Can Low to No Carb Diets be Dangerous to Your Health?

The healthy, yet high carb, traditional Japanese style diet would be contraindicated under the Atkins plan. A major problem, in our view, is that the most popular of reduced carbohydrate approaches, the Atkins diet, is an ad lib diet with recommendations only to minimize carbohydrate intake .

One claim that Atkins makes is that his diet is good for the heart. Atkins recommended "vegetarian sources of fat and protein," not how much. Atkins advocated his diet for more than 30 years and stated that more than 60,000 patients treated at his center have used his diet as their primary protocol. However, he never published any study in which people who used his program were monitored over a period of several years.

Atkins relies heavily on proteins and fats, along with carbohydrates that are rich in nutrients. The idea is to strictly reduce the amount of non-nutritious carbohydrates you consume.

I know a couple of people who gave up the Atkins Diet just because he says to stop drinking coffee! I am telling you - coffee will help your weight loss efforts. The Atkins diet claims to clear up all manner of ailments, but the bottom line is these diets are lacking in nutrients essential for good health and the high level of protein puts a huge strain on your kidneys.

Eating less than 40 grams of carbohydrate a day may induce ketosis. And we mentioned the underdeveloped world, [which] tends to be low-fat, high-carbohydrate, also does well. Choosing to go the low or no carb route could lead to missing the benefits of whole grain, the other carbohydrates.

When carbohydrates are reintroduced in the diet, the water weight is regained. There is no quick and easy weight to lose weight; it's basically a question of calories taken in versus calories burned.

Most dieters do not understand the potentially dangerous side effects of low-/no-carbohydrate diets. A low carbohydrate diet can lead to constipation, which slows weight loss. In addition, adequate fiber is beneficial in reducing more serious types of health problems, such as colon cancer and cholesterol levels.

Despite their popularity and the concern of some in the medical community little evidence exists on the efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets.

Also, several specific health concerns are associated with a diet that places such a heavy emphasis on the consumption of protein and the restriction of carbohydrate. Consuming too much protein places extra stress on the liver and kidneys because they have to metabolize and excrete more than normal amounts of waste products.. Due to extensive publicity, low carb diets have become increasingly popular. However there is considerable ambiguity over exactly what is low carbohydrate.

About the Author:

I lost 30 pounds in three months. I’m not an expert, but I do speak from experience. Most of this, I learned on my own or through close friends and family members. If you are seriously longing to lose weight .. read THIS to find out a healthier and fun alternative to the no carb diet to help you lose weight.

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Low Carb Diet Alcohol - A Good Idea?

We've all read about the risk of alcoholic beverages, particularly if taken to excess. Yet for some of us who really want spirits to get us in the groove of daily living, or to enjoy parties or relaxing moments more but are wary about putting on additional weight, there are low carb diet alcohol options that could be suitable.

Whether you are fond of whiskies, vodka, gin which are manufactured by distilling a sort of lager made from grain ; or brandy which is made from fermented grape juice, or perhaps tequila which comes from the fermented pulp of the agave plant, there's a low carb diet alcohol recipe you can try, even at home.

For example, you can try mixing an ounce-and-a-half of vodka with a few oz of diet ginger ale with the juice of one fresh lime with some ice cubes and you have one no-guilt low-carb cocktail. There are numerous other recipes for low carb diet alcohol drinks, like one for a refreshing sugarfree margarita, that you can find even in online sites.

In the Protein Power Diet plan, which depends on counting carbs in everything to be ingested, certain alcoholic drinks are permitted, but some sweet reds, sweet rum and brandy are a no-no.

If you consult the masters of low carb diet plans that are popular nowadays, some will point out that wine is satisfactory, as are straight liquor like scotch, vodka, and gin but these must be sugarless. Hard liquor is claimed to give nothing more than empty calories, while some dry red or white wine come only with 3 to 4 carb grams.

About the Author:

Lose 20 Pounds In 30 Days - Just Check Out Our Low Carb Diet Plan For All The Information - http://www.thintony.com/lowcarbdietplan/

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How to Treat Arthritis

Arthritis is an extremely painful and potentially debilitating condition, which now affects over one in ten people in the developed world. It can lead to a reduced ability to carry out many of the essential tasks of daily life and often impair the sufferer's ability to do their job of work. There are many different types of arthritis, with varying symptoms, but most types involve some kind of inflammation of the joints, making movement difficult and often painful.


