Why do people get mono anyway?
Have you ever wondered why it seems that people who seek more medical care seem to get mono more often than those who care for themselves? One possibility is the regular use of antibiotics. While antibiotics can be effective against many bacterial infections, the use of antibiotics during viral infections may increase the risk of chronic viral infections including mono.
Many folks are surprised to learn that it’s common to get mono after being on antibiotics.
Sometimes if you go to a doctor with a virus, a cold, or a flu virus, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic for you to take. Even though antibiotics don’t affect viruses directly, because antibiotics are pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory, you can begin to feel better shortly after taking the antibiotic.
But, according to Chinese medicine, antibiotics are like ice to the stomach. This means rather than strengthening your spleen to clean the virus out of your body, the antibiotic only further weakens your spleen. Alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and other artificial sweeteners weaken the spleen by dehydrating your digestive tract, while antibiotics weaken the spleen by cooling your digestive tract.
In our culture, where we are pressured to ‘just keep going’, we often rely on caffeine (coffee, coffee, coffee) and sugar to keep up. When we add in the overuse of antibiotics, our spleen can become weakened. Rather than aggressively fighting viruses, our spleen can become a carrier of viral infections.
When your energy system is worn down and you have a virus, a cold, or a flu virus, there are simple and natural ways to support and strength your spleen. Go here to learn more. If you have questions about mono, call and schedule an appointment to visit Dr. Brad for further support.