Are you experiencing symptoms of flu, such as a cough, sore throat, fever, body aches and headaches? Are you feeling sick around your stomach and throwing up more than usual? This indicates you have H1N1 flu or swine flu. Swine flu is a form of influenza that affects pigs, or a form of human influenza that is caused by a related virus.

Diagnosis
It is difficult to tell whether you have got swine flu or seasonal flu, as the associated symptoms are similar. There are a few different symptoms. A laboratory test is hence required for the detection of swine flu. Sometimes, a rapid flu test taken in a doctor s chamber is not enough for the proper diagnosis of swine flu.

For swine flu testing, a swab is taken by a doctor from the insides of your nose and the back of your throat. This test is usually taken by people who are living in hospitals or are at a high risk of death because of life threatening conditions, because of swine flu. Children below the age of 6, people above the age of 65, and children taking aspirin therapy are more likely to develop swine flu. Adults or children suffering from lung, blood, liver and nervous system disorders are also prone to swine flu. Pregnant women and people with a weak immune system are also susceptible to swine flu.

Treatment
Several antiviral drugs, which are used to treat seasonal flu, are used to treat swine flu as well. However, some drugs prescribed for seasonal flu do not respond to swine flu. Using these medicines enables faster treatment and also makes the patient feel better. You must take the medicines within 48 hours of observing the first swine flu symptom. They are also effective when given at a later stage. Antibiotics do not treat swine flu as the flu itself is caused by a virus and not by a bacterium.

Certain over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers and medicines for cold and flu may also help in relieving aches, fever and pain. Abstain from giving aspirin to patients below the age of eighteen as it could lead to Reye s syndrome. You can prevent yourself from getting swine flu by taking a vaccine. The same flu vaccine, which prevents seasonal flu, also protects the H1N1 swine flu strain. This can be taken in the form of a shot or a nasal spray.

H1 N1 Infuenza (Swine Flu) - How it can be detected and treated?

All year round, we are vulnerable to an array of health disorders, be it due to poor lifestyle choices, a pre-existing disease, or changing climate/weather. While most people focus on the cure of grave diseases, the most common ailments are often overlooked. One such condition is cold and flu   a viral infection of the nose and throat. Although the infection usually occurs in winters, the viruses causing cold and flu can make you fall sick anytime, and when you do, you are forced to sit back at home and keep away from people because the infection is contagious.

What are the symptoms?

If you catch a bad cold and flu, you are likely to experience the following symptoms  

  Runny nose

  Nasal congestion

  Sneezing and coughing

  A sore throat

  Headaches

  Body or muscle aches

  Tiredness/fatigue

  Fever and chills

Usually, the symptoms resolve in a week or two and most people recover on their own. However, if the condition does not improve and if you fall sick repeatedly, you might have to turn to medications.

Who gets a cold and flu?

Ever wondered  Why am I getting sick all the time ? That is probably because you have a weak immune system. Certain autoimmune conditions exhaust the immune system and make you prone to infections, flu and cold. People, who have chronic immune conditions, tend to fall sick and take longer to recover.

How do you stop from getting sick?

If you have been falling sick more than once in every few months, then you can ask your doctor for supplements that will help build your immunity. Probiotics, zinc supplements, and vitamin supplements are good for cold and flu. You can also avoid getting cold and flu following a few preventive measures, such as the following  

  Get vaccinated against flu and cold, influenza, and seasonal allergies

  Keep your surroundings clean and free from pollutants because such viral infections are air-borne. If you need to go out, make sure you are using a mask to cover the mouth and the nose.

  Viruses that make you sick often spread by coming in contact with an infected person or contaminated surfaces. Therefore, you must always practice good hygiene. Wash your hands with soap or a sanitizer immediately after touching an unclean surface. Also, make sure you clean your hands before eating.

  Exercise at least thrice or four times a week. Any sort of physical activity helps build immunity, improves your overall health and reduces the risk of a number of ailments.

  Eat a balanced diet that includes enough proteins, fibre, healthy fats and lots of fluid. It is very important to keep yourself hydrated, especially in summer to avoid falling sick. The above measures not only prevent you from contracting flu and cold but also keep a dozen other ailments at bay.

How To Avoid Getting Sick?

Coughing during the night can really wreak havoc for your sleep and cause inexplicable discomfort in the throat and chest region. Thankfully, you can manage it by soothing your tickling throat as well as sensitive airways before you go to bed at night. 

Drink herbal tea: A mugful of non-caffeinated tea mixed with a teaspoon of honey before going to bed can help you to a considerable extent. This is because any warm liquid has the power to break down the formation of mucus in the throat region and with a bit of honey, the herbal tea becomes even more powerful.
Try to sleep in an inclining position: Gravity is your greatest enemy while combating night-time cough. When you lie down flat on your back at night, all the mucus and dust particles, which you have swallowed all through the day, would accumulate in the throat area and aggravate it making more cough. But you can easily defy gravitational force by piling up some pillows and prop yourself on them while sleeping. You may also keep a wooden block of 4 inches height under your head, which would keep the acids in the stomach so that they don t come up to irritate your throat.
Make sure you use the steam cautiously: When your airways are dry, it can make you cough harder. Therefore, you may find relief if you take a warm shower or a bath before going to bed. But you have to be sure that you don t have asthma as steam can prove harmful for you.
Check the level of humidity: Humidifiers are known to soothe the problem of persistent coughing when the surrounding air is dry. But too much of moisture during the night can also make you cough. This is because dust mites, mold and other allergens thrive well in the damp air and they could conspire to make your cough even worse. So, pick up a cheap hygrometer from a hardware store and see that the humidity level stays within 40 to 50 percent.
Equip yourself at night: Keep all the things from drops to water to cough syrup or anything that soothes coughing at your bedside so that you can help yourself in case you wake up in the middle of the night and start coughing.
By following these few tips every day, you can manage the night time cough and have a good night s sleep without any interruptions.