Treatment therefore should be directed towards the prevention or reduction of any debilitating damage that usually occurs during the early stage of rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment should also include patient rehabilitation. This will enable restoration of the patient's lost functions damaged during the early stage of the disease.

There are many solutions to try and help your arthritis, however they can really add up and get expensive. If you are looking for a cheap way to treat arthritis, then maybe you should look that getting a pair of arthritis gloves. Where you are looking at acquiring a pair gloves, there are quite a few things that you need to consider. Will you be wearing the gloves all the time, there are different kinds and you may need to buy more than one pair.

Pain relief is very important in the management of rheumatoid arthritis. This is usually done by the use of dry heat to the affected parts of the body. Pain relievers such as aspirin are often used as well.

One way that has been successful in easing the pain of arthritis is the application of hot compresses. Put hot water into a bowl. Make sure it is not too hot. Add three to six drops of an essential oil to the water. Make sure you use an oil with pain relieving properties such as chamomile, lavender or cinnamon. Put a sterile cotton cloth into the water. Wring out some excess water and place the cloth onto the bothersome area.

You may treat arthritis naturally with just 30 minutes of daily work out. But before you try any of the exercises it is advisable to consult your physician. As arthritis makes your bones weak so, your physician may let you know the kind of exercise that may be performed by you without any damages. You must perform some stretching exercises for 15 minutes.

Try massaging your fingers or other affected joints with coconut oil twice a day. Natural treatment for arthritis is usually a better choice because it's non-invasive to the body. Studies done on antioxidant vitamins question the value of these supplements; it's clearly better to consume these antioxidants in living foods because they may also need to work with other nutrients present in the foods to work properly.

Taking warm baths can offer relief from the discomfort and pain caused by arthritis as cold bathes may increase pain and discomfort. Many people also add Epson salts to warm bathwater - about three to four tablespoons. When taking such a bath make sure to stay in the water for a minimum of thirty minutes.

Surgical treatment. Surgery maybe recommended by your doctor in severe cases of hip joint problem. Surgical treatments include Osteotomy and Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). Surgery is not for everybody, careful planning and diagnosis must be made before subjecting yourself under the knife.

About the Author:

Read About How to Treat Arthritis Also Read About Natural Treatment for Cracked Lips and Home Remedies for Body Rash

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Allergy – A Better Understanding

Many have experience in their life to have allergy of different types from food, drugs, dust, pollen and other things in which can irritate your body. This irritation can cause our body to have skin rashes, asthma and anaphylactic shock.

First this is we need to understand what is allergy and why does it cause this effects in our body.

Allergy is described as hyperactive response of the immune system to certain foreign substance to our body may it be in touch, swallow, inhalation or injected. These substances are called allergens.

Simply If your body has been introduce through an unfamiliar substance such as eating of food, taking of new drug medication, dust, pollen or anything which can cause your body to react indifferently that may be a cause of allergy.

Allergy causes a person to have a severe discomfort and finding relief is very difficult. A person having this problem usually has swelling effect in the face and neck.

What are the known effects and how to take initial actions? There are three signs in which you are having allergy attack from your body.

Skin rashes is the first symptom that will come in mind, it is usually skin rashes which accompanied by other symptoms like fever or pain. Skin rashes cause severe discomfort or distress which lasts for more than 24 hours. The immediate treatment you can have is to apply cold compress or calamine lotion and never scratch the rashes.

Asthma is another symptom for allergy this effect can be noticed through difficulty with breathing. This may be from wheezing sound on breathing out, increased heart beat, increased pulse rate, speaking short sentences, and increasing anxiety and restlessness. How to initially treat this problem, if a person who is having an asthma attack has his inhaler let him take it until he finds comfort to be fine but if a person does not have an inhaler, let him lie down either on a table, or any comfortable support then provide a fresh air or just giving space which the person can breathe easily. Make sure to loosen any tighten clothes. Encourage the person to be calm and take even breaths.

Anaphylactic Shock is the most dangerous allergic response to foreign substance it is a serious condition that could be fatal. A person may notice such conditions as wide spread of body rash, swelling particularly on the face and neck. A person having this shock may also be experiencing profound anxiety, fast pulse, feeling of tight chest, difficulty breathing, and collapse and unconsciousness. In treating this problem, immediately rush the person to the nearest hospital.

