Understanding immunity

A Person’s body is covered in organisms, such as bacteria and parasites.

The reason why we are not permanently ill is because we have an immune system. Our body is a pipe that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. Most of our body activities happen inside and outside the pipe.

1.       First line of Defense (Barrier or shell)

Skin, mucous membrane, hair in the nose and ears, body secretions like sweat, earwax and tears, urine, tummy juices.

2.       Second line of defense

A battle between the invader and the immune system begins.

Inflammatory response: Increased blood circulation, bringing along the different White blood cells. (Leucocytes) The area becomes painful, hot and red and swollen due to the increase of blood and proteins.  There are several different types of leukocytes (white blood cells): neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages.

3.       Third line of defense

Immune response, anti- bodies are formed and a cell memory is built.

How can we help our bodies?

Keep in mind the three different lines of defense:

1.       Hygiene, washing hands and don’t share crockery and cutlery.
Protect the mucous membrane – sleep with a humidifier in the room

Hydrate your body cells by drinking plenty of water.
Look after your gut by maintaining a good ph balance. Avoid sugar, eat raw veggies and take your pre- and pro- biotic.

2.       Give the inflammatory process time, do not suppress it.
Good diet rich in Zinc, Omega 3 and Vitamin C.  Exercise rest and sleep.
All the above measures feed and maintain the body cells, lymph cells and blood cells that is needed to fight the battle.

3.       Give the Immune response time to develop. Don’t take unnecessary antibiotics
Make use of alternative therapies like homoeopathy. (Huis renovate story)

 The Homoeopathic approach

The classical homoeopath would give one remedy at a time, trying to match as much as possible symptoms of the patient with as much as possible characteristics of the remedy.  This is time consuming and hard work, but once a practitioner gets the hang of it, it becomes most rewarding.  Complex remedies on the other hand contains a group of remedies, all targeting the disease in order to bring about the desired results. 

Echinacae

Echinacae is a well-known remedy often used to improve the immune system and many homoeopathic formulations contains Echinacae.

Echinacea is a genus, or group of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae. 

The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἐχῖνος (echino), meaning "sea urchin," due to the spiny central disk. These flowering plants and their parts have different purposes. Some species are cultivated in gardens for their showy flowers, and some are traditionally used to treat and prevent common cold, flu, and other infections.

References

Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:60

Kelly, Kindscher. "The Conservation Status of Echinacea Species" (PDF).USDA. Retrieved 29 October 2014.

The Plant List search for Echinacea

Perry, Ann. 2010. Exploring Echinacea’s Enigmatic Origins. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service