In the last 5 years, the FDA has forced several drug companies to pull their "Children's Cold Medicines" off the shelves because the ingredient in these medicines were causing children to have strokes and heart attacks. SURPRISED??? Don't be - drug companies are in the business to make money and despite their warm and fuzzy advertisements ....... Side Note - no other industry spends more money on "marketing" then the pharmaceutical industry (huh - I wonder why?) ..... back to the point - they really don't care about YOU.
So what's the big deal with a little mucous?? Yes, it can be annoying and yes, it can be uncomfortable with sinus pressure, sore throats and irritated noses - I get it. But have you ever looked at the BEAUTY OF MUCOUS? Here are a couple of things to consider:
First, mucous has some REALLY important jobs. It keeps all of you epithelial (big doctor word, I know) tissues moist. These are the tissues that line all of your OPEN passage ways like nose, throat, esophagus, trachea and bronchioles (lung tubes). If these tissues are NOT MOIST they will dry out and crack. That means that every time you eat, drink or breathe - if there are cracks, BAD THINGS will happen. So you need mucous as a DEFENSE against this.
Second, mucous as a very potent "Anti-Viral" component. Most people don't know this because all we usually hear about mucous is the BAD STUFF (remember the "marketing" thing above?) - like pain, congestion, etc. There are specific components of mucous that KILL VIRUSES ON CONTACT. Why would anyone want to stop that?? (Anti-histamines do that.)
Finally, the IMMUNE SYSTEM IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY (I can keep going with the really thing because I studied Immunology in college) SMART! As a matter of fact, your immune system and nervous system are constantly monitoring your outside environment to make adjustments to your inside environment. As we transition from the warm, moist spring and summer months into the cooler, dryer fall and winter months, your body will have to make a HUGE physiological shift. As the air dries and we start to burn fires and use our heat, the body will have to ........ OVER PRODUCE mucous to be able to catch up and protect you from disease. How does it keep up?? Funny you should ask - SINUSES! Yup, you guessed it - your sinuses are "Storage Tanks" for extra mucous. By storing extra mucous (like storing extra food or water during the hurricane) your body will have it readily available when you need it. The down side, is that during the transition period your body stores A LOT more - which can lead to congestion and sinus pressure.
3 THINGS YOU CAN DO: There is a solution to this dilemma though - it's called, TISSUES. The beauty of tissues is they have NO KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS and won't cause you or your children to have a heart attack or stroke :) - Other solutions include - Getting extra adjustments if you feel clogged up. The tubes that drain your sinuses will get choked off if your neck muscles are too tight (or in spasm). If you notice, a lot of people get headaches and neck pain when the seasons change or when they are congested. Adjustments free up the spine and muscles and the sinuses can drain better. It's very common for a patient's nose to run right after I adjust their neck. And finally, a humidifier. If you don't have an HVAC system in your home that can keep the air at a constant level of humidity - I recommend buying a humidifier for the bedrooms. DO IT NOW because your body has already started it's change for the fall and, as you know (because we harp on this all the time), by the time you feel it - IT'S TOO LATE!
Have a great, mucous filled, Kleenex laden, festive and healthy fall.
As always,Dr. Brad
