People often wonder how they can avoid catching colds, flu and other infections, which seem to abound at any time of year. Unfortunately, we often find ourselves sitting in close proximity to someone in the train, who has a streaming cold and is sneezing the virus into the carriage. Apparently, the average sneeze produces around 40,000 infectious droplets, which are spread at a speed of around 135ft per second. Then there is the workplace, where viruses and bacteria seem to thrive and nobody can shake them off. Even the air-conditioning in planes can be a source of infection; and children often bring home infection from school. So what to do?

With the acknowledged over-use of antibiotics and the amount of stress a lot of people are under, particularly in these times of economic troubles, it is hardly surprising that a lot of us have a chink in our armour, which allows infection in. A suit of armour needs maintaining and our immune system is no different. Stress has a negative impact on a person’s immune system. Indeed, many people, who suffer from recurrent infections, reveal that they have been suffering long-term stress. How many times have you gone down with an infection after a period of stress? When the body is helped to deal with the effect that stress has on it, immune function is invariably improved. There are excellent medicinal plants to help relieve stress and restore adrenal function, if you have been running on adrenaline for a while.

Herbal Medicine can enhance immune function and this has now been validated by scientific research at the cutting edge of modern immunology. If you would like to help maintain your immunity, a three month course of Herbal Medicine will help to ensure there is no chink in your armour.

Deborah Grant BSc(Hons) Herb.Med
www.herbalist-medicine.com