Adrenaline + Dopamine to Fight Viruses
- Oct 8
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 12
On a recent trip to Chicago I coupled hang time with my grandkids with a conference. Between the petri dish that comes with kids and close talking at an event my immune system did not hold, a virus got me.
The Universe knows how to slow me down. While I will push through most cold and flu symptoms, I am very susceptible to laryngitis. When my voice goes, it's time to stop.
As the seasons change and travel ramps up for the Holidays be mindful of your immune system. Protecting yourself from roaming viruses just makes sense.
The Basics
While your instinct when feeling sick may be to head straight for the pharmacy and load up on every OTC medication that offers to solve the problem you would be surprised how common sense and home remedies can get you through.
Your skin is your first defense against pesky parasites. Protect those holes. Practicing good hygiene around eyes, nose and mouth with consistent hand washing and nose breathing will go a long way toward keeping you heathy.
Tanya's Tips: Practice nose breathing and take advantage of one of your body's best filtering systems. For a deeper dive read Breath by James Nestor.
Sleep, Salt and Stress
Listen to your body. When you are sick it wants to sleep.
During sleep your mind and body are allowed to recover. It is during sleep that your glymphatic system kicks in enabling the network of fluid-filled channels in the brain to clear waste and toxins.
Giving in to sleep and incorporating smart and tested practices when insomnia sneaks in will allow your mind and body to recover more quickly.
Salt Water Gargles
Gargling salt water helps free moisture from swollen tissue. It can reduce swelling and flush irritants thereby reducing pain as the tension on nerve endings is lessened. This is a quick and easy solution that can be used at the first signs of a tickle without having to run to the store.
Stress, Yes, Stress!
Short-term (acute) stress is your body’s healthy “fight-or-flight” response to immediate threats including viruses.
Stress can be good. Acute stress triggers your parasympathetic nervous system leading to a heightened state of arousal. It offers an adrenaline rush, stimulating epinephrine and norepinephrine. This helps lower inflammation and lets you wage war on invading parasites while simultaneously contributing to homeostasis.
Managing stress, acute or chronic, by dialing in reliable practices and routines that calm your nervous system will trigger the "vagotonic effect" giving your mind and body the freedom and energy to heal.
Tanya’s Tip: Practicing daily inversions, even elevating your feet slightly above your heart while resting, will stimulate the vagus nerve. By altering blood flow and pressure, your parasympathetic "rest and digest" nervous system kicks in. This caused a calming effect that can help reduce stress, improve mood and set you on a path for healing.
Ever noticed after stressful family travel or a business trip you get home only to find yourself sick?
The acute daily stresses and rushes of adrenaline helps stave off that virus ready and willing to take control. Once you slow down and relieve this stress your body stops the fight and sickness sets in.
Breath Work to Stimulate Acute Stress
While I do not recommend initiating breath work practices for the first time when sick, the practice of cyclic hyperventilation has been proven effective to induce acute stress and thereby increase your immune system. For a deeper dive, this 2014 Study proved that the release of adrenaline via rapid breathing reduced inflammation and improved immunity.
Building good routines around breathing, exercise, food and sleep that you can carry into sickness goes a long way toward winning the fight against viruses.
Tanya’s Tips: Practice breath work including cyclic hyperventilation as part of your daily routines. This behavioral tool can be used to stimulate acute stress and increase adrenaline to help stave off invading viruses before they take hold.
Hydration, Humidifiers and Honey
Drink, Drink, Drink!
When sick your body loses fluids just when it needs them most. The best way to support your immune system is to stay hydrated. This will help you fight infection and regulate temperature.
Keeping hydrated can be a challenge when you are feeling good, when that tickle in your throat starts drinking beverages, hot or cold, may not be easy but it is necessary.
Create a Rain Forest
Surrounding yourself with moist air will help sooth irritated airways and thin stubborn mucus. I live in Denver where our semi-arid (dry) climate is the antithesis of moist. Whether sick or well, I keep a humidifier on my night stand and douse myself with billowing cool mist all night long.
The daily routines you establish when healthy are often the same ones that will serve you when sick.
Beefused Honey
By now you know I am a big fan of honey. Not only does it relieve cold and flu symptoms but it has natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties that support your body’s immune system. It is water-soluble and naturally sweet making drinking more palatable.
Tanya’s Tip: There is nothing quite like honey when you are fighting off a throat tickle. My “go to” is Uh Huh Honey, notable for decreasing inflammation, beefused honey is packed full of super-bioavailable cannabinoids, including CBD. The next best thing, sans beefused cannabinoids, is your local honey.
Movement, Mindset and Sunshine
Moving your body stimulates the vagus nerve. This helps regulate your nervous system and promotes a state of calm. While acute stress can be helpful to reduce inflammation, balance comes when your body can "rest and digest". Building good vagal tone can help balance the adrenaline (acute stress) required to help fight illness.
For me sickness is partially mental. When it sets in the feeling of lethargy, loss of appetite and irritability can take over. While getting in those 10,000 steps or hot yoga may be off the table, keeping your body moving can trick your mind into future wellness.
