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.

This little gadget is an essential germ fighting tool – especially during this cold and flu season. Think about this, you brush your teeth morning, noon (ok, not all of you do the noontime brushing) and night. After your toothbrush has done its job cleaning your teeth, you just rinse it off and place it back into its holder. So what happens to the germs left behind on the brush? Nothing – unless you have the

You need to get rid of any contagious germs on your toothbrush before you stick it in your mouth again! With this product you do not even have to think about taking steps to manually sanitize your toothbrush. Just place the toothbrush in the holder brush down, and press the sanitizing button (“brush down” is another great feature that protects your toothbrush from exposure to bathroom germs). When it has finished in approximately 10 minutes, the Violight automatically shuts off.

Violight uses a germicidal ultraviolet light to kill 99% of the bacteria, spores and viruses lingering on your toothbrush after use. It will hold up to four toothbrushes of all sizes (even child-size toothbrushes) and electric toothbrushes. Easy to clean, all you have to do is rinse the removable drip cup weekly. It has a 6 foot long cord, making it very easy to power away from water.

There is also the unit for travelers, or for anyone who just needs to keep one toothbrush sanitized, such as a college student, that is also great for preventing the brush from coming in contact with unsanitary surfaces. The travel sized sanitizer automatically shuts off after sanitizing and runs on just two AA batteries.

I guess the practice is more well-known amongst health conscious people who prefer to use natural, homeopathic methods for treating in this case, sinus-related problems. The theory is that bathing the sinus cavities in a solution of warm salt water will help to reduce allergy and cold symptoms, along with other sinus problems.

You are supposed insert the spout of the pot into one nostril (while your head is tilted over a basin) and let the solution of non-iodized salt and water run up one nostril and out the other.

Neti pots have become so popular that you can find them just about anywhere – health food stores, drugstores, even Wal-Mart. There are kits such as the

Here’s a demo video:

Browsing around the internet, I did find an actual story by the Associated Press about the highly contagious Norovirus making thousands sick in Britain. Usually striking during the winter months, Norovirus is a contagious stomach virus which is transmitted between people through contact with contaminated surfaces (ie: phones, door knobs, computer keyboards, etc) or by sharing food or drink.

Also commonly referred to as gastroenteritis, the symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach or intestinal cramping, diarrhea, chills, fever, aches and pains. It usually takes a few days to recover, however some cases can be very severe, requiring special medical care if they become dehydrated.

How long are people with Norovirus contagious? People infected with Norovirus are contagious from the time they start to feel ill up until about 3 days after they have fully recovered, though some people could still be contagious for up to two weeks. This is why good hygiene is important for anyone who has come down with this virus and for anyone around infected people.

Antibiotics do not work for norovirus – all you can do is to wait it out, reduce your fever and drink plenty of clear liquids in order to stay hydrated.

How can you prevent the spread of norovirus? Wash your hands thoroughly and often, especially after using the restroom, changing diapers, and before and after preparing food; clean and sanitize contaminated surfaces (or potentially contaminated) with bleach/household disinfectant cleanser; wash all linens/bedding that may be contaminated (especially after recovery).

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 they press the pump dispenser, they get “inked.” After washing for 15 to 20 seconds or so, the ink disappears and they are clean! This is an important time of year to teach the little-ones how to keep from getting sick. Hand washing is one of the most important germ fighters – teach them the abc’s of clean!

There has been recent news reports of MRSA cases in some public schools here in south Florida, and in various cities across the country. As usual, the constant news coverage has made some parents very anxious, almost to the point of panic. Learning more about what MRSA is and how to handle it should be where parents and educators (and the media!) ought to focus their attention.

So what is MRSA and what do those letters stand for? MRSA = Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. A/K/A (also known as), Oxacillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (ORSA), a/k/a Community Acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) and Hospital Acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA).

What all those letters boil down to is a bacterial infection that is hard to treat, because it is resistant to anti-biotics. The infection is usually a result of poor sanitary conditions around those with weakened immune systems or open wounds. Most of us have heard of unfortunate stories about staph infections in hospitals, but when it happens in everyday situations, people tend to become alarmed.

The truth is that staph is a very common bacterium that is present on up to 30 percent of the population and is usually nothing to be concerned about. A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association printed October 17, 2007, estimated that in 2005, there were over 94,000 cases of MRSA in the US, with the majority of them being in the area of health-care (hospitals, etc).

What are the signs of a MRSA infection? They usually show up as a mild infection, maybe resembling boils or pimples, filled with pus. They can become more serious, leading to blood, lung, or urinary tract infections, which can become life-threatening.