Do not underestimate the problem of allergy especially if you think that you do not have this, every person can experience this problem.
Mark Louie Tobias

About the Author:

Learn more about Allergy and get a better understanding of how this Health Problem can be treated at Allergy HealthCare Products

Mark Louie Tobias is a Marketing Consultant for SafeTablet Your Online Pharmacy

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Why Teeth Turn Yellow

Teeth can turn yellow for several reasons: smoking, drinking dark colored beverages, antibiotics (tetracycline for example), aging, and genetics as well. All of these factors can very well contribute the dulling of your smile and the yellowing of your teeth, but how?

Cigarettes: small molecules from cigarette smoke attach themselves to the enamel of smokers' teeth while the smoke is being inhaled. These molecules accumulate over time and leave an unsightly yellow color on the teeth of smokers. These staining molecules are very difficult to remove and are the cause of the yellow stains on the teeth of smokers'.

Dark colored beverages: dark colored beverages yellow teeth in essentially the same manner as cigarettes. However, many dark colored beverages that we consume daily are slightly acidic and can aide the teeth yellowing process. The acid slowly breaks down portions of the tooth's enamel and over time, colored molecules attach themselves to the teeth. Also, the dentin is exposed through the lightly thinned enamel. Dentin is yellow in color and contributes to teeth yellowing as well.

Anitbiotics: antibiotics such as tetracycline taken during childhood while teeth were developing can contribute to the discoloration or slight greying of teeth as well. This is especially difficult to remove since the discoloration takes place within the teeth themselves. This is not impossible to treat but requires more attention and perhaps more sessions to remove.

Genetics: genetics play a significant role in the color of your teeth. Your genetics help determine the thickness of your enamel on your teeth and how the react to their environment (i.e. your mouth and what you put in it). Enamel is naturally white and the thicker it is, the whiter your teeth can appear.

Aging: The enamel on our teeth naturally thins as we age. Again, thin enamel lets the yellow color of the dentin underneath come through, making your teeth appear yellow. This, however, should not deter you from attempting achieve the best (whitest) results you can with your smile.

Rather, you can take hold and control the color of your smile by controlling what you eat and drink, and abstain form habits that will discolor your teeth. Cosmetic teeth whiting is very effective and you can achieve fantastic results in as little as 20-40 minutes, but it is up to you to maintain that new white smile. After you have whitened your teeth, you should eat healthy foods such as strawberries, cucumbers, and apples. These foods increase saliva which helps kill staining bacteria, and as a bonus, the fiber in these foods also cleans your teeth.

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How do you Fight Acne on Your Back?

When we reach puberty and the acne breakouts start to happen to those of us that are unlucky, there is a group who will get acne on the back, shoulders and upper arms. The acne in these areas are basically caused by the same things that cause acne on the face but the real reasons are really not known. These areas can be harder to treat because there are more sebaceous glands here and the skin seems to be thicker.

As far as treating back acne or bacne as it is referred to, you need to keep clean as best as possible. Sweating may or may not be the cause but it would sure make since to wash as often as reasonable and after excessive sweating to keep the pores clear. You may even try occasionally exfoliating the back with one of those soft mesh type wash cloths.

Try using a medicated cream made for acne. Use one with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, you may find one works better for you than the other. Apply it to your skin after washing and give it time to dry before putting on a shirt, it may stain clothing. Also wear clean shirts as often as possible to help prevent reintroducing bacteria to the skin.

If you have a really tough case of acne it may be wise to see a dermatologist to help get rid of it. They would be able to prescribe stronger medicated creams or even an oral medication to clear it up.

About the Author:

Go to Treat Your Acne to discover more information on how to prevent and treat acne and pimples. Tim Archbold’s lifelong interests are Health and Fitness.

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How to Detox THC from your body

There are many ways to complete a THC Detox. The minimum time they require are about 72 hours. THC is the chemical from marijuana that gives the person a high. THC can be in the user's body for up to a month. There are drinks that can hide the THC from showing during a test, but this is not the same as a THC detox. The THC will still show in your system after consuming the drink and its ability to hide the THC disappears. The main places where THC is stored are blood, urine, and hair. THC naturally detoxes from the body in about a 30 day period, but if a person needs to remove THC from his or her body more quickly, it can be done. It is a good idea to ask someone else who has taken one that worked because of all the different THC detox products on the market.

There are a lot of THC Detoxing kits available on the market. There are home tests that you can take yourself to see if you test positive for THC. These products you can get are shampoo that cleanses your hair of cemicals, THC Detox pills, detox drinks, and also a method of drinking cranberry juice and water. The prices for these cleanses can range from $25 to over $125. The method of drinking cranberry juice and water will cost you less than the other products. The issue with the last method is that it is not as reliable and not really known how fast it can detox your system of THC.

