The Top 10 Leading Causes of Death in the United States
TECHNIQUE
Howard F. Loomis
Jr., DC
The eighth leading cause of death in the United States is influenza and pneumonia, according to released government statistics. Please be aware that side effects from prescription drugs and prescribing errors are no longer considered in these reports.
Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection that is one of the most severe illnesses of the winter season. A person can have the flu more than once because the virus that causes the disease may belong to different strains of one of three different influenza virus families—A, B, or C. Type A viruses tend to have a greater effect on adults, while type B viruses are a greater problem for children.1
Influenza can be complicated by pneumonia, or inflammation of the lungs. The air sacs in the lungs fill with pus and other liquid, preventing oxygen from reaching the bloodstream.
We are just now (as of this writing) coming to the end of the worst “flu season” in many years, so I will refrain from commenting on the effectiveness of the flu vaccine. Instead, let’s concentrate on the early warning signs and symptoms of an influenza infection and how you can help your patients recognize influenza and pneumonia before the pathology becomes critical.
EARLY WARNING SIGNS AND SYMPTONS
Both influenza and pneumonia begin with symptoms similar to the common cold. You feel tired, sluggish, lethargic, and think you can beat it in a few days with a little rest and less stress.
EARLY RECOGNITION OF THE CAUSE
Chiropractors are in a unique position to recognize the cause of a patient’s symptoms before a definitive diagnosis can be made. The following list of symptoms suggests how difficult it can be to differentiate influenza from walking pneumonia. Nevertheless, while treating patients who don’t feel good and hope they are not “coming down with something,” it is quite easy to palpate a few areas of the body looking for tenderness that is often overlooked in such a scenario.
^ We are just now coming to the end of the worst “flu season” in many years, so I will refrain from commenting on the effectiveness of the flu vaccine.
Upper and Lower Respiratory Tracts
• First, palpate under the maxilla and around the orbit. These areas may suggest early involvement of the upper respiratory tract.
• Next, palpate the spaces between the ribs, especially in the lateral chest area, down the midaxillary line.
• Recall that the sympathetic innervation (stress) of the sinuses, throat, bronchi, and lungs comes from the upper thoracic spine (T1 to T4) and synapses with the superior cervical ganglion (Cl to C4).
Immune System
With the patient supine, palpate under the lateral rib cage on both sides for unrecognized tenderness involving the spleen and the liver. Involuntary muscle contractions on the left suggest the recruitment of white blood
cells from both the lymphatic system and bone marrow. Tenderness on the right suggests lymphatic detoxification processes.
Invariably, if there is marked tenderness in these areas, there also will be a loss of normal thoracic kyphosis because both of these organs receive innervation from the T5 to T9 spinal ganglions. Since the liver also receives innervation as low as T10, reach around the patient and palpate under the lower ribs, pressing medially toward the spine for tenderness that suggests kidney involvement (T10 to T12).
Warning signs and symptoms of influenza and pneumonia
Influenza Malaise Chills and fever Cough Sore throat Muscle aches Loss of appetite
Pneumonia Malaise Chills and fever Cough Wheezing and chest pains Shallow, rapid breathing Loss of appetite
HOW LONG DO THESE SYMPTOMS LAST?
Most symptoms associated with the common cold get better after about five days, but influenza, and certainly pneumonia, can last for a week or more. Even if your fever and aches are gone, you can still feel drained for a few weeks.
ANTIBIOTICS: DO YOU NEED THEM OR NOT?
All too often, patients are prescribed antibiotics to treat these symptoms, which actually are most often caused by something viral, such as an upper respiratory infection, sinus infection, or bronchitis. Keep in mind that antibiotics are not effective against viral organisms. The only time they may help is if you also get a bacterial infection, such as sinusitis, bacterial pneumonia, or an ear infection.
In keeping with the theme of this article, be aware that antibiotic overuse can lead to antibiotic resistance and an outbreak of Clostridium difficile, an intestinal infection that causes diarrhea and abdominal pain. It is difficult to treat and can lead to death, especially for elderly patients.2
We do not think of chiropractors being in the business of preventing death. After all, you cannot prove a negative. You can’t say with authority that you have prevented someone’s death unless you are a first responder or an emergency room physician. However, you can make claims about restoring and even maintaining normal body functions.
^ ^ This is the gray area between health care (maintaining normal function) and sick care (requires medical intervention). 5 5
We only need to recall the general adaptation syndrome formulated by Hans Selye to recognize our position in that scenario. Remember that the appearance of symptoms signals that the body has reached the stage of exhaustion—the inability to adequately control homeostasis. This is the gray area between health care (maintaining normal function) and sick care (requires medical intervention). Once symptoms appear, if stress is not removed or reduced and normal functions are not restored, then identification of a pathological process will follow with the inevitable degenerative processes and eventually death.
My position is that chiropractors play a critical role in maintaining health and restoring normal function before a definitive diagnosis of a chronic degenerative process (which can ultimately lead to death) can be recognized and labeled.
My next article will discuss the seventh leading cause of death in the United States—diabetes.
References:
1. The Biology of Influenza viruses, Nicole M. Bouvier and Peter Palese. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC3074182/
2. Why You Can ’/ Shake that Cold: Tips on Walking Pneumonia Cleveland Clinic, Health Essentials. Https://health.clevelandclinic.org health-essentials
HowardF. Loomis, Jr., DC, has an extensive background in enzymes and enzyme supplements. He is the founder and president of the Food Enzyme Institute. His extensive knowledge of physiology, biochemistry, and enzymology has made him a sought-after speaker and a prolific writer. The Food Enzyme Institute offers seminars to healthcare practitioners around the country. Dr. Loomis published ENZYMES: The Key to Health in 1999. He also co-authored andpublished The Enzyme Advantage: For Healthcare Providers and People Who Care About Their Health in 2015, and The Enzyme Advantage for Women in 2016, with respected medicaljournalist Arnold Mann. Contact info: 6421 Enterprise Lane, Madison, WI53 719 customer service afoodenzymeinstitute, com, 800-662-2630.
