With the end of the Summer, we welcome in the beautiful fall colors and crisp temperatures of Autumn.
Along with that, we also acknowledge the official beginning of the cold and flu season.
As many of you may have noticed, there has been much debate in the last couple of years in the area of Cold and Flu medicine and its use with Children.
Back in 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a statement warning parents against giving any over-the-counter cold and flu medications to children under the age of 5. (you can find this story here)
In short, the reason for the warning is the fact that these medicines contain synthesized products in them that can cause serious side effects for children and can be potentially fatal. On top of that, they've found that there is very little clinical evidence if any, that these medicines even work in children as any testing that has been done has been done with adults.
In 2007, after further warnings from Doctors, the FDA and the major pharmaceutical manufacturers went one step further and pulled kids cold and cough medicines from shelves. This after, "researchers found that 54 children had died from 1969 to 2006 after taking kids' medicines that use the ingredients ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine. The FDA also found that 69 deaths of children were linked to antihistamines that contained diphenhydramine, brompheniramine and chlorpheniramine." - all products commonly found in children's cold and flu medicines.
In the most recent turn of events, Drug companies themselves have now issued a statement that no cold or flu medicines should be given to children under the age of 4 - and in some statements, the age of 6.
In a rare moment in the pharmaceutical world, the drug companies are actually warning consumers AGAINST taking their products because of the potentially fatal side effects they can have on their children. The significance of this admission cannot be emphasized enough.
So, as a parent, where does that leave you when it comes to healthy options for your children this cold and flu season?
Answer: Chinese Herbs. Chinese Herbology has a rich and colorful history of success that dates back thousands of years. In fact, most pharmaceuticals being designed today have all been synthesized in one way or another from natural substances and compounds that have been found to have healing properties. The difference here being that when the pharmaceuticals are synthesized, they are combined with chemical compounds that are often times toxic, and in turn cause most of the unwanted side-effects. Naturally occurring herbal substances on the other hand, don't contain any of these harsh additives and therefore don't pose any risk to the body. Licensed herbalists, in the course of any examination and consultation, take into account any allergies or sensitivities a patient may have as well as any medications they may be on, to make sure that there will not be any unwanted interactions.
At Center Point integrative medicine, we have a number of different all-natural herbal formulas specially designed (through thousands of years of research) to treat various different kinds of colds and flu. Symptoms ranging from fever, headaches, sinus congestion, coughing, wheezing, muscle aches, digestive complaints can all be treated with the formulas we provide. And best of all, they're all natural - with no harsh side effects - and are completely SAFE FOR CHILDREN!
If you'd like to talk more about some natural options for your health care and for the care of your children this cold and flu season, please contact me or set up a time for a free phone consultation.
In the meantime, always follow these three simple rules that will lower your chances of catching anything by up to 75% - get plenty of rest, eat healthy and drink lots of water, and always wash your hands!
In Good Health,
-Jon
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