The Swine Flu – Can you catch it? Yes you can, which is why you need to know the signs and symptoms of Swine Flu. The Swine Flu virus spreads in the same way ordinary colds and influenza spreads – through the germs that come out of the nose and mouth when someone coughs or sneezes.

If someone coughs or sneezes into their hand(s) the droplets containing the germs transfer to any surface they touch – think about it – computer keyboards, door handles, phones, etc., and when you touch that surface, voila, you can become contaminated.

Most people are infectious soon after they start to develop symptoms, and they can carry (spread) the virus for up to five days. For this reason, if you feel that you may have the flu (swine flu or otherwise) you should stay home!

Here are some symptoms:

Fever, Chills

Unusual tiredness or exhaustion

Headache

Congestion

Runny Nose

Sore Throat

Cough

Shortness of Breath

Body Aches

Diarrhea

Vomiting

As you can see, the symptoms are similar to the seasonal colds, viruses and influenza often seen after school starts and in the fall and winter months. Treatment for swine flu is basically the same as the “regular flu” even though it is a different strain – bed rest, clear liquids, and pain reliever/fever reducers.

Antiviral drugs like Tamiflu aren’t usually recommended unless the patient falls into a certain high-risk category. The reason for this is because of the potential side effects and the possibility of the flu strain growing resistant.

The Center for Disease Control recommends the new H1N1 swine flu vaccine for at-risk people such as pregnant women, health and emergency workers with direct patient contact, people who care for infants under 6 months old and people 24 to 64 with chronic diseases.

With all of the recent news about the possibility of a Swine Flu Pandemic, we thought that we would give you the basics about this strain of influenza.

First of all, what is it?
Well, basically it’s a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that is responsible for outbreaks of the flu virus in pigs. They become very sick, but it is not deadly. Most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months, as in the human flu season.

Can humans catch this form of influenza?
Not normally, but random human infections with swine flu have happened. They mostly happen in persons with direct exposure to pigs. There have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others.

What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
The symptoms are basically the same as the flu virus humans normally get – fever, tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, sore throat, lack of appetite and coughing.

How does swine flu spread?
Influenza viruses can be spread directly from pigs to people and vise versa. Human infections with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur where people are in close contact with infected pigs. For example livestock workers, farms, and fair workers. People to people transmission of swine flu can also happen. Just like with cold germs, coughing or sneezing from infected persons can spread the virus.

How is Swine Flu diagnosed?
Well, a respiratory specimen would need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of the illness .

What type of medicine is used to treat Swine Flu?
A variety of antiviral drugs are licensed for use in the US and at this time, the Center for Disease Control recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.

I remember the swine flu outbreak among soldiers in Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1976. The virus caused 1 death and all of the patients were healthy before the infection. The virus was transmitted to close contacts in a basic training environment, with limited transmission outside the basic training group. They say the virus circulated for about a month and then disappeared. The origin was never discovered.

There are several things that I did not understand about the flu shot – there are probably others who think the same way I thought – so this information is for you.

You cannot catch the flu from a shot. The virus in the flu vaccine has been inactivated, so its dead – not a live virus. Getting the shot gives you part of the inactive virus and your body then produces antibodies against the virus.

Flu shots are about 70% effective in preventing the flu all-together. If you do happen to get it, the vaccine will prevent a severe case (I’ve seen it work now).

I always thought that only the elderly, or those working in the healthcare profession needed to get the flu shot – not so. Flu shots benefit healthy adults and children in that they help to prevent getting the virus and thus help prevent the spread of the virus to others.

Just about anyone can get a flu shot – only those allergic to eggs, or those who have had allergic reactions in the past cannot. There may be a few other instances, so check with your doctor.

Too sick to do it now, but I’m definitely getting one next year!

When you hear the word “Vaccine” visions of screaming/crying children usually come to mind and just hearing that word can bring back horrible childhood memories of our own vaccination experiences. This is why I have a hard time with the word vaccine being used in the same sentence with the new nasal spray that is being promoted and targeted towards children especially. With all the medical salespeople out there, you would think they would have come out with a more appealing term for the “FluMist vaccine.”

Children seem to have a high success rate with this nasal spray, when used annually in lieu of the traditional flu ’shot.’ Kids tend to get the flu twice as often as adults, through their exposure at school and day care programs, and because of this, they are often the cause of infection throughout the family, which includes the fragile elderly and babies.

Nasal spray flu prevention could have a significant effect on the public’s ability to deal with flu season. Having a trained medical professional to administer injections, would not be necessary, therefore the product could then become more accessible to the public. There would be a greater possibility of having the ‘vaccine’ administered at schools in mass, along with other public facilities.

