Monthly Archive for September, 2009

Ways to prevent H1N1

Published on September 24, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 1 Comment Tags: , .

With the constant fear of H1N1 symptoms, the following measures listed below
can be practiced by one and all.
Tamiflu does not kill but prevents H1N1 from further proliferation till the
virus limits itself in about 1-2 weeks (its natural cycle). H1N1, like other
Influenza A viruses, only infects the upper respiratory tract and
proliferates (only) there. The only portals of entry are the nostrils and
mouth/ throat.I In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible
not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions.
Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection,
in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development
of secondary infections, some very simple steps – not fully highlighted in
most official communications – can be
practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part
of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust
salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal
cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms.  Simple gargling
prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same
effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one.  Don’t
underestimate this simple, inexpensive and
powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm
salt water.  Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good
Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day
and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is
very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla
and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets,
make sure that it also has Zinc/bioflavonoids to boost absorption.

6. Drink as many warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the
same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off
proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot
survive, proliferate or do any harm.

All these are simple ways to prevent, within means of most households, and
certainly much less painful than to wait in long queues outside public
hospitals.

Studies reveal that smoking bans have improved health

Published on September 23, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Bans on smoking in public places has not just cleared the air, it has led to major drops in heart attacks.

There were two teams of researchers who came to this conclusion after they looked at evidence from over a dozen areas in the U.S. Canada, and Europe that had begun smoking restrictions.

According to the researchers, the decline in heart attacks was almost right away, and they even increased the longer the bans were held in place. One study found that after smoking bans began, heart attack rates went down an average of 26 percent in a year. After 3 years, heart attack rates declined an average of 36 percent.

David Meyers, from the University of Kansas Medical Center and lead author of one of the studies, said that he is sure of the benefit from the bans and that “the effect of smoke on heart attacks is huge.” He made a conservative estimate that a public smoking ban for the whole U.S. might prevent around 156,400 heart attacks a year. He also said that he was embarrassed that America has not passed a national smoking ban even though Scotland, Ireland, Italy and France already have one in place. His study is in the latest issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

North Carolina, which is the nation’s biggest tobacco-producing state,  joined around 30 other states this year in prohibiting smoking in restaurants and bars. In January the N.C. law will take effect and it authorizes fines of up to $50 for anyone who smokes after being asked to stop. A $200 fine will be issued for managers of establishments who don’t enforce the new law after being warned twice.

Recently published in Circulation, the American Heart Associatio’s journal, is a study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. They looked at a lot of related data and came to similar conclusions as the study mentioned earlier.

Also, a new federal ban on flavored cigarettes took effect on September 22. This is one of the first signals that the FDA is practicing new authority to regulate tobacco. The ban is on manufacturing, importing, marketing and distribution of candy, fruit or clove-flavored cigarettes. Health authorities say that these types of cigarettes are more popular with young people. Dr. Lawrence Deyton, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said that studies show that 17-year-old smokers are three times more likely to use flavored cigarettes than smokers who are older than 25.

The ban is expected to help stop more than 3,600 youth from smoking because FDA officials said that around 90 percent of adult smokers begin smoking as teenagers. A letter was sent to the industry last week that discusses the ban.

Study gives retail walk-in clinics a high rating

Published on September 22, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments

Have you ever been hesitant to go to one of those small clinics such as the Minute Clinic? Well, according to a new study by the Rand Corp., you have nothing to fear. In fact, they found that walk-in clinics can provide care for ordinary illnesses that is similar to doctors’ offices, hospital emergency rooms and urgent care centers and even costs less. The savings, particularly over emergency rooms, was substantial.

This said, physician groups have lifted up concerns about the quality of care in these retail clinics, pointing to the belief that they may over-prescribe medications because most of them are owned by pharmacy chains. They also brought up the concern about whether they have good follow-up care. However, the Rand study could not find any major differences in these elements between the clinics and other medical areas that were looked at.

This study was published in the September issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. A similar study was also published by Annals revealing that one-third of Americans now live within 10-minutes of this type of clinic.

The comparative study found that these type of clinics are found in retail stores like pharmacies and grocery chains. They don’t require an appointment and are open on weekends and evenings. There is usually not much of a wait, but services are limited to vaccinations and minor conditions. They are normally staffed by physician assistants or nurse practitioners instead of doctors. The study also revealed that most people that take advantage of these clinics are younger, uninsured and not as likely to have a primary care physician.

The cases of 2,100 patients from 2005 to 2006 were examined in the study. These people were treated for routine illnesses such as ear infections, sore throats and urinary tract infections. They were compared with patients who were treated for the same type of conditions at doctor’s offices, ERs and urgent care centers. Claims from a huge Minnesota health plan, allowing enrollees to use retail clinics for more than 5 years, were studied.

The study found that the cost of care in retail clinics was 30 to 40 percent lower than in physician offices and urgent care centers and a whopping 80 percent less than in emergency areas of hospitals. The average cost for laboratory and radiology tests was $15 in a clinic, $33 for a doctor’s office and $113 for an E.R. There was hardly any difference in average costs for prescription drugs.

For quality, care was evaluated using 14 indicators such as tests given, whether antibiotics were prescribed, and if follow-up treatment happened. Overall, the research discovered that the retail clinics had equal or higher scores than other care centers.

The main funder for the study was the California HealthCare Foundation. They were cautious to draw attention to the fact that the results applied only to cases of the three common illnesses surveyed, and they shouldn’t be used to make a common assumption concerning the quality of care and cost of other medical facilities.

Study finds swine flu is contagious days after fever ends

Published on September 18, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments

If you have the swine flu or know someone who does, better stay home just a few more days to be safe. New research has experts saying that they believe a patient with swine flu is contagious until the coughing stops.

Up until now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been informing everyone to stay home and avoid contact with anyone until a day after their fever breaks. This brand new research indicates that they should be careful for a longer period, perhaps up to a week or more. The swine flu seems to be even more contagious than the regular seasonal flu. Gaston De Serres, a scientist at the Institute of Public Health in Quebec, says that swine flu patients are contagious for about a week.

Serres presented one of the studies on Monday during a conference at the American Society for Microbiology. It was the first large meeting of experts of disease since the arrival of the swine flu last spring; which now represents almost all the flu cases in the U.S. The CDC now deems that more than a million Americans have been infected with this flu and almost 600 have died from it.

Right now it is not certain whether this new research will cause the CDC to change its recommendations on how long those infected with swine flu should stay isolated. The CDC’s flu chief, Nancy Cox, said that long breaks from school and work do not seem worth it because the virus is causing only mild illness for the most part.

Osteoporosis prevention and awareness

Published on September 16, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 1 Comment

Are you concerned about getting osteoporosis? You should probably talk to your doctor about being screened if you have a family history of osteoporosis or broken bones. You should definitely be checked if you are in your 30′s or 40′s and have a grandparent with osteoporosis. Older women or women with a small or thin body type or history of broken bones are especially vulnerable. If you are a menopausal woman and have low sex hormones in the form of low estrogen levels, have a condition called amenorrhea (missed periods) or are a man with low testosterone and estrogen levels, you might want to seek a screening. A screening is also recommended if you are on medications such as steroids, thyroid treatment anti-convulsants, the Depo Provera birth control, and cancer drugs like Tamoxifen and Arimidex.

There are things you can do to prevent osteoporosis. First of all, like your mother always said – eat right. Make sure you get your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Exercise is another way to keep osteoporosis away. Try to do regular strengthening exercises like weightlifting. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle doesn’t hurt either. Don’t smoke and drink in moderation. And finally, get a bone density test and take the medication that your doctor suggests.

A web site to go to for more information with facts about bone health from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health: www.medlineplus.gov. Also you can take a risk-factor questionnaire from The National Osteoporosis Foundation: www.nof.org/osteoporosis.

Some facts to know about the swine flu

Published on September 16, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments

First of all, if you are feeling sick, don’t panic, call 911 or go to the emergency room. Most of the time, the flu can be treated easily at home. So, how do you even know if you have the swine flu or just a little bug? You can go to the doctor and get a lab test to be sure, but health officials are saying that if you have flu like symptoms, that you should stay home until you have not had a fever for at least 24 hours. Some symptoms of the H1N1 flu are a fever from 99 to 104 degrees lasting from 3 to as many as 8 days, cough, aching muscles, headache, joint aches, eye pain, cold or shaking chills, feeling fatigued, sore throat, and runny or stuffy nose.

If you believe that you need medical treatment, call your doctor’s office first. Your doctor may want to talk to you and suggest treatments or call something in to the pharmacy  instead of you coming into the office and infecting other people. If he thinks you need to come in, wear a mask and let the staff know right away that you have flu-like symptoms so that you can be seated away from other patients.

If you are an adult and have confusion, difficulty breathing, severe headache that doesn’t improve with Tylenol or ibuprofen, chest pain, fainting or continuous vomiting or diarrhea, you should seek treatment. Seek medical help for children if they show signs of fast or difficult breathing, bluish skin color, not drinking enough fluids, not waking up or interacting with people as usual, very irritable behavior and not wanting to be held, a worsening fever and cough and a fever with a rash. Keep the infected person away from others for at least 7 days after person showed symptoms. If the sick person must move around, they should wear a mask. The sick person and everyone else in the house should not travel on airplanes, buses, go to school, church, work or other public places for at least 7 days after symptoms began. PLEASE STAY HOME !!

Usually the flu can be treated right at home. Do not take antibiotics! Because it is caused by a virus, it will not respond to antibiotics. Instead, take Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) as directed for fevers, headache and general body aches. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids so that you stay hydrated. This is extremely important if you have diarrhea, vomiting or a high fever.

