By Dr. John Reizer

I caught the dreaded flu virus several weeks ago. It had been about two and a half years since I last experienced any sickness whatsoever. And that episode had been limited to a simple cold that left me with a mild sore throat and some congestion for a few days.

A week prior to catching the flu, I had been bragging to one of my patients about how healthy I was and how I attributed my good health to eating properly, getting plenty of daily exercise and receiving regular chiropractic care. This recipe has always kept my nervous and immune systems working at a very efficient level.

Then out of nowhere, I had the damn flu.

I had been taking care of a lot of patients prior to catching the flu that had been experiencing flu like symptoms. A few of the patients I had seen even told me they had tested positive for the virus. And this was after they had taken the flu vaccine at a local drugstore down the street from my office.

This particular flu virus had me feeling pretty miserable within a few hours after the first symptoms appeared. It started quite innocently enough with me not being able to clear my throat. It then caused my throat to quickly become sore, and then the intense fever kicked in. The fever went to 104 degrees Fahrenheit and it lasted for 19 hours. I let it run its course like I always do. The fever dismantles the flu virus and actually prevents it from being able to replicate.

I drank plenty of water to prevent dehydration and secured a few blankets to keep me warm. I was shivering quite a bit. I propped myself up on a reclining chair and watched television and of course plenty of television commercials about how to fight off the flu with over-the-counter medicines.  The commercials told me I should take drugs to lower my fever, break up the congestion in my chest, dry up my runny nose, and stop my persistent coughing. WHAT A JOKE!

Shortly after my fever broke, I noticed that the other symptoms I experienced lessened. Within three days I was back to work and feeling much better. It’s amazing how fast the body can rid itself of bacterial and viral microbes if we get the hell out of its way. The human body really does know what it’s doing if we just give it a chance to function without taking a hundred different drugs that attempt to suppress every physiological response taking place.

Fever destroys many viruses like the flu. Most viral infections cannot survive in temperature ranges above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and so the body elevates its temperature for this very reason. It’s why the body causes the fever in the first place. The virus doesn’t cause the fever, the fever occurs in response to the viral infection under the guidance of the immune system.

Congestion is caused by the body in an effort to sequester the infection in areas where it cannot harm the lungs and other vital organs. If you take drugs to artificially breakup the congestion, it will cause the active infection to run rampant through your entire system. Instead, let the body do its job and kill the infection. Once the infection is neutralized, the congestion will disappear on its own and no harm can be done to the physiological system because the virus or bacterium involved has been dismantled or killed off.

A runny nose, persistent coughing and sneezing is how the body expels microbes from the system. Drugs that suppress this process are preventing the immune system from getting you better. The same thing goes for vomiting and diarrhea. These are the ways the body’s immune system gets rid of toxins and bugs inside of us. If you inhibit this process, you’re ultimately lengthening the amount of time you will have to deal with the viral or bacterial infection.

Contrary to popular belief, there’s no scientific evidence that flu vaccines are the best way to prevent catching the flu. In fact, evidence shows that people that receive a flu vaccine transmit the disease to others at a much higher rate than those not receiving the vaccines. It’s called viral shedding. The CDC has published misleading information about the safety and effectiveness of flu shots and also about the number of deaths that occur each year because of the flu.

Flu vaccines are known to cause serious side effects and the risks, in my opinion, far outweigh the benefits.

I caught the flu and survived just fine. I took no drugs whatsoever and because I let my immune system work out the problem of fighting this illness without any outside interference in the form of drugs, it will become stronger and keep me even healthier than before.