This is not a new trick. Countless studies point to the benefits of positive thinking and an optimistic mindset when it comes to improved health outcomes.
Tanya’s Tips: Be Considerate. Avoid Others. Take It Slow. If hot yoga is your jam, try stretching on your home mat. Love to run? Take a walk. Staying active, albeit at a slow pace, can elevate your mood and provide acute stress that can help rebuild your immune system.
How about a Dopamine Hit?
When you’re feeling sick your mind and body are depressed. Basic hygiene is often a low priority. Even showering becomes a task that no longer makes the “to do” list.
A sense of hope, positive thinking, can lead to reward pathways shown to heal. Dopamine hits are often associated with pleasure and rewards such as eating chocolates, listening to music, dialing in drugs such as cannabis and, of course, oOrgasms.
Liberating your pleasure center has been shown to reduce inflammation and help the body heal.
While optimism goes a long way, there are physical ways to stimulate adrenaline and dopamine that can enable vagal adrenal access and reduce inflammation.
If you follow YestoSex you know I will always find a way to bring it all back to breathing, exercise, sxX and drugs.
Here I am doubling down!
With movement and breathing you can strategically activate nerve endings that reside in the fascia tissue (tissue that surrounds muscle). By doing so you can stimulate vagal adrenal access, connecting your adrenal glands, and yes, coming full circle, release epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine resulting in reduced inflammation and ultimately winning the war against invading parasites.
Tanya’s Tips: Feeling sick, take a hot shower. Use your pulsing shower head to break up phlegm in neck and chest. It’s hard to motivate when feeling sick. Sometimes a little effort to look good will also help you feel good.
Tanya’s TipsxX: While an oOrgasm may not be top of mind when sick it can offer a quick and needed pleasure release. If sick with your partner, harken back to the days of COVID. Why not make each other feel good? Ladies, don’t stop at the neck and chest with that shower head. Knock out an orgasm. There is nothing quite like a dopamine hit to help boost adrenaline and help you drop into homeostasis.
Everybody Loves the Sunshine…
Actually, when “sickness behavior” is in full swing your body is telling you to avoid light.
As photophobia sets in you may just want to curl up in bed, keep the lights low and binge some bad reality TV. While you should always listen to your body, before and after sickness fully overwhelms, I find fresh air and sun can brighten my mood and make me feel alive and hopeful.
We covered sxX, now it's time for drugs.
If you have caught a virus antibiotics are not going to help and should be prescribed for bacterial infections only. While antiviral medications exist this assumes you have easy access to healthcare and therefore does not apply to most Americans. Viruses are illusive. They take all shapes and sizes. The best antidote is time.
If hitting the OTC Cold/Flu aisle at the pharmacy is your thing you can certainly mask the symptoms. This can get expensive and is not solving the underlying problem. That comes with time. OTC or otherwise, it is wise to be mindful of any drug you put in your body.
For every action there is a reaction.
Home Remedies
There are many. Do you. I have already talked about honey which is at the top of my list when waging war on illness.
This round, on Andrew Huberman's advice, I tried a blue-green algae, Spirulina. The powder was under $15 at Whole Foods. Two grams a day tasted good in a smoothie and offered a healthy alternative to Sudafed with less side effects and anti-inflammatory advantages. The jury is out but I plan on using it when waging war the next time.
Cannabis
While I do not recommend treating your virus with cannabis, if a seasoned user and experienced at tracking and dosing, cannabis can be used to push back on cold and flu symptoms by helping to reduce aches and pains, distract and assist with sleep. Minor cannabinoids such as CBD are also known for their anti-inflammatory effects which is key when fighting infection.
If new to cannabis, I do not suggest starting when sick. Understanding the best application (edible, smokable or vape) and dosage is key. Cannabis can heighten your senses which may put an unwelcome focus on aches and pains. Dialing in cannabis use is best served with intention. It gets better with tracking and practice.
Tanya’s TipsxX: When using any drug, know your body and learn from experience. Dosing and application is key. Drugs are not created equally. If using a recreational drug as a home remedy this is not the time to be adventurous. Start slow, track and learn what works for you.
The Bright Side
Once you have tackled this virus you have built immunity for the next battle. Yes, your adaptive immune system kicks in, even immunity gets better with practice.
As we run head first into family travel, conferences and a plethora of new germs and viruses, you got this!
Arm yourself with good routines that support healthy eating, sleep and exercise. This is your best defense.
If those little buggers get you. Fight! Keep up your good routines while you can. Stay positive. Time is on your side. Chances are this virus will run its course and you will be stronger for it.
Getting sick, fighting parasites, can have an upside. You are allowing your body to activate your adaptive immune system. The function here is to imprint the virus and prepare you for your soldiers for the next battle.
Tanya’s Tips: The best way to combat invading viruses is to face them with good routines around eating, exercise, sleep and pleasure. At the end of the day your best antidote is time, patience and a positive mindset.
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