Because THC is stored in the hair, a normal THC detox will not remove it. If you are afraid of being tested by your hair follicles, then it is advised to purchase a special shampoo that removes toxins, including THC, from your hair.

Then there are the 24 hour drinks. These drinks can cost $40 a drink, and have instructions that are easy to follow. A lot of them will have a guarantee that says you will pass a THC test. Do not mistake these for a regular THC detox, as some of these drinks only hide THC from the tests. They require you to not eat a lot before you take the drink, and to drink water afterwards. It helps to urinate atleast three times while doing this method.

Packages for a THC detox can run up to $125 and include a self testing kit, THC detox drink, THC detox pills, tea, and THC hair detox shampoo. The time frame for this detox is around 10 days to complete, and it comes with a guarantee if you complete the whole 10 days as followed. You would begin by taking the pills, tea, and shampoo in the beginning days. The drink is saved for the day of the person is taking the test. The drink is effective 1 - 7 hours after you consume it. When preparing to consume the THC detox drink, it helps to drink water before and after to flush the toxins out.

All natural pills that are made for a THC detox cost up to $60. The process for detoxing the THC is around 7 days. The pills are made from natural herbs.

Last THC detox method you can do is drink a lot of water and cranberry juice. This method is primarily for people who aren't concerned about speed. I am unsure how fast this method flushes THC out of the body, but it is the least expensive.

To be certain you will test negative for THC, it is advised to stick with products that have a guarantee to work for a THC Detox.

About the Author:

For more THC detox methods you can visit the blog Here.

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Health Topics for Youngsters

Now-a-days, living a healthy lifestyle is often the last priority for teenagers. Youngsters are living in indoor entertainment with technological advances such as video game systems, internet and television, and enjoying a convenient environment with advances such as vending machine and fast food. Such lifestyle prevents youngsters from getting and staying healthy. There are a wider range of health topics for youngsters.

Good health condition and positive thinking are must for youngsters if they really want to be successful. Youngsters must be aware of different health topics and self-management skills in order to thrive in the world of good health. The proper knowledge of health related topics such as relationships, depression, sex, drugs and alcohol brings out favorable and good results in the lifestyle of youngsters to lead much happier, more confident and more positive life.


Weight management is one of the main health topics for youngsters. Weight management begins with regular physical activity and healthy eating habits. The youngsters must discuss topics such as health and nutrition, types of physical activities, types of food, diet supplements, yoga, meditation, etc., which are means to be healthy. Youngsters must include sufficient amount of healthy items and avoid junk foods like pop and chips. They should not only be taught messages about good nutrition and physical activity, but they should also be provided a structure to support those things.

The importance of healthy lifestyle is also an important health topic for youngsters. Leading a healthy lifestyle in school, college, work place and life is very essential for youngsters to be successful. The topics discussing the adverse effects of smoking, alcohol and drug usage, and eating disorders, are important. All-day health and wellness forums are also conducted in the aim to educate youngsters about the means to lead a healthy lifestyle.

The sex related topic is another important health topic that most teenagers might hesitate to discuss with adults. But it is the role of parents and society to teach the importance of sex related issues such as abstinence, virginity, birth control, teen pregnancy
and sexually transmitted diseases.

The prevention and control of diseases is also an essential health topic for youngsters. The self confidence and self-management of youngsters facing health problems deteriorates. Living with health problems such as chronic disease during teenage can be a drastic experience. Teenagers with diseases such as asthma and diabetes feel uncomfortable for taking their medication in public places. The mental health problems among the youngsters have also witnessed a wide growth during these days. Youngsters are also facing chronic and age-related skin and other diseases now-a-days. Youngsters must be taught tips for preventing and controlling certain risks associated with vitamin deficiency, stress, depression, diseases such as asthma and diabetes, and skin diseases.

The health topics such as body changes, menstruation (for females only), contraception, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and eating disorders, must also be discussed among youngsters.

Youngsters obtain health care information from a wide variety of sources. It is important that parents and society must educate youngsters on making good choices related to health related issues. Youngsters must be taught the importance of health and wellness. Health services are there to provide general social work, counseling & support to youngsters. A number of health service programs are there to educate and help youngsters on issues related to different health topics. Educational programs related to health topics enable teenagers with chronic illnesses to manage their own condition while reducing their sense of isolation. Prevention and Wellness programs provide tips for preventing certain health problems and managing certain diseases. The health topic related workshops also help young people understand the importance of talking to health professionals rather than relying on their parents. Self-management programs for staying positive are designed for youngsters facing long-term health problems in order to improve their confidence and self-management skills.

