Recently in immunity Category

I'm sitting at my desk on my front porch this morning watching the October rain threaten to become snow, the kind of weather that correlates nicely with my current mood: Is the bug that hit me yesterday going to morph into something more serious today?

 

About mid-morning, while preparing for a major budget meeting, my face grew hot and I began sniffling and sneezing. I soldiered on, of course, and stayed upright through the meeting and its aftermath, but felt pretty drained afterward. Plus, with H1N1 dominating the news these days, you never know. . . . So, I called My Lovely Wife to see if she could fetch me from the office, but our son had absconded with the Crapmobile, which had delivered me to work that morning. Left with no other alternative, I shouldered my computer bag and started walking home.

 

Years ago, when the kids were small, MLW took some classes in homeopathy and essentially became our family doctor (we were without health insurance). In fact, she became quite adept at diagnosing our various minor maladies and prescribing the proper homeopathic remedy. I was reminded of this as I strode across the bridge toward home yesterday, because I began to feel a little better out in the autumn air. Indeed, by the end of my 40-minute walk, my fever had almost completely vanished.

 

When I mentioned this to MLW, she simply noted, "You're pulsatilla." Meaning, that's the homeopathic remedy I should employ if my fever returns. And then she went back to the drawing she'd been working on. I made some tea, settled into my comfy chair and marveled silently at my good fortune. Who else has a doctor who makes house calls? (Even if you have to walk to the house to get your treatment.)

 

My fever hasn't yet returned, but I'm watching for any symptoms to appear. The doctor is making oatmeal.

Not my hammock, not my house -- but a guy can dream, can't he?

I skipped the gym last night and stayed home from work today in hopes of thwarting a cold bug that's had me sniffling and sneezing -- though not yet completely miserable -- for a couple of days. And, while there's ample evidence to indicate that exercise can help cure the common cold, older guys like myself like to rest rather than recreate when visited by our most familiar virus.

Former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall said it best years ago, when he explained why he liked to report late to training camp: "There's only so much tread on the tire." (Of course, this was a guy who made history by running the wrong way with a fumble during a 1964 game against the San Francisco 49ers, so . . . .)

More scholarly sources, however, suggest that Marshall may be right in pacing himself -- especially if you're fighting a cold. Dr. David Nieman, a professor at Appalachian State University, says moderate exercise may boost your immune system, but going too hard when you're sick could slow your recovery. That's because the body produces more cortisol and adrenaline during intense workouts, and these hormones tend to suppress your immune system for up to 72 hours after the session.

Not that I need any excuse to take a nap today. The good news is that this fitness regimen I'm on -- as erratic as it sometimes is -- should actually keep the cold and flu viruses at bay. Forty minutes of moderate exercise a day (which I'm just going to assume includes walking to work) helps the body produce more macrophages, cells that destroy bacteria (the bad kind, I'm assuming), which, in turn, leads to a stronger immune system. So, I'm hoping to be back at the gym tomorrow diligently producing macrophages and toning up my newly buff immunity.