If a skin infection is not responding to usual treatment, a doctor should be consulted to confirm exactly what type of infection it is and which antibiotic will cure the infection.

How do you catch MRSA? The easiest way to catch the infection is by skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. Poor hygiene can be major contributing factor.

How can you avoid catching MRSA? Practicing good hygiene should be a top priority, along with good old common sense. Here’s a few tips:

Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently (check out our Hand Washing page above the clock!)

Do not share toothbrushes (yuck!), razors, towels or anything else that may transmit bacteria.

Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for times you cannot get to soap and water.

If you have any cuts or scrapes, keep them cleaned and bandaged until healed.

When at the gym, wipe surfaces of equipment before and after using. It is a good idea to place a towel between your skin and the surface of any shared equipment.

Immediately after engaging in contact sports or any activity where there has been close contact with others, wash/shower thoroughly.

Hibiclens Antiseptic Skin Cleanser, 8 oz. Bottle For use as a hand wash and superficial skin wound cleanser, bonds to skin and continues killing germs for up to six hours.

Ok, the kids are back in school. Give it a week or two and the viruses will return also. You know them all too well….ear infections, colds, sore throat, stomach virus, pink eye, the works! How can they protect themselves from these common afflictions? While it may be impossible to avoid all together, some plain old common sense can help immensely.

Washing hands with warm water and soap thoroughly is a big step in the right direction (remind them to sing their ABC’s or Happy Birthday while lathering – for proper timing).

Eating properly, taking vitamin supplements and getting enough sleep (adjust bedtime hours) will also help to promote a strong immune system.

If for some reason illness strikes – stay home if there is a fever present (even low grade) to risk spreading the virus! If antibiotics are prescribed, stay home until 24 hours have passed after starting the medication.

Unfortunately, this is one of the most overlooked, but important points that many parents ignore when it comes to their children and themselves! They send their kids to school sick because they have to work and they report to work themselves when they are sick – making everyone else around them (or their kids) sick. Inconsiderate? Yes. My #1 Pet peeve? Yes! Yes! Yes! It should be a firing offense!

If you get sick, stay home and get well.

My daughter had an ugly wart on the bottom of her foot which she showed to her general physician while there for a routine visit. Who knows how long it had been there, apparently for a while, but it had become bothersome, so she decided to mention it. Her doctor said it looked like a Plantar Wart and gave her a referral to the dermatologist for medication (love those HMOs).

What is a plantar wart? Also referred to as verruca, a plantar wart is caused by the human papiloma virus and its appearance resembles a head of cauliflower, sometimes with black specks. How do you get plantar warts? In this particular case, it was probably picked up during lacrosse season from walking around the locker room floor in bare feet, or from the showers. Spread by contact, in most cases by public showers, swimming pool areas and sharing shoes or socks. The warts can appear anywhere on the body, but most often show up on the soles of feet and palm of the hand.

Instead of waiting another month for an appointment with the dermatologist, I decided to check the internet and ask other friends/family about what they may have used to get rid of warts. We received some crazy responses that I thought I would share, before telling you what worked for us.

One recommended method was to tape a piece of banana skin to the wart before bed at night – it would be gone in about a month. Sounds buggy. No thanks!

Another home remedy was to use duct tape. Sounds like a solution my husband would use – duct tape for everything! It involves filing the wart down with a pumice stone and applying duct tape over the wart for a week at a time. If the tape starts to fall off, replace it. This treatment is supposed to work in about 2 to 3 weeks. Sounds like fun!

Yet another method is to apply clear nail polish to the wart over a period of 2 weeks. Somehow that doesn’t sound effective.

Finally, a recipe of two parts castor oil to one part baking soda, mix into a paste, apply to wart and cover with band-aid. Remember to clean foot and file with pumice before applying paste. Sounds messy.

We decided to go the over-the-counter route in hopes of finding a quicker solution. Many brands use adhesive pads treated with salicylic acid, which is placed on the ward after rubbing the wart with a pumice stone or file. There is another over-the-counter product that uses silver nitrate. Like home remedies and prescription treatments, multiple applications are usually necessary, however to what extent is subject to the severity of the wart and its reaction to the medication.

The first product we bought did not make any noticeable difference after two days, so we decided to check with a local pharmacist to see what he recommended. This Trans Ver Sal Plantar Patch Removal Kit worked in just a few days! He had it behind the counter instead of on the shelf with all of the other wart removal products, I am not sure why. So if you are looking for a quick an effective remedy for plantar warts, here you go….

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