About the Author:

Oz Zeldom is an expert author, who is presently working on the site about

medicine online,

medical encyclopedia. He has written many articles in various topics. For more information about medical reference. Visit our site www.healthon.com

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Diabetes, Smoking, and Foot Problems: Is It All Related?

I am of the opinion that each individual has a right to make their own personal decisions about their health and well-being. For example, I choose to compete in Ironman triathlon events as a part of my health maintenance routine. Some doctors think that this is excessive and dangerous.

In the same way that I believe I have the right to make a decision to compete in these events, I believe that any individual has the right to choose to smoke. I don't personally care if you choose to smoke. Please keep in mind that the arguments against smoking that make have nothing to do with moral issues, only biological ones.

Cigarette smoke contains numerous identified chemicals and toxins that have specific detrimental effects on the body. In many cases, these negative effects are compounded when you have diabetes. By discussing the various effects that smoking has on the symptoms of diabetes and specifically the lower extremity, you will be able to make a more informed decision about whether or not you choose to smoke.

It is well known that smoking is a risk factor for heart disease. So is diabetes. But when you smoke, your blood pressure and heart rate both increase. This forces the heart to work much harder. In addition, the blood vessels in the heart itself are actually constricted as a result of smoking. This places you at increased risk of a heart attack.

In a very similar fashion, smoking can reduce the amount of blood circulation in the feet and legs. This also is already a problem with diabetes. But instead of causing a heart attack, smoking puts you at higher risk for poor circulation, which can lead to slow wound healing, painful cramping, and even gangrene that can lead to a diabetic foot amputation.

Not only does smoking slow down the blood flow, but it also so decreases the amount of oxygen delivered to the tissues. Toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke, specifically carbon monoxide, permanently block oxygen transfer sites on the red blood cells that actually carry the oxygen down to the tissues in your feet. Think of a red blood cell as a car that holds four passengers. If three out of the four seats are occupied by carbon monoxide molecules, there is only one spot left for an oxygen molecule. And it stays this way until that red blood cell dies.

Any time a bone is fractured or has surgery, the healing process in the bone is dramatically reduced. We know that if a patient smokes, they have a 2.7 times higher risk of not healing after bone surgery or fractures as compared to non-smokers. For this reason, I never perform elective foot surgery on a smoker.

Anyone with diabetes is at risk of developing diabetic foot ulcers or open wounds. Smoking simply slows wound healing dramatically. When you develop an open diabetic foot ulcer, the white blood cells are the part of the immune system that fight off infection and the fibroblasts are the cells to grow new tissue to close the wound. Both have to work properly in order for a wound to heal. Smoking directly affects the function of the healing cells known as fibroblasts. Smoking also weakens the immune system.

Smoking also decreases the rate at which new blood vessels can form in an area surrounding a wound. The growth of new blood vessels is necessary in order to allow tissue to heal. Simply put, no new blood flow equals no wound healing. The longer a wound stays open, the more likely it will become infected and lead to an amputation.

Now that it is clear that cigarette smoking and slow wound healing and make it more likely that you will have a diabetic foot amputation, what should you do? The obvious answer is to quit smoking. However, we all know that quitting smoking is very difficult.

The good news in all of this is that you might not have to tell yourself you are courting forever. In one study of patients that had surgery, it was shown that if a person had quit smoking for four weeks, the wound infection rates were the same in those that stopped smoking as those that had never smoked.

Another study showed that quitting smoking two weeks before surgery was effective in reducing the risk of postoperative problems to the same level as those that had never smoked.

There was also a study that evaluated bone healing and quitting smoking. In the study smokers were instructed to stop smoking one week before surgery and continue to abstain from smoking until the bone surgery healed. When they quit only one week before surgery, their bones healed just as quickly as people that had never smoked at all.

You should know that nicotine is harmful to bone healing, wound healing, as well as diabetic foot circulation. Nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine gum and patches are certainly better than smoking, because they contain fewer chemicals and toxins. But if possible, you should avoid smoking as well as nicotine substitutes, while healing is taking place.

You should realize that even if you have tried to stop smoking before and found it difficult, you only need to stop for a period of time to allow healing to take place. This may make it easier for you to realize that you don't have to stop smoking forever just to avoid a diabetic foot amputation.
...........

