Influenza usually starts in November, and cases increase throughout the winter, not fading until March or so. This year’s flu season is especially severe. An awful lot of people are suffering with fever, cough, congestion, body aches, headaches and other symptoms of influenza. Of course, flu is not the only infection out there. Other viruses are also causing sniffles, coughs and pure misery. Is there any way to strengthen your immune system to be ready for cold and flu season?

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How to Strengthen Your Immune System:

If you want to strengthen your immune system so it can fight off infections, the first rule is don’t get in its way! In today’s world, that is easier said than done. Drugstores are full of cold and flu remedies, and nearly all of those contain an ingredient designed to lower fevers. That is generally counterproductive. Fevers help the body in its battle against infection. In fact, you might want to induce a fever responsibly.

Using Heat to Fight Flu:

Numerous cultures have noted that people recover from respiratory infections like influenza more quickly if they are exposed to heat. They have developed myriad ways to accomplish this task. One that is accessible to most North Americans is hydrotherapy: application of heated, wet towels to the body for 20 minutes or so, followed by a brief exposure to cold such as a chilled-mitt rubdown. Take care not to burn the skin. Our guest, Dr. Roger Seheult, suggests that you can learn more about this approach from Bruce Thompson, an Australian physiotherapist whose website is https://www.traditionalhydrotherapy.com

If hot wet towels do not appeal, getting into a sauna or even a hot tub for a short session might help. Pay attention to any contraindications, though. Above all, don’t take medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen or acetaminophen. When they lower your fever, they are also reducing the effectiveness of interferon, which is one of the innate immune system’s first lines of defense against viral infection. The widespread use of aspirin during the 1918 flu may have contributed to the horrifying death toll.

Other Drugs That May Cause Trouble:

Fever is not the only consideration. Many people now take powerful medicines to suppress their immune systems. These treatments alleviate the symptoms of autoimmune conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and eczema. Helpful as they are, though, they work in part by undermining the immune system. People on any of these meds are at higher risk for infection, and that is not good news during a bad flu season like this one. This might be a situation that calls for wearing an effective mask, such as an N95, when going out in public.

Strengthen Your Immune System with NEWSTART:

Paying attention to eight pillars of good health can help you strengthen your immune system. Dr. Seheult has offered a mnemonic he learned from a colleague, Dr. Neil Nedley of the Weimar Institute: NEWSTART. Let’s find out what it stands for.

Nutrition:

Packing your diet with vegetables, fruits, whole grains and minimally processed proteins is smart prevention to strengthen your immune system any time of year. If you come down with the flu, you might want to consider chicken soup loaded with garlic. Garlic might be a good preventive measure also, while hot chicken soup can temporarily ease congestion and other symptoms.

Nutritional supplements may also be worth consideration. Dr. Seheult cited a systematic review in the BMJ Global Health (Jan. 2021). The authors found that vitamin D modestly reduced the risk of acute respiratory infections and shortened the duration of symptoms. So did vitamin C. Zinc supplements, on the other hand, did not prevent infection but they significantly shortened the duration. Zinc is most effective taken as a lozenge that dissolves gradually in the mouth rather than swallowed at once in a tablet. Dr. Seheult also uses N-acetylcysteine (600 mg twice daily) during cold and flu season to help his immune system stay effective. It has been shown to reduce inflammation in lung infections (International Journal of Molecular Sciences, March 15, 2025). He is also a fan of topical eucalyptus, a compound found in Vicks VapoRub and certain other products. You can recognize it from the aroma.

Exercise:

E is for exercise. Regular physical activity is a critical pillar of good health. If you are suffering from an acute infection like flu, though, give your body a break for a bit. Exercising to exhaustion is not a winning strategy when you’re exhausted by flu before you even start.

Water:

Hydration is super important during influenza season. We’ve already described how to use water to raise the body temperature responsibly. That is one way to strengthen your immune system while you are fighting an infection. Drinking enough water when you have a fever is also crucial so that you don’t get dehydrated.

Sunlight:

Morning exposure to sunlight helps keep the immune system in tune. Ideally, we would all have bright days and dark nights. Living indoors with artificial lighting means few of us meet that ideal. Nonetheless, getting sun exposure as possible, even just face and hands in northern areas, can be helpful. Among other things, it helps regulate natural production of melatonin. Mitochondria exposed to sunlight, especially infrared lengths, make their own essential melatonin.

Temperance:

This is not a term we use much any more, though it was once quite popular. It simply means moderation; more explicitly, it urges refraining from alcohol, tobacco and other toxins. We have explored some common toxins in other shows.

Air:

Florence Nightingale insisted on fresh air in hospitals. We should be equally adamant about having fresh air in our homes. Adequate ventilation significantly cuts the risk of infection with flu. We wish everyone paid more attention to this pillar.

Rest:

Getting enough sleep is an essential step to strengthen your immune system. But rest implies more than enough sleep. It also means rest and recharging with a weekly reset. Practicing the sabbath, whether within a religious context or a secular one, is a sound idea for maintaining good mental and physical health.

Trust:

This final piece of the NEWSTART mnemonic refers to social connections. Do you have a person you can trust? Are you a person someone else can trust? Being engaged in a social network that supports you is as important as exercise and nutrition for keeping your immune system healthy.

This Week’s Guest:

Dr. Roger Seheult is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the School of Medicine and Allied Health at Loma Linda University.

Dr. Seheult is quadruple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine. HIs current practice is in Beaumont, California where he is a critical care physician, pulmonologist, and sleep physician at Optum California.

He lectures routinely across the country at conferences and for medical, PA, and RT societies, is the director of a sleep lab, and is the Medical Director for the Crafton Hills College Respiratory Care Program.