Fighting the good fight

By Joe Pallugna .

TRADITIONAL medicine has always been the refuge of poor people, those who cannot afford the medical services of private hospitals, or those who cannot afford to even go to a government hospital when they are sick.

The prevalence of the Covid-19 has revived traditional remedies among the great majority of the Filipinos. And when one suffers a fever, or a cold, or a running nose, or a feeling of general malaise, traditional medicine has become a common remedy.

And one of these is tu-ob, or the widely used home-remedy of steam inhalation.

Is tu-ob really effective?

The Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) last week issued a formal statement to resolve the medical controversy: “Scientific studies suggest that steam inhalation is indeed effective against symptoms of colds and increases nasal patency.

“In the most recent Department of Health (DOH) statistics of Covid-19 cases, 96% have mild symptoms of low-grade fever, colds, cough, and sore throat; 0.5% have severe symptoms, and only 0.1% are critical cases. In a third world country, where resources are limited and accessibility and availability of health care services are areas of concern, traditional and alternative practices are the only affordable and available source of health care.”

Very clearly then, even the PITACHC, headed by the good doctor, Anabelle Pabiona-de Guzman, has recognized the usefulness of tu-ob as part of the good fight against Covid-19. Hundreds of thousands of mothers and grandmothers have testified on the effectivity of tu-ob as a primary home care remedy for the common colds. It can also be a first line of preventive medical relief upon the onset of colds and fever as it helps build immune systems and eases nasal congestion.

Ask your mom. And she tells you to do the tu-ob. And mom cannot be wrong. Ask PITAHC and they tell you alternative and traditional medicines are effective remedies to alleviate symptoms of respiratory illness found common among Covid-19 patients. No argument about this especially when a lawyer, and not a doctor, speaks about health care. Do the tu-ob, PITAHC recommends.

There is however a caveat of tu-ob. It is not recommended as a standard care treatment for Covid-19 until it is proven by controlled clinical studies, says PITAHC, who further recommends that individualized used of bowl and blanket or towel to prevent cross-infection, use of water with temperature not exceeding what is bearable to one’s skin, prevention of steam from having contact with eyes, and seeking medical attention if the symptoms worsen or persist are still the cautionary measures to take. PITAHC further cautions that if steam inhalation is done on children, adult supervision is required and that patients with facial lesions are strongly discouraged from this practice. Tu-ob is not a standard treatment of Covid-19 as of the present.

However, traditional medicine cannot really be brushed aside. It has been with humanity since time immemorial. And tu-ob was practiced by our grandparents for generations with the belief that tu-ob is effective.

If they survived many a good fight against illness in the past, doing tu-ob now will not be damaging. It only proves that tradition has protected mankind in history. It will sustain us in the years to come.

E-mail: ajpallugna@gmail.com