Swine influenza (also called H1N1 flu, swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu) is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus (SIV) is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs.As of 2009, the known SIV strains include influenza C and the subtypes of influenza A known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3.

During the mid-20th century, identification of influenza subtypes became possible, allowing accurate diagnosis of transmission to humans. Since then, only 50 such transmissions have been confirmed. These strains of swine flu rarely pass from human to human. Symptoms of zoonotic swine flu in humans are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.

The 2009 flu pandemic is a global outbreak of a new strain of influenza virus, officially named the “new H1N1″, first identified in April 2009, and commonly called “Swine flu.” It is thought to be a mutation of four known strains of the influenza A virus, subtype H1N1: one endemic in (normally infecting) humans, one endemic in birds, and two endemic in pigs (swine).

How to Prevent Swine Flu

First and most important: wash your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water, or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used.If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn’t need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.

Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

If you get sick with influenza, you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

1) Drink lots of Water and nothing else. Water is very valuable for overall physical condition and it also helps limit the amount of food you consume. When you feel hungry, you could in truth be experiencing the first signs of dehydration, Keep hydrated right through the day and your hunger should decrease.

2) Consume Smaller portion sizes and more often. Your metabolism works best as you actually consume food, and not while you’re starving yourself. Consuming lighter meals and more evenly keeps your metabolism working more often and over a extended cycle. Eating lighter meals makes it simplier for your body to extract all the nutrients out of that food and to draw on it as energy. By consuming bigger portions your body might not have sufficient time to break all that food down, so the surplus amount could be converted as fat.

3) Fruit & Vegetables. 1/3 of your daily food intake ought to be fruit and vegetables. Both of these food groups have many health benefits and It’s common sense that you must try and consume as much fruit and veg as you can.

4) Exercise. 30 minutes of daily fitness is sufficient enough to get your metabolism working quicker and you losing extra pounds. The fitness doesnt need to strenuous, but just sufficient to get your heart rate up. You can go for walks or fool around with the kids, as any exercise is better than nothing.

5) Eliminate Fat out of your diet. This is probably the hardest one to stick to, but it does come with the most benefit. Ridding your diet of all additional foods will drastically reduce the amount of calories you eat. For example: 4 slices of Pizza has the same amount of calories as consuming 32 Apples.

Everyday, thousands of people are put on prescription medication for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or atherosclerosis because heart disease is the leading cause of death in Americans over the age of 45.  The process seems to begin with an injury in an artery’s lining caused by high blood pressure, smoking or an amino acid called homocystein which is generated by the breakdown of protein in the body.  Cholesterol and other fats get trapped at the damaged site and become oxidized or turn ‘rusty’ and attract an assortment of cells that turn to plaque. The problem with plaque is that it makes blood flow very difficult so it is important to feed your body with foods that can help prevent this oxidation process.  Here are some foods to consider adding to your daily regimen:

.1.  Avocados – contain good fats and potassium that help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and help prevent cancer.  You want to eat about 1/3 of an avocado per day or make some guacemole for a heart healthy snack.

2.  Lentils – are loaded with all sorts of nutrients that protect the heart including folate and fiber.  There are 9 grams of protein in 1/2 cup so they make a great substitute for meat.

3.  Onions – contain sulfur compounds, also found in garlic, that thin your blood and lower blood pressure naturally.  The most quercetin is found in red onions, followed by yellow and white onions, and help prevent oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

4.  Sardines – contain Omega 3’s which decrease blood clotting, prevent heart arrhythmias and fight inflammation throughout the body.

5.  Pumpkin Seeds – are high in Omega 3’s too and help clean up arteries and capillaries.  Sprinkle them on salads or grind them up in a food processor and add to whole grain flour to coat chicken or fish for a delicious main course.

“Swine flu” is the name commonly given to a new form of flu. From a first known case in Mexico, the outbreak has spread at exceptional speed, prompting the UN’s World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare a pandemic on June 11. The official designation is A(H1N1) influenza.

Swine flu spreads like ordinary flu, i.e. in viral particles expelled in coughs and sneezes that are then breathed in by someone nearby, or deposited on surfaces that are then touched by the hand and transmitted to the mouth, nose or eyes. People with the virus may be able to infect others beginning a day before symptoms develop, and up to seven days or more after becoming sick. Young children may be contagious for somewhat longer.

Symptoms

Sudden fever above 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), cough, headache, aching joints, nasal congestion, general fatigue and lack of appetite. Some patients have reported respiratory difficulties, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In the severest cases, swine flu causes pneumonia and worsened chronic medical conditions.

How is swine FLU Treated?