Just think -no more kicking and screaming, just a quick squirt in the nose and it’s over before your little bugger knows what happened. I feel better already!

Technorati Tags: children, nasal spray, FluMist vaccine

We are getting into the flu season and the Holidays are no help! Having to attend all of those Holiday parties, close quarters with visiting relatives, along with all those handshakes, kissing and hugging from contageous people who have travelled miles to visit creating the perfect breeding ground for the flu and assorted winter viruses. Yuck! Start making those doctor appointments! Just like those people who come to work sick and spread their germs, so do your relatives, who think you’ll just be heart-broken if they failed to show up at Christmas. Believe me, most of us would say, “that’s okay, keep your germs to yourself…..see you when you’re better” …..but no…..they tough-it-out, and you’re supposed to be grateful. Gee, thanks for the extra gift Granny!

Technorati Tags: flu season, contageous people, viruses, germs

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person’s spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. People sometimes refer to it as spinal meningitis. There are two types of Meningitis – viral and bacterial. Bacterial meningitis is the most severe form of the disease, which must be caught in its early stages and treated with the appropriate antibiotic.

Signs of meningitis include high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity and sleepiness. The symptoms can develop over several hours, or could take 1 to 2 days. Many times the symptoms can be mistaken for the flu – which has been the case in several cases involving college students. If there is any suspicion however slight, or if the symptoms, especially stiff neck, aches and/or sensitivity to light are present, immediate medical attention should be sought.

Some forms of bacterial meningitis are contagious. The bacteria are spread through respiratory and throat secretions – like coughing or kissing. However, the bacteria that cause meningitis are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been, as with the common cold or flu.

Unfortunately though, sometimes the bacteria that cause meningitis have spread to other people who have had close contact with a person having meningitis. People in the same household, or anyone with direct contact with a patient’s oral secretions (like a boyfriend or girlfriend) would be considered at increased risk of getting meningitis. These people should contact their doctor and get antibiotics to prevent them from getting the disease.

There is a vaccine that is sometimes used to control outbreaks of some types of meningococcal meningitis in the United States. Information about reported cases of meningitis and the availability of an effective vaccine should be available through your state or local health departments. Everyone, especially students entering college, should consult with their regular physician in regard to the availability of a safe and effective vaccine which may decrease their risk.

This would also be a good time to mention that college students should find and visit a doctor close to where they are living while attending college, in case of any illness or emergency.

Influenza is a respiratory tract infection involving the upper airways and lungs. Many refer to influenza as the flu. Influenza is highly contagious transmitted by saliva and airborne droplets expelled by coughing and sneezing. The incubation is very short ranging from one to three days. Common symptoms of influenza are fever, chills, muscle aches and pains, dry cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, headache, malaise, fatigue, sneezing, sweating, and irritated eyes.

The influenza virus is an RNA virus that belongs to the orthomyxoviridae family. Three genera of the influenza virus currently exist. Each influenza virus is identified by the antigenic differences in their nucleoprotein and matrix protein.

The influenza B and C viruses infect only humans. Populations tend to have more resistance to these two viruses. This is because influenza B and C only undergo a type of evolution referred to as antigenic drift. RNA replication in these viruses is frequently error prone and leads to many point mutations. These point mutations lead to very little change in the new viral strain. Influenza B and C viruses cause relatively mild and limited disease epidemics. The influenza A virus infects mammals and birds (avian influenza). This virus is more likely to cause a pandemic (world wide epidemic). Influenza A is a recombinant virus, meaning an interchange of gene segments if two different viruses infect the same cell. This type of evolution is referred to antigenic shift. Avian and human strains recombining in pigs in the Far East may permit the virulent human strains to evolve. Common antigenic variants include H1N1, and H3N2.

Influenza A can be further classified by the surface proteins. Sixteen subtypes of the viral surface protein hemagglutinin (HA or H) currently exist. Nine subtypes of the viral surface protein neuraminidase (NA or N) exist. These surface proteins are essential for the virus life cycle.

The flu season reaches a peak prevalence in winter. The Northern and Southern hemispheres have winter at different times, meaning that there is actually two flu seasons annually. Two different vaccinations are made for the different flu seasons each year. The Northern Hemisphere flu season peaks in January or February. The Southern Hemisphere flu season peaks in October.

Influenza vaccines are developed each based off the predominant strains in the Southern Hemisphere. The vaccine contains an inactivated (killed) virus. Protection provided by the vaccine depends on effectiveness of the strain used to make the vaccine.

Vaccinations typically begin in October. Those that are susceptible to illness such as the elderly (65 years and older), young children (under 5 years of age), and immunocompromised patients are encouraged to be vaccinated. Young children are likely to get complications from the flu such as pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus and ear infections.

