The Everything Guide to Herbal Remedies (23 page)

Food intolerance can produce nausea, diarrhea, cramping, gas and bloating, headaches, and irritability or nervousness. Here are some herbal remedies:

Sometimes, things like diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting are symptoms of more serious digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. These are known as “functional” bowel disorders because they are related to bowel functioning, not anatomical or structural problems.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), also known as spastic colon, is a condition of unknown origin with no known cure. Symptoms are abdominal pain and either constipation or diarrhea (in most people, one is predominant, but many people alternate between the two); some patients also experience dyspepsia, nausea, and bloating.

IBS is treated in conventional medicine with antispasmodic drugs such as dicyclomine (Bentyl), which can cause blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, and weakness. Acid-reducing, antidiarrheal, and/or laxative drugs are also used (see above).

People with IBS can treat their symptoms with the herbal remedies discussed above, along with these:

Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is much less common than IBS, affecting about 1 million Americans. IBD is immune-mediated, meaning it involves an exaggerated immune response to certain triggers and appears to have genetic and environmental causes. Some experts categorize it as an autoimmune disease.

There are two different forms of IBD: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both are characterized by inflammation, abdominal pain, weight loss, and diarrhea. People with ulcerative colitis can also experience fever and blood in the stool. Crohn’s disease usually involves the small intestine, but it can affect any part of the GI tract. Ulcerative colitis usually involves just the colon. IBD symptoms usually follow in a pattern of relapse and remission, and patients can go for years without symptoms, then have an attack that lasts from several weeks to several months.

Conventional doctors generally treat IBD with antispasmodic drugs like Bentyl; anti-inflammatories such as sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) or a 5-ASA agent (Dipentum), which can cause nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, and headaches; or corticosteroids (see
Chapter 8
). Herbal remedies for diarrhea (see above) can be helpful, along with the following:

Herbs have been used for centuries to support immune function and, when needed, to kick it into overdrive to beat an infection or disease. And while conventional medicine has traditionally focused its immune-system strategies on curing infections, herbalism has centered on the belief that supporting and nourishing the immune system will result in fewer and less severe infections—and better health overall. Happily, conventional practitioners are increasingly supportive of this notion, and research consistently proves the immune-boosting power of herbs.

It all starts here, with your immune response: the way your body recognizes and defends itself against bacteria, viruses, and any other foreign and potentially harmful substances. You won’t stay healthy—or alive—for long if your immune system isn’t working properly.

Your immune system is a layered series of defenses, starting with simple physical barriers (like your skin and mucous membranes) and finishing with a sophisticated system of chemical messengers and cellular warriors, designed to fend off attack from all kinds of disease-causing agents.

The immune system works by recognizing antigens and producing specific antibodies to destroy them. An antigen is any substance that is perceived by your body as a threat—and therefore causes your immune system to produce antibodies against it. Antigens can be foreign substances, such as bacteria, viruses, or chemicals, but they also can be formed within your body (examples might be cancer cells or the toxins created by invading bacteria).

The nemesis of any antigen is its antibody. Antibodies are a type of protein custom-made by the immune system to fight specific antigens. Each is unique and defends the body against only one type of antigen.

White blood cells, or leukocytes, seek out and destroy invading substances. One type of leukocytes are lymphocytes, which come in two varieties: B cells and T cells. B cells produce antibodies, and T cells attack antigens directly (they also help control the immune response).

Other chemicals include eicosanoids and cytokines, which are released by injured or infected cells and attract leukocytes and other immune cells to the scene to kill off the pathogens.

Your immune system also includes several structures—the lymph nodes, thymus, spleen, and marrow in the long bones in your arms and legs—that produce and store leukocytes.

Everyone has a few kinds of immunity, including:

• 
Innate
(or nonspecific) immunity is your first line of defense, a set of built-in barriers that keep harmful substances out of your system. Examples include your skin, your cough reflex, and germ-fighting fluids like mucus, tears, and stomach acid.

• 
Acquired
(or adaptive) immunity, also known as specific immunity, is created as you’re exposed to various antigens and your body develops defenses to protect you against them. Your system “learns” to recognize and attack antigens and develops immunity to certain infections.

