Flu Immune» Flu Virus

The Latest News on Cold Remedies

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:14:48 +0000

A cold is an infection that affects the upper respiratory tract the nose, throat, sinuses trachea and bronchial tubes. It starts with a sneeze or tickle in the back of your throat. A little while later, you notice that you’re coughing a bit and feel fatigued. Colds are caused by viruses and can be spread in several ways. If you have a cold and you sneeze, cough or speak, tiny droplets of fluid containing the cold virus are launched into the air. If these are breathed in by someone else then they may become infected. Right now you need to find effective cold remedies, and fast. If you have no idea where to start, I have a few tips for you.

Cold remedies are almost as common as the common cold, and many are nearly as ancient. The use of chicken soup as a congestion cure dates back centuries. But is longevity any guarantee that a cold remedy works? Does an effective cold remedy even exist? Here’s a look at some common cold remedies, as well as the best ways to ward off illness in the first place.

And here’s the question for you. Have you ever found any cold remedies that really work? Iâ€™m asking because I need help. At least twice a year I develop what can only be described as a nasty cold, and I end up suffering with it for at least two weeks and during these, i can’t find anytime to work a mess in my house. I thank my husband that he is very understanding with regards to my situation, but after a while he starts to get grumpy. My daughter wants me to play with her but I am always so stuffed up that I get dizzy and feel like I am about to fall over.

There’s nothing you realize when it comes to a common cold, virus or flu. The word virus let’s you know this. If it were bacteria of some sort, you could probably purchase an antibiotic. But since it’s a virus, all you can do is treat the symptoms. Now, back to those cold remedies. It all begins with rest. The more you allow your body to rest, the quicker it will fight off this virus. All you need to do is take your daily multivitamin! This provides your body with nutrients and helps it battle off the cold or flu virus. Indulge in hot showers. You may feel the chills come on, but you don’t have to take it like a man. Relax in a hot bath or take a long shower to relieve sinus pressure and warm-up. Furthermore, there are new-age cold remedies that help dramatically which is called Zicam. This is a Zinc infused supplement that speeds colds and viruses along by strengthening the immune system. And you can find it several forms of Zicam at any drugstore. It comes in a nasal spray, nasal swab, melt-away tablet, chewable and mouth spray. Basically a variation to suit pretty much anyone afflicted by a cold.

And surely there are some cold remedies out there that I have yet to try that something has to work. I can take some medications that work for a while, but after they wear off I feel worse than before I took it. Since I cannot be on a steady diet of medicines while I am watching a young child, I have to think of other cold remedies to help ease my cold into something a little more bearable. When I take cold medications I get clumsy, and that is not a good thing when my daughter is so active and gets into so much trouble.

Even though my mom suggest some interesting cold remedies to me, but none of them have worked like I need them to. She has told me to put a cough drop in a bowl with boiling water and to then cover my head with a towel and put it over the bowl. I swear I saw that in a movie once, and I wonder if it really works or if she is pulling my leg. Sheâ€™s a nurse, so that is why I asked her for cold remedies, but she is also a smart aleck, so really donâ€™t know what to think. I do know that it doesnâ€™t work very well, though it does offer minimal comfort on my worst days.

Although, there are a lot of cold remedies out there, but I fear that none of them are made with moms in mind, or at least I should say that are not made with me in mind. Dayquil works wonders, but it also has a bad affect on my head and my mind. It makes me loopy, and I cannot concentrate while I am on it. Nyquil works at night, and so do some other meds. These cold remedies worry me though, because I cannot wake up properly if my daughter needs me. Until someone can help me, Iâ€™m afraid I must suffer through.

