Medical opinion by John Ruhland, ND
Do you have health-related questions for Dr. John, the Naturopathic Doctor? Send them to the Free Press, PMB #178, 1463 E Republican ST, Seattle 98112, attn: Nature Doc, or email to WAfreepress@gmail.com. Please keep questions short. The opinions expressed below are on general issues of health. They should not be construed as personal medical advice. Readers should seek a variety of information about any health concern before deciding on a treatment from a personal physician.
Dear Dr. John, I have chronic sinus infections. I had sinus surgery, which was painful and didn't help. What would you suggest?
This very common ailment can be successfully treated in most cases by eliminating all dairy products from your diet. Wheat or corn can contribute to sinusitis as well, although usually to a much lesser degree. Eat other foods whenever possible. A good rule of thumb to start with is never to have wheat, corn, or eggs two days in a row. In some people, oranges and grapefruits can be problematic. If there is a food you eat or drink every day, that food can cause allergy-like symptoms, whether it is one of the aforementioned foods, or peanuts, pork, chicken, chocolate, or any other food. It is important to avoid refined foods, especially sugar and white flour. Relatively less allergenic foods include almonds, pears, plums, rice, millet, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and other foods not so prevalent in the Standard American Diet, (which I and my colleagues humorously refer to with the acronym SAD!)
Next, I use constitutional homeopathic medicines with great success. If chosen well, homeopathic medicines create balance in the energy fields that animate our bodies. Every cell in the body has a measurable electric field, and when this is uneven or out of balance, symptoms manifest. This could range from fatigue, to low back pain, to sinusitis. Chronic conditions such as cancer show up when the imbalance is extreme, or it has been there for a considerable time. Acupuncture is also a good therapy to modify our energy fields.
Thirdly, nearly everyone has a degree of vitamin and mineral deficiency. Linus Pauling used to recommend grams of vitamin C in the double-digits. I usually do not go so high, tapering up until I reach the range of three to six grams per day. Vitamin A in moderate doses, and zinc are some common recommendations in my practice, depending on the individual, and their specific manifestations of imbalance. Even more than vitamins and minerals, I use herbs to provide the nutrients missing from our commercially grown, chemical and toxin-laden, hybridized, irradiated, refined, mono-foods diet.
Sinusitis and other allergy-related problems are accentuated in a world polluted with pesticides and heavy-metal contaminated fertilizers. Even more than vitamins and minerals, working for societal change to prevent future illness--for instance by fighting against environmental degradation--can be very healing.
Dear Dr. John, Are there any herbs that have harmful interactions with other herbs? If so, what herbs should not be taken together?
This question always interests me, because the statistics show almost no deaths from herbal medicines, whereas drugs are one of the leading causes of death in America, based on studies published in peer-review journals. It is clearly in the interests of the drug companies to divert attention away from drug-deaths. Perhaps this is why the few cases of problems from herbal medicines are inflated out of proportion. Problems that arise seem to relate primarily to mis-identification of plants.
Herbs are often used in combination because they complement each other. There is rarely the problem of synergism that is so common with allopathic drugs.
However, there are a herbal plants that are used in certain situations when they would best be avoided. Some examples follow: Chamomile occasionally causes allergic reactions. Ginseng and coffee must be used cautiously in hypertension and diabetes. Hops, passion flower, and valerian can cause drowsiness. Theoretically, hops could increase the effects of alcohol and sedative hypnotics. Kava might cause problems with benzodiazapenes, one class of sedatives used primarily for anxiety (although given the choice between these two, I would not necessarily choose avoiding the kava). Lemon balm can theoretically increase the effects of alcohol and central nervous system depressants. (Here again a person may be better served by avoiding the drugs rather than the herb). Lemon balm is known to aggravate hypothyroidism (and I use it in some people with hyperthyroidism for this reason). Ginkgo and aspirin together is not a good choice in elderly people with capillary fragility. I would prefer to use ginkgo alone rather than aspirin. Yohimbine, which is used to increase male erections, provokes panic attacks.
If used with respect, herbs are relatively safe. If in doubt, ask a naturopath or an herbalist for advice. We devote a great deal of attention to the medicinal use of plants.
Dr. Ruhland is in private practice near Seward Park in Seattle.