Posts Tagged ‘Against’

Has the swine flu outbreak got you scared witless? Have you become panicky because you know that the virus can be seriously damaging to towards your health, as with what we have seen in some swine flu cases with death being the outcome. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t fear something of this nature. I know lots of people especially the elderly that if this virus continues and is not controlled with the swine flu vaccine they may become reclusive and too frightened to even open the door to anybody, including family. The thing to be aware of are the signs, symptoms, and needing a swine flu friend, that does not mean for any second that you need to make friends with somebody who has the swine flu virus, totally the opposite in fact. Our children are the most precious things in the world to us and we never want to see them unwell but as luck may have it, our children are always the ones to pick up every bug or virus going before anybody else gets a sniff of it, so what we need to think about is helping our children and anybody else who needs it regarding this illness it is not going to go away by itself. Does The Swine Flu Vaccine Work? Well it certainly seems to appear so, but in case it’s not as affective in particular individuals – that might not respond to the treatment as well as others, then prevention is better than any cure. We need to make sure the elderly around the age 65 and over, the pregnant women and young children under five and anybody with any under lying health conditions should try their best to stay clear of this flu virus. If you yourself have an under lying health problem which may be included in the list below then you are likely to be more at risk of catching swine flu. Diabetes mellitus Weakened immune system Chronic (long-term) lung disease Chronic heart disease Chronic kidney disease Been treated for asthma with drugs in the last 3 years  Chronic neurological disease (neurological disorders include motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease)  Immunosuppression whether caused by disease or treatment  Some people who have contracted the swine flu virus were fortunate to only suffer from mild symptoms and survived to live yet another day. Sadly in some cases of the more severe swine flu incidents where a person has an underlying health problem, the outcome had led to their death , So it is best we all work towards staying clear from this virus as best as we possibly can. Typical Swine Flu Symptoms High Temperature over 38c Aching muscles Sore throat or/and dry cough Tiredness  Loss of appetite Vomiting  Diarrhoea Typical flu like symptoms such as runny nose, coughing, sneezing etc These are just some symptoms of the swine flu which may occur, but if you get any other symptoms you are not sure of then call your GP. Never go to the surgery in case you do have the swine flu virus. Get yourself a swine flu friend who can go to your local medical centre or hospital, or chemist to pick up prescriptions and medication if necessary. Swine flu virus vaccine was brought in for use on the 21st of October 2009, and all at high risk groups that are being vaccinated first will include: Anybody from the age of 6 months to 65 years with long term health issues will be first in line, as well as health care workers due to them being at risk from their own patients. Pregnant women Sufferers of HIV/AIDS and cancerPeople 65 years and over in seasonal flu vaccine at risk groups If you do suspect you have swine flu virus then you should use general cold and flu hygiene such as the washing of your hands thoroughly and catching any coughs and sneezes within a tissue and throwing it away. Do not leave any used tissues lying around and make sure at all times your hand covers your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing. Try not to come into contact with anybody at all if possible apart from your swine flu friend, especially any person in the at risk groups mentioned above, and stay indoors as much as you can and keep warm and keep contact with people to a minimum. If you have a confirmed case of swine flu, always ensure somebody can keep a check on you as much as possible. Young children including babies are most vulnerable so be aware of this and keep a check on them at every convenience because they can’t tell you what is wrong themselves. Keep an eye on their temperature and phone the swine flu virus helpline for any help needed or just for advice if you are not sure what is wrong, whether it has anything to do with the swine flu or not.   No matter what virus is the problem then to keep Mother And Baby safe then you Catch It, Bin It, Kill It