Prevention is another aspect you should consider aside from cold remedies. You can find effective ways to prevent the common cold. One here is to ALWAYS wash your hands. Keep them clean, because every time you touch things, you pick up germs. Naturally you’ll touch your mouth, eyes, etc afterwards, which can get you sick. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

How to treat the flu – Part 1

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:05:39 +0000

Flu viruses are airborne, contained in the droplets of people’s coughs and sneezes. The infection may show up in a mild or severe form. Particularly in the elderly and the very young, or those persons with chronic diseases or weak immune systems, the onset of flu must be treated seriously because further complications, such as bronchitis or pneumonia, could mean hospitalization.

Both flu and the common cold are infections of the respiratory tract. However, the initial symptoms of flu will be quite different and more unpleasant from those of a cold. Unlike a cold, which takes one or two days of feeling ‘under the weather’ before it becomes full-blown, the onset of flu symptoms can take hardly any time at all, even though the virus may have been incubating for some days. In the morning you’re going about your daily work feeling fine and by lunch-time you feel wretched, with aches in your muscles, a throbbing headache, and a high temperature, perhaps alternating between sweating uncontrollably and shivering because you feel so cold.

Once the flu virus has set in, the fever may last for just one or two days or for as long as five days or more. The symptoms will also include ones that are similar to a heavy cold, such as runny nose and sore throat. Unless you have contracted a severe form of flu, there is little point in calling the doctor or visiting the surgery. In fact, you should avoid the company of other people while you are contagious. The infection will need to run its course while you concentrate on relieving the symptoms as much as possible. Since it is a virus, antibiotics will have no effect on flu, although antiviral drugs may be required in special circumstances, such as the elderly and infirm.

While your body fights the virus, you will need plenty of rest. Bed rest is preferable. Unlike a common cold, where you may struggle to carry on normally, with a seasonal flu virus you probably won’t feel like doing anything else but resting anyway.

Since you will be sweating a lot, you will need to drink plenty of fluids to avoid possible dehydration. Keep fruit squashes and juices handy, as well as a constant supply of water to sip frequently. If you are going through a chilly phase, on the other hand, you’ll appreciate a hot, sweet drink. Natural ingredients such as ginger, lemon and honey mixed in hot water will be helpful here.

Again, unlike a head cold, flu generally feels as though it is attacking the whole body, causing aches and discomfort

The difference between a cold and the flu – Part 14

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:47:36 +0000

Colds and the flu have similar symptoms because they are both caused by viruses that attack the respiratory tract. The main noticeable difference is that colds are usually much milder than the flu, but the flu virus can occasionally cause a mild illness that is just like a cold. Knowing what you’ve come down with can be confusing.

Both colds and the flu strike most often in the winter, even in areas where winters are mild. The flu almost always breaks out between November and March. If you do become ill during the fall or the spring, you probably have a cold. You may have a cold when only a few other people you know are sick. But the flu is so contagious, chances are you will be surrounded by other people who have it.

The two illnesses typically follow different courses. Your cold may start out with either a sore throat or an irritated nose, followed by sneezing. After a day or so you develop a runny nose and then congestion. The flu comes on abruptly-all of a sudden you have a fever, you ache all over, and you’re really tired. But you won’t sneeze, have a runny nose, or have a sore throat until a few days later.

With a cold you may have a fever, but in an adult it won’t go above 101°F. You may have a headache or muscle aches, but they won’t be very severe. The symptoms that will annoy you the most will always be centered around your nose, throat, and head.

With the flu, your fever will probably be over 101°. It may subside and then return when your nasal symptoms appear. You will get a runny nose and congestion, but you will be more aware of the fact that you ache, feel tired, and feel generally sick all over.

Colds usually do not upset your stomach. The flu can cause nausea and vomiting in children and occasionally in adults-although when adults have flulike symptoms along with nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, there is a good chance they may have something else, like bacterial food poisoning or rotovirus.

People with colds don’t feel quite up to par, but they feel that they can pursue most of their regular activities. People with the flu either are or wish they were in bed, especially during the first few days. A cold lasts a week or less, with maybe an extra week of coughing. The flu can take one or two weeks for the main illness, with several weeks more of coughing and fatigue.

