Swine flu which is also known as H1N1 is a flu-like virus that can spread from person to person. It is different from the regular flu because it is affecting many young healthy adults and kids and the number of people getting hospitalized is larger. It is called swine flu because the same virus has also been seen in pigs.

Back in April 2009, the number of people catching the swine flu virus started to become concerning. World health organization got involved and decided to assess the situation. Many people were getting sick with flu like symptoms and what made it odd was that it was happening outside of flu season. It was also not affecting the typical people who would normally catch it. A third of people over 65 had immunity to it and young babies were not suffering as much as the older kids were. It was striking healthy young people and making them very sick.

It also spread from country to country very fast and started sending healthy people to the hospital. Although many people have only suffered mild cases there were still higher than normal amounts seen in the hospital and even suffering death. Most people who died from swine flu, died from the result of an illness associated with it.

Not only were healthy young people catching swine flu and having a hard time with it, so were people in the high risk groups. These groups include; pregnant women, people with asthma, kidney disease, lowered immune systems and people with diabetes.

Symptoms of the disease include but are not limited to; fever, sore throat, stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Vomiting and loose bowel movements have been noted but are not in every case. A person could have one of these symptoms or all of them. It also has been reported that in many of the deaths that people seemed to be getting better when their fever returns making them very ill.

It was advised that immediate help should be sought if any of the following symptoms happen, in kids; fast and trouble breathing, bluish, not waking up, fever with rash, not wanting to be held and irritable, and not wanting to drink. In adults the list include; breathing trouble, pain in chest, dizziness and confusion, and vomiting that doesn`t seem to stop.

Swine flu germs seem to stay on surfaces for two to eight hours and someone infected with swine flu is contagious one day before and up to seven days after.

The best way to prevent swine flu is to wash hands frequently and not put hands up to the face in public. If a family member is sick, try to keep everything clean and stay away from that person as well as keeping hands washed. A vaccine has also been developed and is available for everyone to take.

Swine flu is spread by either touching a contaminated surface and then touching your mouth or nose or eyes, or it can be spread by breathing in the air of someone infected, since it is also air born. Not everyone is catching it, and the duration of sickness in people is different, it is also striking hard on people randomly.

You can have access to articles about health in portuguese language from page Health

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for Polomercantil

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/swine-flu-what-is-all-about-1569373.html

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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Swine flu displays regular human flu symptoms including cough, fever, body ache, fatigue, sore throat, chills and headache. Antiviral medicines are available to prevent and treat swine flu, but right now appropriate vaccine is not available to protect from swine flu. Spreading of these germs can be prevented as it causes respiratory illnesses such as influenza by:

* Avoiding contact with sick patients, avoiding touching your mouth, eyes or nose as the germs spread faster in this way.

* Covering mouth and nose using a tissue while coughing or sneezing and immediately throwing the tissue in a trash after one use.

* Washing hands using soap and water, particularly after sneezing or coughing is essential and also using hand cleaners that are alcohol-based is preferred.

* Staying at home when you are sick without attending school or your work place is suggested to prevent spreading of this infection.

Immediate care is recommended on the initial symptoms of swine flu. The symptoms vary from person to person as there are patients having high fever, body ache and sore throat, while some complain about running nose, vomiting and diarrhea. However, these symptoms alone does not declare a person being infected by swine flu and is confirmed after the respiratory specimen lab test.

Precautions taken helps in minimizing the risk and the simplest way is covering the nose and mouth by wearing a mask. Mask covering assists in avoiding spreading the infection especially, when an infected person comes in contact. Precautions also include maintenance of high levels of hygiene, by washing hands frequently using soap and water. Subsequently, as influenza spreads through contact and air, surface sanitizing is also one of the best ways to prevent infections. Effective sanitizer is alcohol and even bleach can be employed to sanitize rooms and equipments used by patients having influenza symptoms.

Prevention of swine flu is considered in the aim of limiting the risks and this can be done by:

* – Building and balancing the immune system, as it is believed that this infection affects people having compromised immune systems easily. Hence, balancing and improving the overall immune system is the best solution to beat swine flu.

* Improving overall health is highlighted as mostly people having underlying medical conditions are easily prone to this risk. Getting into better shape is essential so that your body is a warrior to attack swine flu and this can be achieved by going on physical fitness program.

* Washing hands before and after meals is mandatory, besides also wash after shaking hands with outsiders. This is simple but very protective to keep you at a safe distance from getting infected.

* Avoiding crowded areas is advised as there are more chances of acquiring this flu mainly because it is difficult to identify swine flu inflected people, even if they stand next to you.

* Avoid visiting patients infected with swine flue is highly recommended as this enhances all the chances of spreading swine flu.

* Checking the temperature of your body regularly is advised as fever is the main swine flu symptom.

Treatment plays a significant role in preventing spreading of this deadly infection and also in curing the ailment. People with flu are suggested to take plenty of rest, avoid taking tobacco and alcohol and to drink lots of liquids such as fresh fruit juices and water. Taking medications to get relieved from fever and muscle aches is recommended, but definitely relying on self-medication is not advisable and hence getting in touch with the doctor will ensure the right treatment. Panicking on observing the symptoms will lead to seriousness, while maintaining coolness and getting tested will ascertain proper treatments.

You can have access to articles about health in portuguese language from page Health

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for Polomercantil

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/swine-flu-precaution-and-prevention-measures-1369755.html

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