Grow Healthy
With Dr. Sally's
"Vital Signs" Blog
Let’s face it; this fall’s cold and flu season is shaping up to be a real challenge. Almost every patient I see expresses concern about the health of their immune systems and the ability to withstand the challenges ahead. So in this time of unprecedented concern about the global pandemic of COVID-19, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t have to be a sitting duck, just waiting to get sick.
According to a study published this summer in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, people who use omeprazole are more likely to get COVID-19. (1, 2) The long-term, twice-daily use of PPIs doubles the odds of testing positive COVID-19, even after taking into account a range of sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinical variables. Omeprazole is in a class of drugs called “Proton Pump Inhibitors”, or PPIs, which reduce stomach acid output by 99%. PPIs include brands such as Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid.
As we move further into the challenges of this pandemic, my heart goes out to you! Whether you’re working from home, are now unemployed or are on the frontlines battling this virus, we all need help lowering the inflammation that impairs our immune response. We’ve known for decades that the intake of simple carbs (think colas, bagels, chips) reduces phagocytosis, the process by which white blood cells engulf and destroy bacteria, just like little Pac Men!
By now, you’ve joined us Californians in “sheltering in place”. We’re all working from home, spending time with our housemates and looking for ways to find peace amidst the chaos of the COVID-19 outbreak. While this situation may be nerve-wracking, it also offers an incredible opportunity to bring balance into our lives. Let’s use this time wisely to build our health, so we come out of it stronger than when we went into it.
As the newly identified coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, spreads rapidly around the world, it is causing a respiratory disease known as CoVID-19. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a virus like this. The common cold (rhinovirus) is a coronavirus, as was the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) coronavirus in 2003 and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) coronavirus in 2009.