Colds have few complications and are not serious. The flu, for a healthy person, is not much more serious than a cold. But the flu can lead to serious complications like pneumonia in susceptible people. That’s why older people, people who have HIV or immune suppression caused by medication, those with chronic conditions such as heart or lung disease or diabetes, and children under five should receive a flu shot in the fall.

How the flu shot works – Part 3

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:37:39 +0000

Scientists have categorized the flu virus into three different main strains, A, B and C. These three strains are combined in a flu shot to give the maximum possible effectiveness. When injected, the shot contains only inactive or dead virus cells. These cells have usually been grown in chickens’ eggs. Because the virus is in an inactive form there are few, if any, side effects. Of course, those who are allergic to eggs should never be given flu shots.

A flu shot typically takes about two weeks to have its full effect. It works by triggering the response of a person’s immune system to produce antibodies against any invading flu virus. The immune system can then recognize and attack the virus with the appropriate antibodies when necessary.

Unfortunately, the flu virus can, and does, mutate in both its A and B strains. Thus, last year’s flu shot may not be totally effective against this year’s particular mutation. Anticipating the type and possible difference of any forthcoming virus is a difficult job for researchers. The slightest change in the virus is the major reason for needing an annual flu shot. The other reason is that immunity inevitably decreases over time.

Who should have a flu shot? Those over sixty-five years of age, anyone with a chronic disease of the heart, lungs, kidneys or liver, anyone whose immune system has been weakened, and small children over the age of six months, may benefit from a flu shot.

However, a different vaccine in the form of a nasal spray has been shown to be extremely effective, particularly with children. This vaccine is unlike the shot in the arm in that it uses an active weak form of the flu virus rather than dead or inactive cells. This means that slight flu symptoms may be produced in the short term. But it is still worth considering since children are undoubtedly the most contagious flu carriers as well as potentially its severest victims.

Perhaps the most important reason for highly vulnerable groups to consider flu shots is that, whilst the flu itself may feel exceedingly unpleasant, with its attendant feverish symptoms, it may be misdiagnosed as a heavy cold if, for some reason, communication regarding precise symptoms proves difficult. This situation can be especially dangerous if complications such as bronchitis or secondary bacterial pneumonia set in. Such complications are particularly serious for people with weak immune systems and can, in certain cases, prove fatal.

In today’s hectic world, especially in heavily populated areas, it makes sense to consider having a flu shot before the seasonal winter viruses occur. This is certainly the case if you work with vulnerable people, look after small children, are elderly, or cannot afford to take the necessary time for recovery that a bad case of flu will inevitably require.

Herbal remedies for a stomach flu

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:42:26 +0000

When you have the stomach flu, life is just not pleasant. It is important to try and treat your stomach flu in the most effective way possible and in some cases, you might wish to use herbal remedies for a stomach flu. Herbal remedies for the stomach flu fall into the category of non-medical solutions; however they have been shown to help many people as they struggle to get through the symptoms of the flu.

Here are some of the herbal remedies for the stomach flu:

MINT TEA

Mint tea has been used for a number of different medical uses. In terms of the flu, mint tea is used as an antispasmodic. In addition, mint tea acts as a mild sedative. Mint tea can help to ease your upset stomach that you have from the flu. If you prefer not to drink processed tea, you can use fresh mint from your produce section at the store and steep the leaves in some boiling water to make homemade as opposed to processed mint tea.

CHAMOMILE TEA

Chamomile tea is an excellent treatment for flu symptoms. Chamomile is an herb that acts as an anti-inflammatory. In addition, it helps to relax your muscles and helps to bring a feeling of calm. Chamomile tea can also help to get rid of bad bacteria in your body. While getting rid of those bacteria won’t specifically get rid of the flu, it will help your body get stronger as it attempts to fight off the flu virus. It may also help to avoid any secondary infections while you have the flu. You can find chamomile teas in most grocery stores.

