When a Cold is Not a Cold

At the park the other day on a warm summer night, I overhead two mothers having a conversation, and one of their statements that has stuck with me is this: "When my son gets a cold, it always turns into croup, and when my daughter gets a cold, she always gets an ear infection." What this has reminded me of is the fact that with the coming school year, some mothers and fathers must have a sense of parental dread, as respiratory infections (like coughs, colds and flus) become more common. Unfortunately, for some families, the reality of cold and flu season is even more frightening.

Last cold and flu season, I treated a two year old boy who would develop asthma whenever he got a cold, which was often. He would wake many times during the night, interrupting sleep for the entire family. Violent coughing fits that ended in vomiting were a daily occurrence. At least once a month, the inhalers wouldn't be enough, and a midnight trip to the emergency room would be necessary to stabilize his breathing. More drugs were added to the daily regime, but the cycle continued. Mom, dad, and the little patient were all exhausted when I first saw them in my office.

In this particular example, an inadequate and inappropriate immune response to a mild respiratory virus leads to serious complications for the young patient. As a naturopathic doctor, my goal is to treat the cause of a health issue, not just tackle the symptoms. In the case study above, the treatment plan was to help his immune system fight off viruses more effectively, as well as reducing inflammation in his lungs to relieve the asthmatic symptoms.

A synergistic formula for supporting immune system function was prescribed, with anti-viral botanicals, vitamin D and immune boosting probiotics. Fish oil was added as an anti-inflammatory to reduce the irritation in his lungs.

Within two weeks, the change was dramatic. "He sleeps through the night now and so do we!" his happy mother reported. Coughing frequency and intensity had diminished significantly, there had been no further instances of vomiting, and the emergency room visits were a fading memory. One of his medications was also discontinued with no aggravation of his symptoms, and his puffer frequency was reduced. And the real clincher? A few months later he developed yet another cold, but it did not progress to any wakeful nights, or into reactive asthma. The infection remained minor, and ran its course in a short period of time. Five months later he is still doing well, with nary a cough to be seen.

As naturopathic doctors, we see similar cases in children often, and I personally have a special interest in preventing infectious diseases in children. Research is continually being published that shows there are a number of effective natural and gentle therapies to help boost our childrens' immune systems, and shorten the duration of infection. The naturopathic toolbox offers many effective (and tasty) therapies to help the immune system do its job, fighting off colds and many other common childhood infections. As the school year begins, it is a good time for susceptible kids to start an individualized immune support program, and ensure that a cold remains just that - a cold. v