About the Author:

Dr. Christopher Segler is an award winning diabetic foot specialist. He believes that diabetic foot amputations result from a faulty health care system. He thinks doctors should take the time to provide patient education that can prevent amputations. You can learn more by requesting your FREE report "No Leg Left To Stand On: The Secrets Insurance Companies Don't Want You To Know About Diabetic Foot Amputation" at http://www.ineedmyfeet.com.

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Swine H1N1 Flu:2009

Swine flu , now known as the 2009 H1N1 flu, is caused by the orthomyxovirus which usually affects pigs but viral mutations allows the virus to cross species to other hosts like humans. The swine influenza virus (SIV) is another example of cross species viral infection which was previously seen with other Zoonotic infections like in civets to humans SARS or Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome and from birds to humans as seen with avian (bird) flu.



Unlike SARS and bird flu, swine flu has mutated to the point where the virus can now spread from human-to-human. This current mutation is the cause of the global scare of the recent 2009 outbreak which is feared to become a pandemic. With the popularity of air travel, infected passengers from one region can easily travel to other nations and result in new outbreaks occurring in regions that were not prone to swine flu.



The current human-to-human transmission of swine flu is caused by droplet spread through the contact with infected body fluids as in saliva or mucus when sneezing.



How is Swine Flu H1N1 Spread?





The incubation period (time between exposure and onset of symptoms) is still uncertain, but it appears to be 3-4 days.

All flus are spread by droplets that spray out as a person sneezes or coughs. You can catch Swine Flu H1N1 or any flu virus if:

1. You are standing within three feet of an uncovered cough or sneeze and droplets make contact with you or if you inhale them.
2. The droplets land on hard surfaces, like a desk top or keyboard. Even after the droplet dries a flu virus could live for over an hour. You can catch the virus by touching an infected surface then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
3. You can give to the flu to somebody else by touching their eyes, nose, or mouth if the virus is on your hand.
4. Somebody coughs sneezes or blows their nose into a tissue, and the wet tissue makes contact with their hand or the tissue tears and the contents make contact with their hand. If they touch hard surfaces or shake hands before they wash their hands then they could spread a virus. Flu viruses can also be spread by handling a contaminated cloth handkerchief then touching people or surfaces.
5. An infected person touches their eyes, nose or mouth then touches other surfaces, objects or people before washing their hands.



This is not the same Swine Flu virus people were immunized against in the 1970's. There is a vaccine for the 2009 Swine Flu Influenza A H1N1 virus under development but even with fast tracking it will take months before it is ready for human trial.

Swine Flu H1N1 is not spread by pigs and you cannot catch Swine Flu H1N1 by eating pork or using medications that are derived from pigs (porcine).



Symptoms of Swine Flu



Swine flu infection causes symptoms that are similar to the symptoms of influenza infection as seen during the annual ‘flu’ season. This may result in many cases of swine flu being misdiagnosed as a common cold or the ‘flu’ and if infected persons do not seek professional medical treatment, the infection can spread further in the general population.



The general symptoms of swine flu include:



1. Fever with or without chills.
2. Sore throat.
3. Respiratory symptoms, usually a cough or less frequently as dyspnoea (difficulty breathing) or pneumonia.
4. Fatigue and lethargy
5. Myalgia (general body aches)
6. Headaches
7. Diarrhea
8. Vomiting

The current swine flu epidemic has seen gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting that are more severe than previous swine flu outbreaks. Unfortunately these gastrointestinal symptoms may often be misdiagnosed as a ‘gastric flu’ and it is important to consult with your medical practitioner if your symptoms persist.











Preventing the Spread of Swine Flu H1N1





According to the CDC, proper hand washing is the most effective means of preventing the spread of disease.

1. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also considered effective.
2. Use disposable tissues, clean your hands after every use.
3. Cough into your elbow or shoulder if you do not have a tissue.
4. Preventative treatments (such as Tamiflu) are not recommended for healthy people as this could potentially lead to resistance. Only seek treatment if you have symptoms.
5. People with flu- like symptoms should avoid public places. If your child's school is closed do not place your child in group settings such as daycare.
6. If there are confirmed cases in your area, limit exposure by avoiding public places and clean your hands often while out and upon returning home.
7. An infected person is contagious about 1 day before they have symptoms so follow proper hand washing guidelines or use alcohol based hand sanitizers often to prevent the accidental spread of the flu.
8. The contagious period lasts for about 7 days after symptoms start, probably longer in children.
About the Author:

Senior Vet.Officer,Central Veterinary Laboratory Kathmandu Nepal M.V.St. Preventive Veterinary Mrdicine

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