LEMON

Even adding a small amount of lemon juice, such as a teaspoon to a glass of water, can help be an herbal remedy for the flu. Lemon can help to ease your digestive system. Lemon will also help your immune system as it tries to fight off the virus. In addition, lemon has a high content of vitamin c which can help prevent the flu if you haven’t come down with it yet.

GINGER

Ginger can be consumed either in a root form or a tea form. Ginger is well known to be able to settle an upset stomach. If you stomach flu is particularly severe in terms of nausea and diarrhea, give ginger a try.

In addition to the herbal remedies for the flu, there are some herbs that you can use in order to prevent the flu. For example, you can certainly use chamomile or lemon grass tea in order to boost your immune system prior to having symptoms of the flu. Here again, having lemon will also boost your vitamin c, which will help to boost your immune system. There are a number of antiviral essential oils that can help to boost your immune system and they can also help to keep your body free from viruses and other invaders.

Causes of the flu – Part 7

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:21:49 +0000

Every year, millions of adults and children suffer with influenza, the flu. This disease quickly spreads through our communities every winter, despite, our efforts to prevent germs from entering our bodies and our homes. Most people know the symptoms and the proper treatments but not what causes the flu.

To understand what causes the flu, you must first know, what is a virus and an infection. A virus is a non-living organism (parasite) that can only survive by living inside of another living thing, like humans. Once in the human body, it turns healthy cells into virus producing cells as the virus multiples. An infection is the virus spreading throughout its host interfering with the host’s normal functions. The flu is caused by flu viruses that multiple once in the human body causing an infection. These viruses exist in our air making it easy for them to enter our bodies. There are three types of flu viruses; Type A, B and C. All of the flu viruses attack the upper respiratory tract, the organs involved with breathing such as the nose, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs.

Type C is a milder strain of the flu. Symptoms are usually very mild and can be similar to a cold. Being infected with the Type B flu virus can develop into a minor illness. In some older adults, serious complications can develop. Type A is the most common strain found in humans.

Type A is the most dangerous of the three types. It has been responsible for the most flu epidemics. What makes this strain so dangerous for humans, is its ability to constantly change its protein structures. The Type A flu changes using two processes, antigenic drift and antigenic shift.

It is possible to develop the flu several times during the cold and flu season. Type A and B can both change its structure through the “antigenic drift” process. This process allows small changes to occur over time in the strain. When small changes occur, the antibodies produced to fight the infection cannot recognize these changes. As a result, re-infection can happen again and the flu symptoms reoccur.

The Type A flu virus can also change through the antigenic shift process. Major changes happen to the strain causing subtypes or new strains to come into existence. A flu shot made to fight a specific strain of the flu, will not be able to recognize these new strains. This is the reason why you can still get the flu after receiving a flu shot. In addition, the body’s natural defenses have to produce new antibodies for each new strain or subtype. This may not happen immediately if you have a weaken immune system. In the meantime, the flu virus is causing serious medical complications and re-infection by a new strain can happen at any time.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for the flu. Flu viruses exist in our environment and we cannot prevent them from entering our bodies. Developing an accurate flu vaccine is difficult since the flu viruses are constantly changing their protein structure. Getting a flu shot may protect you from one specific flu strain but not newer ones. The only defense against the flu is our own immune system. Keeping your immune system healthy, will allow it to produce the necessary antibodies to fight the flu over and over again.

Flu causes

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:15:16 +0000

Influenza (better known as the flu) is a disease that is caused by a virus that infects the respiratory tract. Many people feel as if they are catching the common cold, but according to the Mayo Clinic, the signs and symptoms of the flu hit suddenly. The common cold usually develops slowly. One sure way to know if you’ve got the flu is if it “knocks you off your feet”. The other way to know if it’s the flu is if it sweeps throughout entire communities.

