Are Prophylactics Necessary?

When you think of the term prophylactic, what comes to mind? Depending on your age, that may mean a condom. To others that may mean a vaccine, yet to a vast part of the population that is something which is meant to prevent disease.

According to google dictionary Prophylactic is:

pro·phy·lac·tic

/ˌprōfəˈlaktik/

adjective

1. intended to prevent disease.

For many of us, disease prevention is the ultimate goal, as we don't want to be sick. However, contracting the common cold or something equally benign for a relatively healthy person is a good thing. It can help build up your immune system and keep it functioning properly.

With that said, there are obviously things we want to prevent. Diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, meningitis and others that may be life threatening make that list. Also, if you don't have a properly functioning immune system, trying to protect against even the common cold can be important.

In this article I want to talk about preventing disease such as the common cold since we are moving into the time of year where this is more prevalent. I also want to talk about relatively healthy people. People who don't have cancer and are on chemotherapy, no serious auto-immune issues that require immuno-suppressants or other drugs to sustain life. Those illness and diseases are something that needs to be handled with proper medical care and the aid of your doctor.

I hear people say a lot that they are starting a protocol of vitamin C, elderberry syrup, echinacea or other things to prevent illness yet there is no current illness sustained by them or a family member. Are you doing your body a disservice? By feeding all these things to yourself or your loved ones, are you actually helping anything? If your immune system is properly functioning, why do you need to do anything? Are you just wasting what you are giving? Is it also possible that your body will become accustomed to what you are giving so when it is truly needed it won't work? ABSOLUTELY!!!

Ever walk into a room and smell either a horrible or wonderful smell, then after about 10-20 minutes you have what we call "smell blindness"? You can't smell it much any more, or if at all. The same happens when we apply perfume or cologne. Our bodies act the same way. If you are using a product or medication daily, over time your body needs more and more of it to work effectively, if it works at all.

Unless someone in our family is starting to feel ill or run down, they have exposed the rest of the family, or they are ill we don't use any kind of prophylactic except homeopathic immunization (in place of traditional vaccination). We are also trying to reduce our susceptibility by eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, reducing stress and staying hydrated. In my educated opinion, we don't need it. I don't want to waste time or money giving something that really at that moment when we have health isn't very effective. I'd rather save it for when we actually need it.

Every year I make a quart jar or 2 of elderberry syrup to help us sustain the effects of winter. We do not end up using much of it but rather sharing with family. While it's better to have it and not need it, it is also better not to use it if you don't need it.

Something to think about as we head into fall, when the daylight gets shorter, the night gets longer and our ability to deal with stress gets more difficult with the holiday and such. This is ALWAYS something worthy of speaking to your doctor about.

Should you have any questions, please email me at melissa@sweetwillowspirit.com. Have a wonderful and healthy day!

Love and light,

Melissa

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