Influenza, one of the viral infections that most threatens our health

Between 2018 and 2019, more than 35,000 people were hospitalized in Spain due to the flu. This epidemic also claims thousands of lives, especially among high-risk groups, but there are factors we can act on to prepare our bodies for viruses.

Two people become infected with the flu virus. What causes one to become ill and the other not? The answer seems simple: the previous state of the organism, more or less healthy. Or what we call in biological medicine, the internal environment.

But let's start at the beginning. An epidemic is an infectious disease that affects many people in a short period of time. For example, in Spain, during the 2018-2019 season, 490,000 cases of mild flu were recorded in primary care centers, more than 35,000 people were hospitalized, and more than 6,000 died. These are the figures for the flu epidemic in our country. Could they have been avoided? We don't really know how this virus behaves, as new strains appear every year, but we do knowwhat each person can do and the precautions we must take to protect at-risk groups —children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.

The flu is the virus that is causing the most concern issued by public health authorities worldwide, as it is believed that there could be a new pandemic (a widespread epidemic that is less local and less rapid, but affects more people and over a greater distance). However, the most serious viral infection today is probably the HIV epidemic, which has had devastating consequences in the poorest countries of Africa, with millions of victims.

Another lesser-known endemic disease is hepatitis C, a viral disease that is progressively increasing in incidence in all countries, as is the Epstein-Barr virus, which is spreading in Western countries and leads to various neurodegenerative diseases.

In addition to these viral infections, what we are currently seeing is:

• Viral diseases are on the rise, and virtually all pandemics of our time are viral.
• Bacterial epidemics, such as scarlet fever, syphilis, and tuberculosis, are declining in intensity and are rarely seen in the Western world.
• Pandemics and epidemics (bacterial or viral) occur whenever the population is severely weakened by wars or climate crises.
• HIV is on the risein the poorest countries and where malnutrition is prevalent.
• The severity of the disease depends largely on the immune resistance of the infected person.
• Endemic diseases are related to the region in which they spread and the characteristics of its population. For this reason, there are viruses that do not spread outside the regions in which they develop.
• People with weak immune systems get sick more often. This weakening of the immune system is, in turn, more frequent due to changes in the microbiota and the weakening of the integrity of the intestinal mucosal membrane (eighty percent of lymphocytes or immune cells are found in the intestinal wall).

The fact that not everyone infected with a virus contracts the disease is an important message; it is not only the virus that makes us sick, but also the condition of our body. In biological medicine, these coexisting conditions are called a person's "internal environment" and are determined by:

• Diet and lifestyle (including exposure to harmful factors such as electromagnetic stress)
• Acid-base balance of the body (tissue hyperacidity decreases the body's defense mechanisms)
• Status of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements in the body.
• Heavy metal toxicity in the body (increases the spread of viral and fungal diseases and damages the intestinal flora)
• Mental and emotional well-being.

Reports on the potential danger of influenza often lack crucial information that would be considered from a holistic medical perspective, namely what each person can do for themselves.

In general, we could say that a virus cannot affect a person if they have a healthy "internal environment." However, it is important to follow the recommendations on prevention and treatment issued by health authorities, especially in the case of COVID-19, a virus that attacks even people who are not considered to be at risk and who have very different profiles.

What should we do to protect our immune system?

The immune system is the true barrier of protection against disease. To protect it, it is important to:

• Maintain the integrity of the gut flora. The microbiome or gut flora is like a layer of grass on the intestinal mucous membrane and protects the gastrointestinal tract from being contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Healthy gut flora can be maintained or restored specifically with proper nutrition and by avoiding intestinal irritants such as allergens or food preservatives.
• White blood cells. The activity of these cells determines whether viruses or bacteria can enter the body through the intestinal wall and begin to multiply. The activity of white blood cells can be blocked by toxic substances such as heavy metals.
• The liver. A healthy liver, unburdened by fat deposits and toxins, can strengthen the immune system and the intestinal tract.

If we are able to understand the physiology and functioning of the body, we can look at viral and bacterial infections in a different way; prevention begins at the level of white blood cells, the internal environment, nutrition, and intestinal flora.

Prevention and treatment of influenza with biological medicine

Keeping your microbiota and internal environment healthy involves maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding refined sugars, dairy products, and toxins such as tobacco and alcohol. Antibiotic use and stress are also harmful to our microbiota.

Analysis of the body's current state, the presence of heavy metals in the blood, pH levels, etc. are factors that can indicate a predisposition to disease. A comprehensive check-up from a biological medicine perspective is an ideal way to get the body in shape and prevent disease. Among the most effective biological medicine therapies available at Biosalud Day Hospital is autohemotherapy, a therapy that makes use of the great therapeutic value of ozone.

When it comes to treating the flu, if we focus on the symptoms, the first one to appear is fever. Conventional medicine tries to lower it in cases of flu, but fever is our body's natural mechanism for "defending" itself against viruses. In general, we can say that we should let the fever run its course and avoid antipyretics. Vitamin C and rest are also good allies against the flu. In any case, you should always consult with specialists when you have an illness or if you simply want to follow a preventive treatment.