Did someone say Coronavirus?
No doubt your week has been filled with images of viruses. I thought I’d give you a hopeful image of echinacea- a powerful herb used to help prevent viral infections (not evaluated by the FDA ;). This past week I spoke to many people about COVID19 and there is a wide range of feelings from uncertainty and confusion to outright worry. What can you do when it seems inevitable? Mountain Sage Medicine has some tools and natural support to help you navigate viral times. Below you’ll find resources on the virus and your health, telemedicine and access to medical care, and immune supportive herbs and nutrients to help boost your system.
Stay informed.
Information is changing rapidly as our community, state, country, and the world responds. Keep up-to-date from reputable public health sources to understand how your community is responding and taking measures to help keep you and the public safe. We are doing our best to assess and reassess as new information emerges. Our practices policies will continue to evolve to provide the safe care. Here are some websites that are filled with information that is being regularly updated:
Washington Department of Health
Among these resources you can find all the information there is on testing, closures, updates, how your community is being impacted, how to protect yourself and a whole lot more.
If you think you might be sick (cold, flu, coronavirus), stay home and call your doctor.
The signature symptoms of COVID 19 are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms include runny nose, headache, sore throat, and a general feeling of being unwell and fatigued. If you have any of these symptoms call your doctor’s office (mine or other). Do NOT just show up. Dr. Silapie can assess your symptoms via a telemedicine appointment and give you information on how to get tested appropriately and how to support your system.
Telemedicine at Mountain Sage Medicine.
Mountain Sage Medicine is offering telemedicine visits. This means we can have a visit over video chat through Charm. Just let us know when you schedule. We will still bill insurance. Who is this for:
- People sick with cough, fever, flu like symptoms, runny nose, sore throat, general unwell feeling
- People who are high risk: > 60 years old, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, immune compromised, underlying lung conditions
- Office visits for children under the age of 12, or for people who need to bring children to their visit.
- Established patients who want to stay home and away from the public (good choice:)
At this time, I am still offering in-office appointments for “non-sick” individuals. This may change as disease spread progresses.
If you need urgent care.
Remember Mountain Sage Medicine is not emergent or urgent care. If you need urgent care and evaluation please contact any of the local hospitals, Northshore Medical group, Skyline Clinic, Columbia Gorge Family Medicine. Again, CALL the facility to be triaged appropriately; Do not just show up. These facilities have important protocols in place for maximal protection and safety.
Naturopathic Treatment
This is a novel virus. Meaning it is the first time it has ever been seen. Because of that there hasn’t been testing before this point, there are no cures, there are no medicines, there are no vaccines, there are no supplements or nutrients specific to COVID-19. That doesn’t mean that there are not measures you can do to support your immune system.
With that said there are many immune supportive herbs and nutrients that have been shown to work against other viruses like echinacea, astragalus, Oregon grape. Nutrients known to support the immune system include vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc among others. I suggest having some immune supporters-on-hand and be sure to take them regularly. Mountain Sage Medicine is currently well stocked and help individualize your treatment plan. Please note- NONE of these recommendations are specific to the current virus; that information does not exist at this time. We can only make judgement on previous anti-viral studies and what we know about how COVID19 (SARS-COV2) works against our cells.
Dr. Silapie’s Immune Support Plan
Nutrients and Herbs
One wellness plan does not fit all. Plans are individualized based on people’s health conditions and current medications. Recommendations are also based on and stage of illness–Prevention, early acute illness, later respiratory illness. Call the office to schedule a consult via telemedicine. Remember to be proactive.
Personal hygiene
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds frequently throughout the day.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth, face.
- Measure your temperature with a thermometer
- Avoid crowded places, stay home or out in nature as much as possible
- Avoid touching widely touched surfaces (counters, pens, shopping cart handles)
- Avoid sharing utensils, cups etc
- Disinfect surfaces frequently
Immune supportive behaviors
- Ample sleep. I can’t stress this enough. Little to poor sleep makes people more susceptible to illness.
- Avoid sugar including alcohol. Sugar is also no friend to the immune system.
- Warming socks and castor oil packs
- Rest and stay home when you are sick
- breathing exercises and positive visualization to calm the nervous system.
If you are sick…
You must self quarantine even if you have not been tested for COVID19. This virus is contagious and deadly to select populations. Our healthcare system nationally is about to be overwhelmed. Be sure to call your doctor to get verbal support and be monitored for changes to critical illness. At this time there are no pharmaceutical treatments. This means that a positive test does not change the course of action at this time.
We will all inevitably feel the impacts of this COVID-19 as it ripples through our communities. Staying home will be inconvenient for most; impossible for some. Many of us will get sick; most of us will fair well. Some will experience loss, some will experience extreme hardship. This is a challenging time to be sure, but please don’t panic– that will not make it better or easier. I hold all of you in my thoughts and heart hoping for health and wellbeing for you and your family. As your neighbor and your naturopathic doctor I am here to help you however I can.
updated 3/20/2020