hi all I had that flu this year; it was horrible. Hope you get better soon Peter! I was out of commission for ten days, and still have an occasional throat tickle... interesting theory you have...I have my own thoughts on the larger implications at work here...

(ahem: a rant on trying to avoid the flu, holistic medicine and the evils of antibiotics)

Until very recently I had been living without health insurance since graduate school (1990). I prided myself on learning and applying the tenets of holistic healing and preventive care, since I simply could not afford to go to a doctor when, say, I got the flu or whatever...

Having not been sick with more than a cold for years I got lazy this year and did not do my usual preventive things; then, spending the Xmas holidays with my parents, who both smoke like chimneys, my immune system no doubt got a heavy dose of smoky, dry, unrecycled air (like many homes in winter)--not to mention rich holiday food. Most colds are simply the body's response to the change of season lifestyle: less exercise, heavier foods to keep warm, drinking less water, less exposure to sunlight and fresh air, not to mention exposure in unventilated spaces (public transportation, offices, etc) to many more people...our blood acidity builds up, the body produces more mucus, and this creates a breeding ground for upper respiratory infection...including strep throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, influenza, and even tuberculosis...

I find gargling with a few drops of tea tree essential oil in warm water once per day in winter, more often if one notices early symptoms of a cold, helps keep these winter ailments at bay (wish I'd used it more often over the holidays! Gave some to my nephew who was just getting over the flu and he said it helped him a lot...). Tea tree is one of th emost powerful anti-microbials known to man; it kills the streptococchus bacilli, and countless other germs, rather effectively is used diligently...

Prevention is better than cure...some find echinacea and zinc supplements help them stave off infection...to be sure vitamin C, in the form of supplements or daily consumption of fruits and veggies (daily being the operative word, since it is water-soluble) helps boost the immune system...

One thing many do not realize is that cold medicines tend to prolong infection; since they eliminate the body's one sure method of eliminating infection (over-production of mucus)they tend to slow down the body's ability to heal...so using them sparingly if at all is the best bet. Of course if you cannot function or cannot sleep, an occasional decongestant or cough suppressant is not too bad (I even broke down and took them once or twice myself when I was sick recently, cuz I simply could not breathe well enough to sleep)...but there are far more healthful way to break up congestion and speed the process along...steam inhalations with herbs or essential oils, for example...no one likes to be blowing their nose endlessly for days, but it is a necessary process to get rid of infection. That is also why lots of fluid consumption is recommended; this particular bout of the flu this year caused lots of dehydration, more than usual...let's face it, the flu is getting stronger and mre virulent every year (thank you, technology, for providing us with bigger and better antibiotics and pesticides and anti-bacterial cleaners, so we could look forward to stronger, more resistant, disease-causing germs!). We need to arm ourselves with knowledge of healthy, preventive care, and not become enslave to pharmaceutical companies which, in the long run, are compounding the problem by making us dependent on drugs for every little complaint...

Peg who _rarely_ takes anything stonger than aspirin, has never taken a laxative or an antacid, and who thinks antibiotics, while they have their usefulness in emergencies, are basically making us all much more susceptible to disease through overuse...

(end of rant :)!)