But what causes the flu? Three different viruses. Influenza strain A, Influenza strain B, and Influenza strain C. Type A is the virus that is responsible for the deadly flu pandemics that strike every 10 to 40 years. (A Pandemic is a worldwide epidemic of the a disease.)

Type B is the flu virus that leads to smaller, localized outbreaks of the flu. The flu that circulates every winter is caused by either type A or type B. These two viruses are also associated with increased rates of hospitalization and death. When the viruses are spread by droplets or direct contact, they multiply in the respiratory tract.

Type C has never been connected with a large epidemic of the flu. Type A and Type B viruses are viruses that are constantly changing with new strains appearing regularly. Once you’ve had the flu, you develop antibodies to the type of virus that caused it. But once the virus changes, those antibodies in your blood won’t protect you any more.

Influenza strain C is a fairly stable virus that can be treated by antibiotics. The Type C virus is usually associated with symptoms that suggest a common cold.

The flu and other respiratory viruses are transmitted in one of two ways: by inhaling the infected particles in the air, or by touching secretions, usually on the skins, of an infected person and then touching you eyes or nose. Touching door knobs, handrails, phones, desks, chairs, keyboards and other objects and then touching eyes or noses spread the viruses. Shaking hands is the easiest way to transmit the virus.

The Mayo Clinic suggests that the number one way to prevent the flu is washing your hands. Wash hands frequently and often, vigorously for at least 15 seconds with soap, rinse well, and turn off the faucet with a paper towel. If running to the bathroom to wash your hands all day long is not feasible, using an alcohol-based hand gel containing at least 60 percent alcohol will work. But remember, use the hand gel often and make sure you wash all of your hands.

Another way to avoid catching the flu is to avoid crowds. Wherever people congregate, flu will spread. By avoiding crowds whenever possible during the peak flu season, you reduce your chance of infection.

The different causes of the flu, strain A, strain B, and strain C, are the only way to catch the flu. The problems of mutating viruses in types A and B have scientists and doctors scrambling to prevent another pandemic. Think logically and calmly during the flu season and use precautions. Catching the flu might be deadly, but it is most certainly a miserable way to spend a week or two.

Approximately 500 words.

Causes of the flu – Part 1

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:35:54 +0000

The flu is only caused by three influenza viruses:

Influenza A which is responsible for the worldwide pandemics

Influenza B – tends to be common in more localised outbreaks

Influenza C tends to show up as only mild symptoms

Both influenza A and B are responsible for the seasonal outbreaks of the flu contributing too many hospital admissions and deaths related to the flu. As the flu virus (especially Influenza A) is able to easily mutate its form, it is very difficult to treat the influenza virus therefore causing outbreaks to large communities and even worldwide as people are now able to transport easily over the world. Influenza B is a more stable virus so most people after getting the virus can develop immunity to it and this usually occurs in childhood if they have not been vaccinated against it.

Influenza C tends to only present itself as a mild respiratory illness or sometimes shows no symptoms at all. There is no vaccination for influenza C. Most flu reports in the news reports or newspaper are about Influenza A and B.

The flu is a highly contagious disease and more common in the winter months especially as people remain in close proximity to each other while indoors. It tends to be passed by inhaling airborne particles such as coughing and sneezing and then transmitted from person to person. It can also be transferred by coming in contact with secretions such as kissing or hand to hand contact. It can also be transferred on objects such as door knobs, telephones, computer keyboards etc as the virus is capable of living for short periods off the human host. This means that if an infected person coughed or sneezed onto their hand and then touched and object, you are capable of picking up the virus by touching the same object and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth and ingesting the virus.

There is a greater risk of getting infected with the Influenza virus in highly populated places, such as schools. The children become infected with the virus and then bring the virus home to the family. This is then quickly spread throughout the community.

