What do you think?

I had a conversation with someone yesterday who has been gone from work because their son was ill. I wanted to speak with them and let them know that I had been praying but also to find out what exactly had happened. All we had been told was that they had to go to the hospital in the city for it to be treated. Basically this person told me that the left side of the boy's face had been paralyzed. He initially couldn't even see out of his left eye and his mouth was distorted on that side of his face as well. He's not that old of a child so I asked this person "How did this happen?"

The answer was really interesting. This person replied with "We were out in the country where the air is a lot colder and harsher. The cold air made him paralyzed on his face."

I've heard from others who have also been to other parts of Eastern Europe that there is a similar thinking pretty much across the board that cold air and breezes are dangerous.
For instance, if you are in a taxi in the summer time you generally (from many personal experiences) are not allowed to have windows open on both sides of the car. Why? The cross breeze can make you sick. This concern is elevated most when young children are in a car, train etc... If you open a window to get a breeze there is immediate words and action taken to close the window because the child could get sick from the breeze. It is an extremely common site here to see people with cotton stuck in both of their ears...especially when it is windy out (even if really warm outside) and now, too, when it's cold outside. From asking about it I am told that they don't want the breeze to blow through one ear and out the other because it will either make them sick or hurt their teeth.

Really interesting, right? For me, now, I don't really think about it so much. Hey - it's their culture and honestly sticking cotton in your ear isn't going to hurt you at all is it? Go for it!
I do get frustrated when I'm not allowed to open windows when it's really stuffy or unbearably hot but, to be honest, those instances aren't really that often. Now that I have my own car I don't need to take the taxi's to the city anymore.

So, back to this boy's paralysis.
My initial reaction was really sad. How in the world could they believe that cold air created this paralysis? I didn't say anything to this person other than how sorry I was that their son was going through this and that I was praying for them. I have to admit though I was a little mad at the doctors in the city for telling them this load of something or other. This reaction of mine is based on some experiences with medical care here. One time I was with a gypsy mom and her baby at the hospital. The baby was receiving injections for an infection that it had. When I asked the Mom what was wrong with the baby she told me that the baby was getting injections in the hand - to get rid of the infection in the arms, injections in her bum - to get rid of the infection in the back of her body, and injections in the front of her leg - to get rid of the infection in the front of her body. When I heard this I didn't know if the doctors had just told the Mom this because they didn't think she'd understand the real reasons or, did the doctors truly believe this themselves? Really interesting.

So this time, in regards to the paralysis, I really wanted to go and see what I could find on online. I mean, let's be honest, these very - very different medical views had to come from somewhere. Just because they aren't embraced in the States doesn't mean they don't have value, you know?

I was really surprised at what I found by a quick Google search.

Traditional Chinese Medicine
believe that face paralysis is caused by cold air freezing the Qi (life force)
and blood that normally flow freely in the face.
Meanwhile, western medicine diagnoses the condition as a viral infection that attacks the nerves in the face.
TCM doctors treat patients with acupunture, as well as a ranged of other natural treatments.
While they may look a bit unorthodox, many patients regain use of their facial muscles after several visits.

Now, I know for a fact that this child is not receiving acupuncture. BUT, they are doing electrical massage (which I've had before in physical therapy) and lots of other creams and masssages. He has regained the sight in his left eye already.

What do you think?