At home, someone with flu can be helped by letting them rest, drink plenty of fluids and take a pain reliever for aches. A non-aspirin pain reliever should be used by children and young adults because of the risk of a rare but serious disorder called Reye’s syndrome. Doctors may also prescribe oseltamivir, marketed as Tamiflu, or zanamivir, marketed as Relenza. These work by preventing the virus from reproducing. If administered in time, they can ease symptoms, shorten the duration of illness and reduce infectiousness for others. Many governments have built up a stockpile of these antivirals as part of their anti-pandemic strategy.

Is there a vaccine?

Trials are underway among volunteers to see if a candidate vaccine is safe and invokes an effective response against the virus by the immune system. If all goes well, the vaccine should be available in the northern hemisphere’s autumn, although the precise date is unclear. It remains uncertain whether the vaccine will still provide a shield if the novel flu mutates further.

How to avoid infection?

Commonsense hygiene and social distancing reduce the risk. They include frequent hand-washing using soap or alcohol-based gel; covering one’s face while sneezing or coughing; and using clean paper handkerchiefs that are carefully disposed of after use. You can also avoid greeting someone with a kiss or a handshake; clean commonly-touched surfaces such as telephones, computer keyboards, door handles, tables and lift buttons; and keep good ventilation in your home or workplace. A distance of two metres (six feet) from an infected person also reduces the contagion risk, as can a face mask, if properly used (paper or cloth masks must be changed every four hours). If you fall sick, stay at home if possible to avoid infecting others.

Why “SWINE FLU”?

The early suspicions were that the reassorted virus leapt from pigs to humans. But the virus’ genetic signature points to a variety of sources from humans, birds and pigs, and the origin remains unknown. There is no evidence that anyone has picked up A(H1N1) from pigs or any other animal.

What is the meaning of A(H1N1)?

The “A” denotes one of the A group of influenza viruses. A and B viruses can cause seasonal flu, but only A viruses have caused flu pandemics. There is also a C viral group blamed for sporadic cases of flu. The “H” and “N” refer to two viral proteins, haemagglutinin and neuraminidase. The two “1s” relate to the subtype of protein structure, which varies significantly.

Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States.  Many times heart disease is preventable with life style changes that you can do.  Here are five changes that you should take to prevent heart disease.

1. Stop smoking and all use of tobacco products.  Even occasional smoking, low tar and low nicotine cigarettes and smokeless tobacco put you at risk.  Even worse news is that even second hand smoke is risky to your health.  Cigarette smoke and nicotine make put stress on the heart and make it work harder.  Women who take birth control pills and smoke increase their risk of heart attack and stroke.  The risk is even greater after women turn 35.  Within only a year after quitting smoking, the risk of heart disease drops quickly.

2. Start exercising.  Moderate exercise can reduce your risk of a heart attack.  It also helps you to maintain a healthy weight and can help reduce chances of high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.  You should get ½ to 1 hour of exercise most days of the week.  The time can be broken up into shorter segments as long as you reach the total time during the day.

3. Eat better food.  The American Heart Association has published the DASH eating plan that is available online.  The plan encourages you to eat low cholesterol, low fat and low salt.  It is also important to include Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet to lower cholesterol.  Almost all of us should include more fruit and vegetables in our diet.  Also remember that if you drink alcohol, it should be in moderation.

4. Keep your weight under control.  Excess weight leads to greater chances of developing other conditions that lead to heart disease.  One indicator of a healthy weight is a BMI of less that 25.  A ten percent reduction in weight can lower your blood pressure.

5. Visit the Doctor regularly.  Unless you are checked your will probably not know that you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure.  Regularly having these checked also allows you and your doctor to know if the trends are increasing or remaining about the same.  If your blood pressure is normal, it should still be tested every two years.  Cholesterol should be tested at least every five years.  If the numbers are high, then have them checked more regularly.

Heart disease prevention is a numbers game.  If you take steps to reduce the risk factors, you reduce the risk of developing heart disease.  Remember that heart disease is not only the number one cause of death among both men and women, but also is the number one cause of disability for both sexes.  If heart disease disables you, it reduces your earning potential and may cause economic hardship for your family.  If heart disease kills you, it not only causes economic hardship but also causes emotional pain for the family left behind.  Take steps to prevent heart disease you are worth it and your family will appreciate it.

The problem with most high blood pressure remedies is that they are expensive, especially over the long run.

Exercise
Sustained exercise does more than burn calories and help aid you in weight loss. It builds stamina and improves overall strength and endurance, not only in the muscles being worked, but in the heart as well. A stronger heart does not need to work so hard to pump blood throughout your body, which reduces your blood pressure.

Weight Loss
The same is true for substantial weight loss if you are overweight. Studies have shown that even modest weight loss has a significant impact on blood pressure. There is a very strong correlation between obesity and hypertension, and blood pressure steadily drops as you lose weight.

Water
Of all the blood pressure remedies we’ve discussed so far, this one comes as the biggest surprise to many. Recent studies have indicated that persistent hypertension may be a response to chronic dehydration.