Over the course of your lifetime, your immune system will face a multitude of challenges—from external pathogens as well as your body’s own tissues and processes. An infection occurs when bacteria or other microbes get into your body and begin to multiply. The situation officially turns into a disease when the infection does damage to the cells and tissues and creates symptoms of illness. Illness can also occur when your immune system is pushed off course by problems known as immune deficiency disorders, or
immunodeficiencies.

When it comes to human health, infectious agents can be broken into four categories: parasites, bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

•  Infectious parasites include the protozoa, or single-celled organisms, that cause malaria and a few types of foodborne illness. (Other protozoa, such as plankton, are harmless.)

•  Bacteria are tiny, single-celled creatures that can live on nonliving surfaces (such as countertops and stair railings) as well as on (or in) a living host.

•  Viruses are tiny microbes that contain one or two molecules of genetic material. They can’t live on their own but instead must “hijack” living cells in order to survive and multiply.

•  Fungi are actually primitive plants (they include mushrooms, molds, and yeasts).

In healthy people, the immune system is ready and able to meet most of the challenges it will face. You’ll encounter pathogens and, if they’re strong or plentiful enough, you’ll develop an infection, which your body will eventually defeat, and you’ll go on to fight another day.

However, in people with compromised immunity, even the smallest threat—or things that aren’t threatening at all, such as allergens or the body’s own cells—can create serious, potentially fatal problems.

Herbal medicine has a centuries-old tradition of nurturing immune function—of keeping people healthy by treating them before they get sick—with an array of immunity-modulating and immunity-boosting plants.

One of the guiding principles of herbal medicine is the support of immune functioning through herbs known as adaptogens or tonics (see
Chapter 2
). Adaptogenic herbs help your body deal with the ill effects of stress—which can be caused by many things, including trauma, injury, or infection—without getting sick. Tonics are typically used to shore up a system that needs “toning” or “tonifying” (meaning it’s failing or just performing below par).

Several herbs have demonstrated a direct effect on the immune system. Some, like barberry
(Berberis vulgaris),
echinacea
(Echinacea purpurea),
and goldenseal
(Hydrastis canadensis),
contain high concentrations of chemicals that increase immune system activity and thus are considered
immunostimulants.

Other herbs contain constituents that modulate the immune response, increasing immune activity when it’s called for (i.e., when an infection is looming) and turning it down when necessary (in the case of allergies or autoimmune disorders). These are called
immunomodulators,
and they include astragalus
(Astragalus membranaceus),
Asian ginseng
(Panax ginseng),
licorice
(Glycyrrhiza glabra),
and reishi
(Ganoderma lucidum);
many of the herbs known as adaptogens are considered immunomodulators.

Upper respiratory infections are among the most common illnesses in the United States. They’re highly contagious and are spread by both airborne particles and particles passed through physical contact (touching an infected person or an object he’s touched). Colds or flu can precipitate other problems, such as bronchitis or sinusitis (inflammation in the bronchial passages or sinuses).

Colds are caused by viruses—experts have identified at least 200 different kinds—most of which cause sneezing, scratchy throat, and runny nose.

Influenza, or the flu, is a more severe upper respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus (there are three types, commonly known as A, B, and C, of which A and B are the most serious). Flu symptoms are more intense than those of a cold and typically include fever and muscle aches.

Strep throat is caused, as you might have guessed, by
Streptococcus
(strep) bacteria. It’s characterized by sudden and acute throat pain and sometimes fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. In most cases, your throat will be bright red and the lymph nodes in your neck will be swollen and tender.

Strep infections are always treated with antibiotics like penicillin. To relieve throat pain, most conventional doctors recommend over-the-counter (OTC) sprays or lozenges made with topical anesthetics like benzocaine, which can cause irritation or allergic reactions in some people.

To prevent the flu, experts recommend an annual flu shot (or Flumist, a nasal spray). Some doctors also prescribe antiviral drugs like zanamivir (Relenza) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu), which can prevent an infection or lessen its severity and duration if taken within forty-eight hours of onset. These drugs can produce side effects like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea.

Most people treat colds and flu with OTC pain relievers, decongestants, antihistamines, and cough medicines. These drugs can cause a long list of side effects, including irregular heartbeat, drowsiness, and stomach pain (see
Chapter 13
). Here are some herbal options: