Viral Infections

Pregnancy and the Flu – advice that every expectant mother should read – part 2.

Pregnancy And The Flu – Advice That Every Expectant Mother Should Read.
While the types of herbs that you can take safely during pregnancy are limited, there are certain kinds that are safe and boost immunity. Echinacea is one of the best germ fighting herbs. It has been studied most thoroughly and has consistently demonstrated its immune system strengthening qualities. It also fights fungal, viral, and bacterial infections. You can find Echinacea in many different forms in various health food stores. The type considered most effective by herbalists is called Echinacea Angustofolia. If you take 2-4ml of the tincture, mixed with a bit of water 3 times a day does not have any adverse effects on women who are pregnant. If you do not suffer from nausea, you can try to use more highly flavoured spices and herbs when cooking your regular repertoire of dishes. Among these, garlic is the one that has unquestionable immune boosting properties, which have been proven over and over again. Garlic is rich in many compounds, especially a chemical called allicin. It has been used throughout history around the globe to treat a wide range of illnesses, especially viral infections. For more information, go to: wvflu.org, en.wikipedia.org

Pregnancy and the Flu – advice that every expectant mother should read.

Pregnancy And The Flu – Advice That Every Expectant Mother Should Read.

Pregnancy can often weaken the immune system, which makes it easier for women to catch a cold or flu. During pregnancy, flu symptoms can last longer and be more severe than for the average person. Most expecting mothers are worried about taking flu medicines at risk of harming the baby, so can form a nasty combination.
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The epidemic of bed bugs – homes across the US are suffering as the blood suckers take over.

The Epidemic Of Bed Bugs - Homes Across The Us Are Suffering As The Blood Suckers Take Over.

A new survey suggests that are spreading incredibly quickly across the U.S., and almost no region remains unbitten. Exterminator calls for bed bugs across the nation have increased by 57 percent over the last five years, and this year so far by 24 percent alone.

A University of Kentucky entomology professor, Michael Patter, says that these days most cities are having to deal with the big problem of bed bugs. He points out that in a place where there is a high density of people, or a significant movement of people, there will be a breeding place for bed bugs. Increased immigration level, travel, and insecticide resistance are the factors most often pointed to for the bed bug epidemic, although there are experts who blame bans on certain insecticides which have recently been brought in due to environmental concerns.
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Colds and flu and the big vitamin C myth – path 2

Colds And Flu And The Big Vitamin C Myth

Harri Hemilä, an Author-Professor, claims that it makes no sense to take vitamin C every single day of your life to reduce the chance of getting a cold or flu. Nevertheless, as we said earlier, the use of vitamin C could be justified if the person has a severe cold or flu, or certain physical stresses. In addition, one study gives strong evidence that a taking large dose of vitamin C when the cold or flu just starts could be of benefit. However, there is more research required to confirm these results.

The recommended dose of vitamin C currently allowed is only 60mg, but a registered British Dietetic Association dietician, Catherine Collens, says that the optimum amount of vitamin C should be 200mg per day, because it has been proven to help our immune system. She said that this amount could be easily obtained by most people just by eating five portions of vegetables and fruit on a daily basis. However, if you eat too much vitamin C, it will not be absorbed into the body, and, thus, will be removed.

Ms Collins said that even though infection-fighting white blood cells have been found to use vitamin C, there is simply not enough evidence to suggest that it also helps prevent . She said that it sounds biologically feasible to most people, since vitamin C strengthens the immune system. However, there is not enough proof that vitamin C prevents an illness from occurring.

For more information,
go to: en.wikipedia.org,
nlm.nih.gov

Colds and flu and the big vitamin C myth

Colds And Flu And The Big Vitamin C Myth

Whereas in the past doctors advised you to keep your high in order to ward off , new evidence suggests that nowadays this could advice could be almost irrelevant. The are now under question, after scientists have found that taking daily vitamin C supplements do not protect the majority of people from colds and flu.

A review of 30 different studies, which involved a total of 11,350 people, discovered that a 200mg minimum dose of vitamin C every day did almost nothing to help make their colds shorter or less severe. (more…)

Colds and flu and the vitamin that everyone must know about – part 2

Colds And Flu And The Vitamin That Everyone Must Know About

A paper recently published in a journal called Epidemiology and Infection, discusses in detail the , and explores the theory that it is actually a “seasonal stimulus” that no one seems to notice. The paper suggests that changes in , which occur throughout the year, explain why the influenza virus is seasonal. The periodic changes in vitamin D levels, which occur as we get close to winter, cause predictable and recurrent vitamin D deficiency during this season. This makes the human population much more susceptible to influenza epidemics.

Cases of predictably happen mostly after the winter solstice, because that is when there are extremely low levels of vitamin D. Naturally, there are very few cases of colds and flu observed in the months after the summer solstice. It has also been found that the older population, who live in countries where vitamin D consumption is high, such as Norway, have a much lower chance of death in the winter. Russian scientists found that vitamin D-producing UVB lamps reduced colds and flu in schoolchildren and factory workers.

So, the obvious conclusion here is that vitamin D is very important. Physicians must diagnose and treat vitamin D deficiency adequately. It is recommended that the level of vitamin D taken daily should be maintained at 25-hydroxy levels, which is a level normally achieved on a regular summer’s day.

For more information, go to:
en.wikipedia.org,
ods.od.nih.gov

Colds and flu and the vitamin that everyone must know about

Colds And Flu And The Vitamin That Everyone Must Know About

New research suggests that sunshine may be more than just a cold remedy. A new study has found that people with low had a higher chance of catching than those who have a normal amount in their body. The (also known as the “sunshine vitamin”) were most prominent in people who had asthma or other lung diseases, and those who were susceptible to respiratory infections.

According this week’s Archives of Internal Medicine research, people who had the largest deficiency of vitamin D had a 36 percent greater chance of suffering respiratory infections than those who had normal vitamin D levels. (more…)

Is Google Flu Trends the key to flu prevention in the future?

Is Google Flu Trends The Key To Flu Prevention In The Future?

Seasonal continue to be a major public health concern every year. Early detection of the spread of the disease is the key to reducing seasonal, as well as pandemic influenza. One of the ways that early detection can be improved is by monitoring and observing remedy-seeking behaviour on online search engines. Millions of users submit queries on the subject around the world each day. A new method is presented by Google to monitor the numbers of search queries to track flu trends in a population. It was found that the frequency of queries is highly correlated to the amount of physician visits where patients exhibit influenza-like symptoms. Thus, it is easy to estimate the level of influenza activity accurately in different regions of the U.S.
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Homeopathy can cure Swine flu – experts agree

Homeopathy Can Cure Swine Flu – Experts Agree

Various vaccines and drugs have been introduced to fight against , but most of them have had very limited success. However, homoeopathy doctors say that alternative medicine can help not only prevent swine flu, but even cure it, and all that without side-effects. The Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) recommends homeopathic remedies for swine . Experts suggest that a homeopathic substance called arsenicum album may be taken as a preventive measure against flu-like illnesses, and even swine flu.
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The Flu Vaccine Shock of the Year

The Flu Vaccine Shock Of The Year

There has been a lot of talk about the and whether it is effective or not. Looking at the issue closer, it becomes apparent that it is not only ineffective, but can in fact be dangerous. Here we would like to share some of the research about the latest flu vaccination, and the by-products and chemicals contained in these supposedly effective and non-harmful flu injections. Let’s look at what the common flu vaccination actually contains:
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Hot Drinks that your cold and flu virus don’t want you to know about

Colds And Flu

The loves it when the temperature around it is somewhere around 90°F, as this is ideal for the virus to grow and multiply fast. However, the virus quickly gets stressed and is much less likely to replicate with such speed when its surroundings suddenly heats up. By drinking lots of hot fluids, you can effectively impair viral replication, and this is the key to helping your body overcome a viral illness. A further advantage of hot drinks to fight is that hot fluids have a decongestant effect which can help you to relieve nasal stuffiness.
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New Research Links Songbirds to a Deadly Form of the Flu Virus.

New Research Links Songbirds To A Deadly Form Of The Flu Virus.

Songbirds such as sparrows and thrushes may sing incredibly beautifully, but they are carriers of a wide range of flu viruses. This in itself is not alarming, but as was reported this week by the BioMed Central journal BMC for Infectious Diseases, has mutated in songbirds birds into various forms of the , all of which could potentially spread to pigs and poultry.
The researchers said that for the time being, the birds carry the less dangerous low-pathogenic bird flu. However, the swaps genes and can easily mutate into more dangerous forms.
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Flu treatment fails in the US – experts look to Canada to get answers.

Flu Treatment Fails In The Us - Experts Look To Canada To Get Answers.

Canada appears to know a lot more about and than the U.S. The statistics speak for themselves. Over the past 4 years Canada had a total of 16 flu-related deaths for their pediatric age group, which includes all those under the age of 18. Included in this are all seasonal cases, as well as those resulting from H1N1. 75 percent of these fatalities had chronic and serious underlying health conditions. So, that’s 16 deaths in total, from a pediatric population of 7.86 million, most of whom (around 60 percent) remained unvaccinated. To compare, during the same span of 4 years, the same U.S. pediatric category had 553 flu-related fatalities. If you break these figures down into children without underlying medical conditions, Canada has an average of only 1 flu-related child death a year, while in the U.S. that average is 35. Moreover, per capita, the U.S. has a shocking 3.2 times death rate of Canada.
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The flu vaccine and antivirals – Research into the dangers for pregnant women.

The Flu Vaccine And Antivirals - Research Into The Dangers For Pregnant Women.

During the of 2009, authorities repeatedly urged pregnant women to get the and take anti-flu drugs in the event of getting sick, referring to that fact that these medicines are an important weapon against a virus that is particularly hard on pregnant woman. Pregnant women in fact were put in the same category of prioritization for treatment as adults over 65 and children younger than 2.
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The 7 Myths of the Flu Shot

The 7 Myths Of The Flu Shot

myth number 1: that it is very effective. Statistically, you are less likely to get if you haven’t had a . A BCTV reporter in Vancouver, commenting on the overload in BC emergency rooms, said that out of 32 people who had received a flu shot, 30 got the flu.
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Ground-Breaking Study on Flu Medicine: A Pandemic of Lies

Ground-Breaking Study on Flu Medicine: A Pandemic of Lies.

Here is a medical scandal for the ages. At the risk of permanently damaging the triangular trust between big pharmaceutical companies, government regulatory bodies and the common masses, you must be urged to rethink the word “pandemic”. Perhaps you remember that bird-flu scare, otherwise known as H5N1 avian flu, back in 2005/2006? And, you certainly won’t have to strain your memory banks to recall the H1N1 “pandemic” of 2009. There were signs advertising vaccines in front of practically every commercial U.S. pharmacy on almost every other block. It’s a wonder they weren’t in furnished in neon and adorned with flashing bulbs.
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A cold and flu transmitter? The truth behind the ‘dangers of the vuvuzela’.

A Cold And Flu Transmitter? The Truth Behind The ‘dangers Of The Vuvuzela’.

The vuvuzela, a long plastic horn, is undoubtedly the most popular item in the soccer culture of the country where the World Cup is currently being held – South Africa. Since the World cup started a month ago, various articles have been written about the . The main supposed dangers that have been reported are that the horn can spread or the , that it can cause irreversible hearing damage, as a result of the fact that it can emit sounds of up to 130 decibels.
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How can I build up my immunity to the cold and flu season?

How Can I Build Up My Immunity To The Cold And Flu Season?

We have become a society focused on being aware of . The last few years have brought serious concerns about pandemics around the world. It is the nature of viruses to mutate and survive in their environment and so we must try to use every tool in our tool box to ward off these more severe strains during the season. Everyone hears a lot about building up the body’s immunity to fight colds and the flu, but what are some of the ways of accomplishing this?
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How Long are You Contagious With a Cold?

How Long Are You Contagious With A Cold?

Everyone seems to have a different answer to the question “”. Some people indicate the first few days when you experience the symptoms, others will tell you the entire duration, until the symptoms go away. Since the actual common cold is caused by more than one hundred different agents, also known as rhinoviruses, this can be a very tricky question.
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How to Know if You Have Cold or Allergies?

How To Know If You Have Cold Or Allergies?

For many people with allergies, the season is an absolute horror of a time. The symptoms they have for their allergies are so close to the symptoms of colds and that they often don’t know the difference until they are very ill and realize it’s the flu. So how can you tell if you really have a ?
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