When the body is dehydrated, the blood vessels constrict in an effort to hold on to the body’s moisture. That constriction causes what fluids are available to exert more pressure on the blood vessels, increasing blood pressure. So, it stands to reason that an increased intake of water should help relieve that.

Heart is the most significant organ of the body. It controls and regulates the entire body. An individual can survive the loss of other organs of body but not of a heart. The moment heart ceases pumping blood to the body, it results in a heart stroke and there are chances that the person may die.

But people are often negligent in taking care of this undeniably crucial organ of their body. This is made evident by the studies that reveal the escalating deaths due to cardiac arrests every year. It is not just the elderly who are gripped by cardiac seizures due to their age, which implicates a declining health but also young children, and even infants who are inflicted by heart ailments.

1. Heart diseases- human heart starts malfunctioning due to many reasons. In other words there are different diseases that affect human heart.

• Congenital Heart Disease is a very common one. It leads to malformation of heart during prenatal development and other severe complications. Chromosomal abnormalities, transfer of infected genes and environment are the main attributed causes to congenital heart disease.

• Coronary Artery Disease is one where heart simply stops pumping blood to the arteries. The blockages or difficulty in the blood flow to the main source of oxygen to the heart muscle i.e. coronary arteries is deemed to be the primary factor that results in this disease. Apart from this the thickening of the arteries called arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and other problems like asthma, diabetes etc. are the causes of CAD. CAD produces a heart attack and so even the death of the concerned individual.

• A viral infection that attacks the pericardium pouch enveloping the heart is the ground for the Pericardial heart disorder.

2. The Roots of Heart Ailment- in most of the cases the individuals themselves are responsible for their cardiac troubles.

• Over stress is the biggest threat to a healthy life so much so that it affects even one’s heart.

• Faulty food habits i.e. eating more of junk and fattening food rich in cholesterol is the primary reason for a heart attack.

• Obesity and lack of physical labor also accentuates cardiac problems.

• Heart problems are also hereditary.

• Blood pressure patients are more prone to heart attacks.

• Alcoholics, smokers and drug addicts have acute possibilities of heart failure.

3. Some Common Cures- it is not likely to prevent every heart problem especially those malformations or diseases that are innate or since the time of birth. They can at best be treated with the aid of surgeries.

• Watch your eating and drinking habits. Avoid cholesterol abounding food like butter, cheese, creams, cakes and pastries etc.

• Pregnant women are advised to keep away from hard drinks, cigarettes and narcotics. Negligence in this regard can be a source of incurable congenital heart disease to the baby.

• If you are a sedentary worker, make it a point to exercise daily in order to maintain a healthy living.

• Endeavor your best to have a nutritious and balanced diet.

• If you suffer from diabetes, blood pressure, asthma or any such disease, go for regular medical check ups to know about the functioning of the internal organs of your body.

• Last but not the least, avoid doing things that petrify you and do not favor your health. For instance if altitude or great height scares you, it is not a prudent choice to go for mountain climbing.

Here are five common myths about diabetes, which many people believe to be true. Like all myths, none of these are based on fact.

1: You can catch diabetes from someone else.

This is not true! Diabetes is not contagious. Although there seems to be some genetic link in diabetes, lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise are also important risk factors for diabetics. The good news is that by making changes to their diet and increasing the level of their physical activity, people with pre-diabetes can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.

2: Diabetics can’t eat sweets or chocolate.

Yes they can if they eaten as part of a healthy diet and or combined with exercise. The key point is having a healthy diet.

3: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

This is not true. Diabetes is caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. A healthy diet coupled with making simple lifestyle changes can help diabetics to manage their condition and improve their health. Being over weight increases the risk for developing diabetes.

4: People with diabetes should eat special diabetic food.

A healthy diet for diabetics is the same as that for everyone. A diabetic’s diet should be low in fat (especially saturated fat and trans-fats), moderate in salt and sugar, with meals based on whole grain foods, vegetables and fruit. Many dieticians recommend eating five portions of different fruits and vegetables a day.

5: Diabetic food should only contain small amounts of starchy foods.

Starchy foods are part of a healthy diet for diabetics, particularly when eaten in combination with compatible foods.

Mainly gender and age are the influences of heart disease and stroke. There are a variety of heart diseases that can affect your heart mainly when you get old. Amongst the very common ones is the heart attack. Stroke occurs when brain dysfunctions slowly, due to lack of blood supply to it.

Be Precocious In Your Actions

Every action that you do today may cause an adverse effect or a good one to your heart. You have to be precocious to keep your actions in such a way that it prevents heart disease and stroke in the future. In a recent survey, Men are more attacked by heart disease than women are, as the latter just pour out their hard feeling by crying or sharing with others that men don’t do. A man keeps all his worries inside his heart and does not let it flow through tears. So, he is more prone to heart attack or stroke.