It is also important that good hygiene be practiced in the household of the sick person. Everyone, including the sick person, needs to wash their hands very often with soap and warm water. It can not be stressed enough that this is the best way to kill the germs. Alcohol hand sanitizer can be used in between hand washing. Make sure no one shares drinking glasses, eating utensils, washcloths, towels, beds, etc. This is a good rule to follow even when there is no one sick. Coughs and sneezes should be done where the elbow bends or in a tissue. Throw the tissue away immediately. Use tissues for runny noses, and dispose of them right away. Keeping your hands out of your eyes, nose and mouth is also a must to prevent germs from entering your body and make sure you constantly remind children of this, because they tend to have a hard time keeping their little hands out of these areas.

If you have heard of the “incubation period” but are not sure exactly what this is, it is the time period from exposure to the virus to the moment you first start to notice symptoms for the H1N1 flu. According to the World Health Organization, it is usually around 2 to 4 days.

So who should get the vaccine? Once it becomes available in October, it is suggested for people who are at the most risk for getting seriously ill, to be first in line. This includes pregnant women, children from 6 months old to teenagers and young adults. Other people who should be vaccinated are those who have a chronic medical condition like emphysema, diabetes, or care-givers for children under 6 months, health care workers in direct contact with patients and emergency responders.

Unlike with the seasonal flu, senior citizens are not on the first list to get the H1N1 vaccine. They seem to be less vulnerable because of exposure to similar viruses in previous years.

Swine flu battle could be helped with China’s single-dose vaccine

Published on September 8, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments

China claims that it is getting close to approving some swine flu vaccines that are homegrown. Manufacturers are saying that these vaccines could protect people with just one dose. This is good news for health officials who are racing to get ready for any sharp increases in cases this winter.

If these claims of an effective, one dose vaccine end up being true, experts believe China’s versions could escalate worldwide efforts to fight the virus.

Initially, most health authorities believed that two doses would be necessary to provide complete protection against the new H1N1 virus. A single-dose vaccine could mean that producers could disperse supplies to more people faster.

After details of trials of one of the two Chinese vaccines was reviewed, the World Health Organization was optimistic. This said, more test results were needed from other vaccine makers worldwide to make sure that one dose would be strong enough.

According to China’s State Food and Drug Administration, there are at least two vaccines that are close to being approved after clinical trials were finished last month and after passing reviews by panels of around 40 experts. There are another four vaccines that are also being reviewed.

The clinical trials from the vaccine makers, Sinovac, Biotech and Hualan Biological Engineering, revealed that the vaccines were effective in single doses when they were used on people from age 3 to 60.

The U.S. is expected to reveal initial trial results from its vaccine, which is the same type as China’s Sinovac version. Dr. Anthony Fauci, from the National Institutes of Health, says these results are expected in around two weeks. He is overseeing American swine-flu vaccine tests.

If China exports these vaccines, there is the concern about quality. Even though China is worldwide manufacturing center for pharmaceuticals, suppliers have  sometimes substituted cheaper and sometimes even lethal ingredients. Central America reported that tainted cough syrup caused several deaths. In recent years, the U.S. has had dozens of deaths caused from contaminated blood thinners.

Take extra precautions for children with asthma

Published on September 8, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments

The American Lung Association reports that there are more than 6 million children who have asthma.

If you are a parent of a child with asthma, you should take some extra steps to help them stay healthy.

To ensure that your child’s asthma is under control, schedule a check-up with their doctor. Take advantage of this doctor visit to discuss medication, physical activity limits and other concerns that you might have.

Also, try to get you and your child vaccinated as soon as possible against the seasonal flu, especially since asthma sufferers are usually more vulnerable to the flu. Try to stay on top of any swine flu vaccine updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can do this by watching the news, reading the paper and asking your health-care facility if they email with updates on vaccination information. If they don’t, most health-care offices have updated recordings about flu vaccine information when you call. Of course, a doctor, doctor’s assistant, or nurse can answer your questions and concerns if you want to talk to an actual person.

At your child’s school, make sure you give their teachers, coaches and school health personnel an action plan with details about your child’s symptoms, medications, activity restrictions, and directions on what to do when an attack occurs. Also, if someone takes care of your child after school or other times when you are not around, make sure you give them the same information and action plan. An action plan can be downloaded from the ALA’s Web site.

For more information about asthma, go to www.lungusa.org.

Protection from swine flu vaccine not likely to kick in until Thanksgiving

Published on September 1, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Unfortunately, according to health officials, it won’t be until around Thanksgiving when a substantial amount of Americans, who have received the swine flu vaccine, will be protected.

By mid-October, around 50 million doses of vaccine are predicted to be available. That will only begin the vaccination process for those who get their first doses right away. The whole process will take approximately five or more weeks.

Why is this? Well, health officials think that most people will need two shots, which will be spaced three weeks apart, and it will take a week or so after the second dose before the immunity will kick in. That makes five or six weeks for the whole course of action.

This said, massive amounts of Americans will not be completely immunized until Thanksgiving, claims the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

For the most part, the swine flu has ended up being not much more threatening than the seasonal flu. Government experts believe that it might soon develop into an additional variety of the flu, and even be added to the seasonal flu calendar – with vaccinations in the fall and suffered from in the winter.