve to know about your choices. To be fully aware of what you are being told you “need” to do. It is very easy to roll over and submit when it comes to our medical experience. I urge you not to. I urge you to pay attention, to be curious, and to question what you are being told. Hold your doctors accountable for what they say. And above all learn as much as you can about everything that you can. That is what I try to do, and that is what I try to pass along to the people in my life.
Please consider me a powerful resource, and in the mean time, be happy, be empowered and enjoy great health!