Common Cause For Heart Disease

The main reason for heart disease is the increase in cholesterol level. When the cholesterol level increases, it may cause a block in blood flow which eventually results in heart attack. It is advised to avoid rich fat foods like butter, but the actual culprit in creating heart attack is food, which is rich in sugar. People, who have excessive weight, are more prone to heart attack. So, a person should mainly take care of the diet to prevent heart attack and stroke.

Proper Diet Avoids Heart Disease & Stroke

Diet is one thing, which a person has to maintain, in order to prevent heart disease and stroke. To prevent heart disease from getting worsening, you need to follow a strict and healthy diet. First of all, realise the major risk factors of heart disease. Fluctuation in blood pressure level, cholesterol level, diabetes, smoking and alcohol consumption may cause heart problems.

Role of Fruits, Fresh Vegetables and Fish

Like the proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, there are certain things that you have to follow in order to prevent certain diseases. Most important thing is avoid too much of sugar, red meat, fat and too much of salt. Try taking loads of fruits and fresh vegetables. This is the most preferred diet. One more thing, which prevents heart attack, is fish. Adding too much of ordinary oil while cooking can harm your health. So, try cooking with Olive Oil, which has got no harm.

Have Proper Intake of Fiber and Water Intake

We should have a good digestive system to get rid of these diseases. The only possible way is to have proper diet on fiber and water intake. Eight glasses of water is prescribed for a person to be healthy. Natural foods, which are rich in folic acid like spinach, orange juice and leafy vegetables are prescribed by most doctors. Again, you can also opt for natural foods, which are rich in Magnesium like beets, dates and soya beans. To avoid stroke, you can have grains, rye, cooking herbs, turmeric, ginger, shallots, sweet potatoes and tofu.

Never be addicted to tobacco and alcohol, which may surely lead to heart attack and stroke. Control your diet by taking limited amount of salt, sugar and foods with high fat. With such a routine, you’ll notice the difference in a very short period.

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, which is caused by viruses, medications and toxic agents. Currently, at least five  forms of viral hepatitis are recognized which in this article we will learn about Hepatitis A, how it spreads and how to prevent infection.

How hepatitis spreads

Hepatitis A (HAV) is spread primarily by oral contact with feces of an infected person (oral-fecal contact), including contaminated food or water sources, and any sexual contact, especially oral-anal sex.

Hepatitis A easily spreads among young children in kindergartens and day cares as many cannot wash their own hands and are in diapers and since children normally have no symptoms, no one may know that they might be infected.

On rare occasions hepatitis A has been spread through blood transfusion, using blood products or sharing personal tools and equipments specially sharing needles or other injecting equipment which is contaminated with hepatitis A infected blood.

Transmission by blood rarely happens because the virus cannot stay present for long. As it enters the blood onset of infection occurs.

Symptoms of Hepatitis

Since hepatitis A is an acute disease, it produces an initial acute phase with few symptoms. If any symptom is realized, they tend to be similar to flu like symptoms:

- muscle or joint aches
- mild fever
- vomiting
- nausea
- slight abdominal pain
- loss of appetite
- fatigue
- diarrhea

The acute phases and their symptoms are rarely serious or fatal, but occasionally a rapidly progressing form may lead to death.

Gradually the conditions worsen and theses symptoms are experienced:

- jaundice (yellowed skin, mucous membranes and eye-whites)
- light colored stools that may contain pus
- dark urine
- itching
- hives

The types of hepatitis are then distinguished by the course of the hepatitis and the varied outcome after the acute phase.

Prevention of Hepatitis

To prevent hepatitis A, always remember to the following:

Sexual Prevention:

- do not get involved in a sexual intercourse.
- commit to mutual monogamy (having sex with only one uninfected partner).
- Cut up non lubricated latex condoms or use of any moisture barriers, for example household plastic wrap or dams (square piece of latex) can help reduce the risk of transmitting Hepatitis A virus during oral-anal sex.

Non-Sexual Prevention:

- Avoid sharing drug-injection equipment especially drug needles.
- Avoid contaminated water or food sources. Only eat freshly prepared foods. drink commercially bottled or well boiled water, that too in places where water supply and sanitation are healthy and don’t eat non-peeled raw vegetables or fruits unless cleaned properly.
- Do practice good personal hygiene, especially washing hands after using the toilet or changing any diapers or sanitary pads.
- To inactivate hepatitis A virus, heat the food at temperatures above 85 degrees Celsius for 1 minute or disinfect the surfaces with a 1:100 dilution of bleach in tap water (1 part bleach for every 100 parts of water).
- It is very important for you to take a ‘hepatitis A vaccination’ before you travel to areas like Eastern Europe, Mexico, and other developing countries.