The FCO is the first place to check out any dangers that might be encountered when going on holiday. A recent prominent example is the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico. The FCO warned against any absolutely necessary travel to Mexico because of the risk of infection. Many tour operators provided alternative holidays for their customers and those with travel insurance could claim back the cost of any cancelled arrangements. Since then the ban has been lifted and those who no longer wish to travel to Mexico unfortunately won’t be able to recoup the cost of their holiday through their insurer, unless of course there is another valid reason not to travel. The reverse is also true. Anyone who travels against the advice of the FCO will automatically invalidate their policy. Frequent updates to the status of places occur, so it is important to take a look often. The FCO warnings are region-specific, so might include only part of a country. An example would be the recent bomb in Lahore, Pakistan, which put parts of the country off limits whilst other parts were open to travel to. In the event of your tour operator cancelling your trip they should offer a refund or replacement. What they will not do is offer compensation for inconvenience or disruption caused, but you can claim for this through your travel insurance policy. If all goes well and you arrive where you should have and on time, you should also reduce the risk of becoming ill whilst abroad. Most of it is common sense. If the guidebook warns against drinking tap water, then obviously don’t do it. Washing your hands is often even more important abroad, particularly in hot countries, than at home, and is the simplest way to avoid the transmission of germs and bacteria. When dining out or cooking yourself make sure meat is properly cooked, so that any germs have been killed in the cooking process. White meats should be pale and of an even colour, with no traces of pinkish opaque flesh showing through. The juices that flow from white meat when cooked should be clear, not pink or bloody. Red meats obviously aren’t necessarily well done and can be bloody. Other annoyances occur for a vast number of reasons, such as the incident at Bangkok airport in November, when protesters held a sit-in and stopped the airport from functioning. There was no danger of violence but it did casue a lot of flights to be cancelled. Travel insurance really helps under these circumstances because it means another flight will be provided for you, so you won’t end up stranded. There is no need to be scared of travelling overseas. It is true that dangers and annoyances exist, but so long as you have a decent travel insurance policy then you will be alright in the end.

In these times of swine flu everyone’s wearing masks. Great time to rob a bank. Nobody would know who the robbers were because all the masks seem to be white. I have not seen any coloured masks or decorated masks so they are hardly a fashion item – yet. Maybe someone will introduce a fashion range of masks. The social implications of a global masking are interesting. For example before you kiss you have to lift up your mask, hardly romantic. And they are handy if you want to avoid someone especially if you wear a big mask and dark glasses. It’s a bit like everyone is wearing a new type of yashmak and we are all making eyes at each other. The most frightening thing I’ve seen is bearded men wearing masks. It really looks weird with all that hair protruding from them. And what about pets. Can they catch the flu? If so, are there pet masks available? Is there an emergency plan for pets and other animals. Do masks actually prevent catching the flu? Actually there is no clear proof they do. Government and health authorities say wear them but washing hands is probably more important. It’s generally agreed that respirators are far more effective. They fit like face masks and are designed to filter small particles whereas plain masks only prevent droplets. Mind you I would be glad to be wearing a simple mask if someone coughed or sneezed over me. They say there is no cure for the swine flu – not yet. In the meantime I think the best thing to do is keep fit. Eat well and eat good nutrious food. Losing weight would also be a health boost. I’ve also had my annual flu shot. It doesn’t stop swine flu but if you don’t catch the normal flu at least you are keeping strong and better able to resist infection. All we can do it aim for prevention and keep ourselves fit. That goes for our pets too.        

Can You Protect Yourself From The Swine Flu?                                   By Sandy Powers   Every day our bodies are attacked by viruses and bacteria that weaken our immune system and make us more vulnerable to diseases like the Swine Flu.   Swine Flu is a serious disease.   All flues are serious.   Even with the flu shots so many people get, around 36,000 people die in the United States yearly from the flu.   The concern is that a pandemic may occur.   If it does, many more people will die.   A pandemic is a disease that affects people worldwide.   An epidemic is more contained.   The Swine Flu is a respiratory illness that is spread from pigs to humans to other humans.   We spread it to each other much like we do colds—coughing, sneezing, and touching things with the virus on it.   Wearing masks offer little protection unless you are also wearing disposable gloves and wash your hands well after disposing of both, then disinfecting the sink and handles.   Unrealistic.   Symptoms are regular flu symptoms—fever, running nose, sore throat, and you can develop vomiting and diarrhea.   Treatment:  Antibiotics don’t work against viruses.   The antivirals may work but problems are developing that viruses are becoming immune to them.   Plus to work, you must take them within 48 hours of contact.   Often, with the flu, you don’t recognize the symptoms until it is too late for the antivirals to work.   So, how can we protect ourselves?   We keep our immune system in top shape so that if we do contact the Swine Flu, our bodies will fight serious complications.   We boost our immune system with certain foods. Double the orange juice.   Don’t forget the kids.   Have them trade some of that apple juice for orange juice. Eat carrots, sweet potatoes, and sweet bell peppers. Beans, whole grains, nuts, especially walnuts, shrimp, and red meat. Garlic and onions are great for boosting the immune system. Get your Vitamin D from the sun 15 minutes a day.   Make sure your kids go outside after school for 15 minutes without sunscreen. Drink plenty of liquids throughout the day to prevent dehydration even if you have no symptoms.   A meal that is loaded with immune boosters is Chili.   Make with ground beef, red, green, and yellow sweet peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and lots of beans.