Well reading up on inflammatory cytokines brings me to the conclusion that this is another fancy name to scare the crap out of everyone which further suppresses the immune system and makes one more susceptable to getting sick. This is of course my own opinion and everyone has the right to their own.
Do I think the immune system can be over stimulated? Of course I do and that's why inflammatory cytokines were brought forth. On the other hand are inflammatory cytokines hormones?
Wikipedia says this....
Biochemists disagree as to which molecules should be termed cytokines and which hormones. As we learn more about each, anatomic and structural distinctions between the two are fading.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine
This brings me to the point of an over stimulated immune system.
Think of this as a battle ground and you (immune system) are sitting in a foxhole guarding your area from unwanted and/or harmful invaders. You know where they usually arrive from and are on guard. You feel strong and capable. All of a sudden as an army of invaders comes into view, you are swarmed from all sides. There's too many of them and you frantically try to fend them off until you are at a point of collapsing. What to do?
When you become frantic, you cannot systematically take on this challenge. The franticness comes from an over active adrenal system. Fight or flight syndrome.
You don't want to run, you want to fight but you need to do this in a calm systematic way to maintain your position.
Calming, balancing and strengthening are called for.
You're body does this naturally when you are sleeping but in todays world of the onslaughts of so many toxins and stress, our adrenals are generally overloaded and these super bugs are aggressive.
Me personally would take borage to balance and strengthen my adrenal gland and garlic to boost my immune system and fight infection as well as other vitamins, minerals and herbal preparations. I would also be very cautious on my diet avoiding mucus forming foods and drinks.
For some further study, here are a couple of links explaining herbal and vitamin treatment for the adrenal glands and the immune system.
http://www.herbsfirst.com/dr-christopher-formulas/adrenal.html
http://www.herbsfirst.com/dr-christopher-formulas/supergarlicimmune.html
http://www.herbsfirst.com/dr-christopher-formulas/immucalm.html
Also you might find this Free Health analysis informative.
http://www.westernbotanicals.com/en/analysisfrm.html
I took it and found just about exactly what I already knew except for one thing, my respiratory system was in the best shape and I've smoked for 45 years. Go figure. Could it be my taking mullein leaf and other herbal formulas has kept my lungs clear? My doctor's in the past have been impressed.
I'll attach my chart.
So all in all, I'm not disputing other people's advice on these flu bugs and the direness of them when one gets sick. My advice is my own and I believe in avoiding these illness's as much as humanly possible. I also believe in educating myself on what my body does and needs and as my sig line says... let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food. Herbs, vitamins and minerals are food. Good luck to all in learning what's best for yourselves and in staying healthy!
blessings'
Vicki