Every time you click on a news site these days, you are sure to see a headline or two with something about Ebola. While Ebola hasn’t actually been contracted by anyone currently living in the US, it is currently residing in our country.

Two American doctors who were working closely with people in need sadly contracted the disease and were brought home to the US for treatment.

We have to take a pause and understand one thing before we get on to the next subject. Yes, the media has hyped this up. Ebola is still very rare, and though it is often fatal (current numbers suggest 90% fatality rate), it has mostly been seen in countries where hygiene and safe health practices are not a concern.

Ebola is not transmitted through the air, as a flu virus is by someone coughing or sneezing. It is only contracted through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids. There is a lot of misinformation spreading through the internet, as a veritable virus, mostly spawned by the pictures of doctors in full body suits with respiratory masks.

These suits are precautionary for medical workers to wear in any situation, as they frequently encounter people with multiples illnesses such as tuberculosis.

So the very first preventative is almost a no-brainer. Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer, and do not touch your face. Your skin is an excellent barrier against even bodily fluid born germs, and unless you have an open wound or you put your germy hands in your mouth/eyes/nose, then you are safe.

Another natural preventative that may even work well in treating someone that has already contracted Ebola is elderberry. Elderberry or Black Sambucas (Sambucas Nigra) is a go-to adaptogenic herb found in many different countries. Adaptogenic (say: adapt-oh-jen-ick) basically means it helps your immune system fight anything without making your immune system rely upon it, as some other antiviral and antibiotic herbs are known to do.

It is safe for even children to take, with no known toxicity level, high levels of vitamin C and zinc, and it is used frequently to fight things like flus and colds. In fact, you may have already heard of elderberry, as it is becoming a popular ingredient in even brand name cold and flu remedies in the US.

A dose of elderberry can be taken daily to boost the immune system and keep viruses from getting a foot in the door. It usually comes in the form of a syrup, which is a pleasant way to dose children.

Echinacea (Echinacea Purpurea) is another well-tolerated, safe herb that people of all ages can take daily as an immune booster and preventative. Whether taken in encapsulated powder form, as a tincture (a concentration of the herbs, essential oils and medicinal elements suspended in glycerin or alcohol), or even as tea, this adaptogenic herb aids your body in defeating any viral or bacterial invaders.

Even though this is going to sound really hippie, colloidal silver is something that is receiving worldwide attention these days. Tiny, tiny, nano-sized particles of silver are suspended by electrical current in water, and a small dose of this every day is an extremely potent preventative. It can be taken by the dropperful, sublingually (that means under the tongue … your tongue is a super-highway to your bloodstream), and you’re good to go.

A tiny drop smeared onto an open wound is another great way to protect yourself, and if you are afraid of catching airborne particulate sicknesses, colloidal silver usually comes in a spray bottle form, specifically so you can spray one dose up into your nostrils and sinus cavities, rendering them safe from evil germs.

We don’t know what is going to happen, but every remedy described above is good practice for the up and coming cold and flu season, so now would be a great time to branch out and see how your body does with any of these remedies.

To your health!