An infected person with the Influenza virus has the virus in their secretions for twenty four hours prior to them feeling unwell or showing signs of the virus which means they can infect others before they are even aware they have the influenza virus. They are contagious for up to seven days. Children with the Influenza virus can be contagious for up to two weeks

Recognizing flu symptoms

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:26:24 +0000

What are symptoms of the flu?

Let’s differential between a cold and the flu.

WHAT IS A COLD?

A cold is caused by a viral infection and usually lasts for a few days to one week.

IS THERE A CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD?

There is no cure for the common cold. Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses, and therefore useless in treating colds.

WHAT IS INFLUENZA (FLU)?

Influenza, or “the flu,” infects the respiratory tract (nose, throat, lungs). It is a respiratory illness. After exposure, if you are going to become ill, you will usually feel symptoms one to four days later. You are contagious to others before your symptoms start and for three to four days after your symptoms appear.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF THE FLU?

The symptoms usually come on quickly. You might experience some combination of the following:

1. Headache

2. Fatigue

3. Chills

4. Dry cough

5. Aches and pains

6. Runny or Stuffy nose

7. Sore throat

8. Fever

9. Fevers last for two to three days and rarely effect the stomach, except in children.

WHAT CAUSES THE FLU?

National Institute of Health spends $25 million a year on flu research, yet no cause has been found.

DOES A VIRUS CAUSE THE FLU?

Having the flu means being infected by a flu virus. But coming in contact with the virus doesn’t mean you will come down with the flu. Viruses are around us all the time. When our systems are weak and run down, our immunity is weakened, and those are the times we come down with the flu.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT THE FLU?

Good food, clean living, rest and exercise are the basic ingredients to prevent the flu.

There are certain nutrients that have been shown to help enhance the immune system, such as Echinacea, and vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene.

WHEN DOES A PERSON NEED TO CONTACT A DOCTOR?

If a person experiences symptoms of respiratory distress (rapid breathing, gasping, wheezing, nasal flaring) or if they become pale or have a blue skin color, or if they develop high fever or experience unusual lethargy and weakness or dizziness, go to an emergency room or consult a physician promptly.

Causes of the flu – Part 4

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:18:07 +0000

The causes of the flu are, generally speaking, viruses. The flu virus causes seasonal epidemics of influenza every winter in the United States.

There are, essentially, three different categories of flu viruses that can cause you to get the flu:

The first type of influenza, or flu virus, is the influenza A virus. There are two subtypes of the influenza A virus. One is known as the H subtype and the other is known as the N subtype. These subtypes can be even further broken down into specific strains. Fortunately, there are essentially only two subtypes of the influenza A type of flu virus that are found in human beings. Other subtypes affect various animals.

Influenza B viruses are the other type of flu viruses. Influenza B viruses have different strains just like influenza A viruses. Not all influenza B viruses affect human beings either.

The final type of influenza viruses is the influenza C virus. Influenza C virus doesn’t cause the same type of flu epidemic that the influenza A and B virus will cause. Instead, the influenza C virus will instead cause a mild respiratory illness.

All of the different strains of flu virus can be confusing to keep straight. Just remember, regardless of which particular influenza virus you have that causes you to get the flu, the fact is that most flu viruses have similar symptoms and they have a similar severity. You’re likely to experience the same kinds of things such as body aches, headaches, an upset stomach, or fever with influenza A virus as you are with an influenza B virus.

With a number of different causes for the flu, it’s important to understand what exactly the flu vaccine does for a person. The flu vaccine is able to protect against certain strains of influenza A and influenza B viruses. They don’t protect against all strains of course, but they do protect against some of the most common influenza viruses that have been identified and found to cause the flu.

The best way to avoid getting the flu is to avoid the causes of the flu. To do so, it is important that during the flu season you practice good hygiene habits. Washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to prevent catching the flu. Sanitizing your hands before you eat at a restaurant, for example, can help reduce the chance that you will get the flu virus. Also, keeping your home clean and sanitized can help the flu virus from spreading from one family member to the others.