Flu vaccinations do not protect you from getting the flu.  When you catch the flu, vaccinations should, and in most cases, reduce the severity of the flu.  When you are injected with the virus, your body builds its own immunity to that virus.  H1N1 Swine Flu vaccine is no different.

Virus strains can become resistant to antiviral drugs – similar to other diseases.  The H1N1 Swine flu virus strain is resistant to older antiviral drugs, such as amantadine and rimantadine.  Health officials tell us that Tamiflu (oseltamivir) works well against the H1N1 Swine flu virus.  Tamiflu and Relenza (zanamivir) are two effective vaccines for the H1N1 Swine flu.  But, you have to take the vaccine before you contract the flu.  The big unknown is how long these antiviral vaccines will remain effective in your system.

There are some actions that you can take on your own without your doctor’s advice.  The H1N1 Swine flu is spread through the air and on contact.  The most obvious preventive actions  are to wash your hands often and wear a mask.  Those two actions are very effective.  However, our culture doesn’t wear face masks as other cultures do, to keep from spreading a disease, or to keep from catching a disease.  Washing our hands works well when in contact with others, but often we forget to do that after answering a phone or opening a door.  It still amazes me the number of people using the restroom who don’t wash their hands – but, that’s another story.

So, what else can you do besides washing your hands?  Build up your immune system and keep it strong and robust.  Several articles that I’ve read recently indicate that N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) might be helpful in maintaining your health during this or any flu season.  NAC is an amino acid coupled with a protein component.  It is a precursor to glutathione.  Every cell in you body can synthesize glutathione from three different amino acids, with L-cysteine being one of them.

Glutathione is a major weapon in your body’s arsenal for better health.  It is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals.  It builds your immune system.  It is also a mucolytic agent, meaning it breaks down or thins out lung-clogging mucous resulting from various respiratory diseases.  Your liver is critical for glutathione synthesis.  NAC has been shown to help in the detoxification process for liver and lung disorders.

Some Italian studies have shown that there is statistical evidence that NAC has been effective in reducing the severity of flu-like symptoms.  In some cases it appears that NAC was able to reduce the likelihood of even catching the flu.

Other herbs and supplements that are believed to be effective in the treatment or prevention of flu-like symptoms are: vitamin D, elderberry, licorice root, ginseng, whey protein and possibly vitamin C, Echinacea and zinc.  There is a concern that many of these herbs and supplements work by improving your immune system.  There is some speculation that any kind of immune-stimulants might make flu symptoms worse, or even worse, result in death.  Why?  Because it is believed that the H1N1 Swine flu virus has been more deadly to those with healthy immune systems.  My personal belief is that I would rather have healthy a robust immune system to ward off any flu virus, or any other contagion that I might encounter.

Red O’Laughlin is a retired Navy Captain and senior corporate executive redirecting his life’s experiences into improving prosperity for those who deserve it. His research into health and nutrition is to find out why something works or does not. Sign up for his newsletter at http://www.redshealthtips.com.

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David Ballard
About H1N1 Virus

Welcome back, keep updated with: h1n1 feed. Thanks again for visiting! Remember to WASH your hands.

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As swine flu sweeps our nation and rest of the world, public awareness fueled by media, leads to people seeking out early surveillance and intervention on their own, in an effort to head off serious illness. You can’t blame them for wanting to protect themselves and their families, as over a million cases have been documented in the U.S. alone; so many that the CDC has quit counting. There are 2 medications on the market that have been shown to be effective against swine flu, Relenza and Tamiflu. These medicines have to be administered within 2 days of the onset of symptoms (which last about a week), and are said to shorten the duration of symptoms by about 2 days. Because early detection is vital for the efficacy of these drugs, rapid detection is necessary. Many manufacturers are currently working on versions of a rapid H1N1 test to allow early detection in minutes, as opposed to days as is with traditional virus testing.

The trouble is, the preliminary results of these types of these tests have been poor. It was determined that too many false negative results, as many as half, occurred on a regular basis. In other words, the test failed to detect known swine flu in laboratory conditions, meaning a negative test at the doctor’s office wouldn’t actually guarantee that you don’t really have the swine flu. This is important because the patients at higher risk that really need the medication might not be treated due to false negative results.

The bottom line is, at this point we don’t have a rapid swine flu test. Plus, the seasonal flu and swine flu symptoms are mostly indistinguishable and similar in duration. Those symptoms include fever, headache, coughing, sore throat, and muscle pains, and sometimes diarrhea or vomiting. If shortness of breath occurs, you may have swine flu. Still however, symptoms of both should only last about a week. Either way, if your going to go to the doctor to get him to write you a prescription for Tamiflu, go the first or second day you get symptoms, otherwise the medication won’t be effective.

Keep in mind that the media fuels paranoia and irrational behavior, so use your best judgment before running to the ER or your doctor’s office. Remember during the first gulf war and after 911 when gas masks were flying off the shelves of U.S. Army surplus stores? People didn’t even know what kind of nerve gas or chemical warfare they were trying to protect themselves from, they just felt better having something. For the flu, it may just be better to take some swine flu precautions and swine flu vaccine and stay in bed, and catch up on your favorite TV shows.

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