Anyone who has an allergy to eggs should not be vaccinated. Allergy to the vaccine is due to small amounts of egg protein that remain in the vaccine after purification. This is considered to be a rare side effect. Many complain of injection site soreness up to two days after vaccination. This is temporary and should go away. Typical side effects include fever, malaise, muscle aches occurring 6-12 hours after vaccination.

There are currently medications used to treat influenza. Amantadine and rimantadine are medications used to treat influenza A only. Neuraminidase inhibitors such as Tamiflu and Relenza block the normal function of the viral surface protein neuraminidase. These medications can be used to treat influenza A and B. Resistance to adamantine derivatives (amantadine, rimantadine) is seen in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea due to availability in over-the-counter remedies.

The avian flu naturally infects aquatic birds. However, pandemics occur when the avian adapted virus infects porcine (pigs). This virus will then recombine to form a genetically new virus. The genetically new virus infects humans that are in close contact with the infected porcine. The flu is then transmitted from person to person, beginning an epidemic.

In 1997 the avian flu (H5N1) originating from chickens in Hong Kong, killed 6 of 18 infected. This strain was not readily transmissible from human to human. However, this strain resurfaced in 2004 in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. This virus remains avian adapted and cannot be transmitted from person to person. A vaccine cannot be made until this virus has recombined into a human adapted form.

Elderberry extract is a trademarked over-the-counter remedy to shorten the duration of an influenza episode. This will not prevent the illness if taken before hand. Only vaccination can help to prevent influenza infections.

Influence is on the minds of many and rightfully so. The avian flu will pose a threat to the world’s population if predictions are correct. Maintaining good health is essential during the flu season. One way to do that is take a good vitamin supplement.

Can you prevent the flu? or is it just luck when you are virus free all year long! The flu is a highly contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Because this illness can be spread easily by coughing and sneezing, influenza epidemics are very common, especially in winter. More than 200 different viruses can cause colds and flu, and strains of these viruses are constantly changing, so vaccinations against influenza have been only partly successful in preventing out breaks of this disease.

The symptoms of influenza begin much like those of the common cold head ache, fatigue, and body aches. In many cases, a fever develops, and you may feel unbearably hot one moment and chilled and shaking the next. Most influenza sufferers have a dry throat and cough. Nausea and vomiting may occur as well. Often a person with the flu is so weak and uncomfortable that he or she may not feel like eating or doing anything else.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT THE FLU?

Build you immune system and stay healthy by;

• Eliminating as much stress from your life as possible. 
• Drinking plenty of water Eating a healthy diet, high in protein, fresh fruit and vegetables. 
• Avoiding sugar, caffeine, & alcohol. 
• Taking a high quality liquid, herbal multi vitamin with minerals (To learn more about testing vitamins for quality and assimilation into the body visit www.herbs4health.net read Chapter Nine of the my eBook 9 Steps To A Healthy Vibrant Body ) 
• Washing your hands often with antibacterial soap Getting plenty of rest Exercising a least three times a week Staying away from people with viruses If symptoms of influenza or a cold appear, immediately take a herbal product with Ginger & Echinacea as the main ingredients. (There are many of these available, the best are liquid herbal extracts made from plants) 

SHOULD YOU HAVE A FLU SHOT TO PREVENT THE FLU?

Before you can answer that question, you need to learn more about flu shots. What is in a flu shot? There are approximately three different strains of the flu virus in each shot. These include some unknown substances, as most vaccines are grown and strained through animal or human tissues. In addition other vaccine constituents such as; Ethylene glycol (antifreeze) Phenol (carbolic acid ) Formaldehyde ( a cancer causing agent ) Aluminum (known for it’s association with Alzheimer’s disease ) Thimerosal (an antiseptic for cleaning wounds) Neomycin & Streptomycin (antibiotic) are found!

Believe it or not but, in the studies at VRAN (Vaccination Risk Awareness Network), statistics show that, with or without a vaccination only 1 % of the population is treated in hospital for pneumonia or flu. Also there are many different viruses throughout the world, and it is almost impossible to guess which virus will travel to your area. This makes a person wonder how they can choose which virus to inject you with? Another fact to consider is that of all the illnesses that come upon us in the winter months only 10 to 15% of them are influenza virus. To learn more visit www.demarcomd.com/vran/vaccines/flu/flu_severyn.htm

You have read the facts that your body can fight viruses. Your body and your immune system is designed to cure itself. Use this information to make you body healthier. With small changes in your life you can have a healthy vibrant body.

2004 Jane Kriese janes-store@telus.net

This article may be reprinted in newsletters and on web sites, with resource box included

If using this article, please send a brief message to janes-store@telus.net

Would you like to have a Healthy Vibrant Body? To learn more, sign up for Jane Kriese’s Herbs For Health Newsletter at: www.herbsforhealthstore.biz

Even though flu viruses may be lurking at the next holiday party you attend, you can take simple steps to avoid the bugs. Prevention can mean the difference between a joyous holiday season and a miserable week in bed coughing and sneezing.

The holiday season is a social time, and many of the things Miss Manners tells us to do to be part of civilized society contribute to the spread of the flu: shaking hands, talking in close groups of people, sharing food.

I invite you to challenge the boundaries of conventional etiquette to stay healthy.

At parties

Think before you eat. The flu germs are spread by hand-to-mouth transmission. So when someone with the flu sneezes, the germs land on the doorknob, where they can live for a few hours. You open the door, transfer germs to your hand and then grab a carrot at the snack table. Wash before you eat, especially finger food.

Is that my wine? Identify your glass. A nice hostess gift is decorative wine glass jewelry that gets placed on the stem. If you’re using paper cups write your name on it. Or keep your glass in your hand at all times. Set it down on a table, and you’re inviting a mixup.

Rethink hand shaking Have you ever wondered what to do if someone sneezes on his right hand, and then extends it in a hand shake? You could say, *Nice to meet you,* without extending your hand or, *Nice to meet you. I’d shake your hand except I’m coming down with something, and I don’t want to pass it along to you.* Or you can shake hands and then go directly to the bathroom and wash.

You may elect simply not to shake hands by saying, *It’s flu season, let’s just smile and nod and keep our own germs.* Others may appreciate your thoughtfulness. Passengers on board cruise ships infected with viruses these past few seasons found themselves creating their own sort of handshake: an elbow touch.

At home

Have a family meeting and ask, *What can we do to stay healthy this season? How can we remember to wash our hands?* Write down all ideas from all family members, including the wee ones. Then develop a plan. Notice when your kids and partner do things to which you agreed. Remember, kids get great delight in mastery. They’re wired to please you.

Develop your family non-touch greeting to replace kisses. Maybe a Spock Vulcan hand gesture with *May the force be with you.* You can have a family contest and give a prize for the winner.

Have soap (non-antibacterial) and disposable towels for drying in the kitchen and bathrooms and hand-sanitizers in your purse, briefcase or backpack. Keep a bottle in your car to use after punching numbers into the ATM or handling money at the drive- through windows. Always squirt a little into everyone’s hands after shopping and touching grocery carts.

If someone is sick at your house, call your invited guests and let them know. You can say, *We’ve been looking forward to having you over. Just want to let you know that Lee came home early with a fever. It doesn’t look serious and I think the risk to your family is low. Just want to give you the option of rescheduling.*

When you’re invited as a guest you can say, *We didn’t get flu vaccine this year, and I’m taking health seriously. Would it work for you if I called the day of the event and we could exchange a health report with the option to reschedule if someone’s sick?*

Elsewhere

Cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow or upper sleeve. You don’t generally touch things with that part of your body.

Be proactive about health at work. Approach your team leader or HR department and say, *We’re not vaccinated this year. One sick employee could get many of us sick. How about if we develop a policy that goes in writing that states we’ll stay home if we’re sick. That way we’ll have a productive work force.*

Use caution at the gym. Clip a little hand sanitizer bottle to your belt for use after touching weight equipment or any hard surface.

Be proactive with your relatives. Write an email that says, *We look forward to our family holiday gathering. Nellie is going through chemotherapy and we want to make sure she stays healthy. What do we do if someone gets sick? Will we stay home? Have a special place for sick kids?*

Be sure all health care providers wash before they examine you. If you don’t see them wash, ask politely if they will do so again in your presence.

Your goal is to keep you, your family and co-workers healthy this holiday season. Protect yourself with good hand washing and common sense. Be considerate, so you don’t pass your cold or flu germs if, despite all your prevention techniques, one happens to make you sick.

And remember, health is your home. Even though you are in the same room as germs, your immune system does a brilliant job of keeping you healthy.

It’s more important than ever to take an active role in healthcare. The best way to get top-quality, safe and effective healthcare is to actively and knowledgably participate. Visit http://www.MedicalBridges.com for the tools to get you there.

 

About The Author

Copyright (c) 2004. Vicki Rackner. All rights reserved.

Vicki Rackner, MD, president of Medical Bridges, is a board-certified surgeon who left the operating room to help employees become active participants in their health care. She is a consultant, speaker and author of the Personal Health Journal. Reach her at http://www.MedicalBridges.com or (425) 451-3777.

This article was posted on December 27, 2004