Night Time Cough - 5 Tips to Manage it

It is important for you to know about inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, it is a group of intestinal disorders, which leads to prolonged inflammation of your digestive tract. The digestive tract is made of the mouth, stomach, oesophagus, small intestine and large intestine. It performs the task of breaking down food, removing unusable materials and waste products, and for breaking down nutrients from food. Inflammation along with the digestive tract causes disruption in this process. IBD is a fatal condition which can be life threatening in some cases.

Major types of inflammatory bowel disease
The term inflammatory bowel disease is an umbrella term under which many diseases are included. The two major and most common diseases under IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn s disease. Crohn s disease (a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, especially the colon and ileum, associated with ulcers and fistulae) can lead to inflammation in any part of your digestive tract. It commonly affects the small intestine s tail end. In case of ulcerative colitis, inflammation takes place in the large intestine.

Causes of IBD
Although the exact cause of IBD is not known, several factors may lead to this condition. They are as follows:

Genetics: You are more likely to develop IBD if someone in your family has the disease. This is because of the genetic component of IBD.
The immune system: The body s immune system plays a role in IBD. Usually, your immune system defends your body from pathogens. A bacterial or viral infection in the digestive tract may lead to an immune response. The digestive tract becomes inflamed as the body fights against the bacteria or viruses. The inflammation goes away when the infection is gone.
However, in the case of IBD, the digestive tract inflammation may occur without any infection. Your immune system attacks your body s cells. This is called an autoimmune response. IBD can also occur when the infection is cured, but the inflammation remains.

Symptoms
The various symptoms of IBD depend on the severity and location of the inflammation. They are as follows:

Diarrhoea which occurs when the bowel cannot reabsorb water.
Bleeding ulcers which cause blood to show up in your stool.
Stomach pain, bloating and cramping because of bowel obstruction.
Weight loss and anaemia, which leads to delayed development and growth in children.
In patients with Crohn s disease, canker sores may develop in the mouth.
Ulcers and fissures may appear on the anus or genital area.
IBD may also be associated with problems such as eye inflammation, arthritis and skin disorders.
The major complications which may arise from IBD include colon cancer, malnutrition with weight loss, fistulas, intestinal rapture and bowel obstruction. It is important for you to consult a doctor on noticing any of the IBD symptoms.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Know the Types!

What should you do when you are down with viral

Viral fever or in layman language, Flu causes runny nose , coughing , fever , bodyache and muscle pain. You need to isolate yourself first so that you do not spread to your near and dear ones as it really spreads fast. Common cold too is a viral infection! Many times when we think that our stomach is upset due to improper eating; but the reality is in many cases, it is viral infection. Viruses enter the body in multiple ways; it is almost impossible from stopping them entering inside. A few solutions though work wonders in keeping their effects at bay.

1. Adequate rest- Viruses take a lot away from your bodies. When you work while being affected by virus, you further bog your body down buying more opportunity for viruses to affect you more. Complete rest may sound lazy, but it in fact is a great way to start off the healing process.
2. Drink right- Drink a lot of water, a hydrated body fights virus better than one that is not. Consume fruit juices, energy drinks and vegetable soups every now and again. Stay away from dairy products like milk, butter milk, milkshakes etc.
3. Eat aplenty- Eat plenty amounts of food. When you are down with virus, you tend to lose appetite. But make sure that you eat as much as you can; this helps in replenishing the energy resource of the body which will battle the virus better. Don’t overeat though.
4. Eat it right- Eat salads, fruits, brown rice, cereals etc. In simpler words, eat light; don’t eat stuff that demands a lot of energy for digesting. If eating is difficult, vegetable soups with whole vegetables and dals in them are ideal.
5. Stay warm- Resting doesn’t just mean the lack of activity. Proper rest is when you keep yourself warm. It’s essential to feel good and almost all viral infections make you cold. Tackle this by staying inside your blanket. Use full sleeve shirts and long pants with gloves, a cap and socks supporting them. 

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What should you do when you are down with Viral Attack

Many times we forget about the importance of our health in the race to pursue our careers and goals. We take our bodies for granted and keep working them without stopping for a breath. While some may have mastered this art, there are many who may not be able to cope with such a lifestyle and may end up falling ill. The most common problem that most people suffer from is stomach upset, gas, or stomach pain, and all of this may be because of not eating right or having irregular eating habits.

It is due to such problems that people fall ill and then go to the doctor with a problem that may take much longer to treat. However, if the patient starts to check in with the doctor before the stomach pain worsens, it may be easier to treat because very often the pain arises from stomach ulcers. Ulcers are sores that are caused on the lining of the stomach or the oesophagus or even on the intestines. In serious cases, the sores may cause great damage to the stomach and may lead to much worse issues. However, with the right intake of food, the damage may be controlled in combination with medicines and treatment from experts.

Foods to avoid
In controlling the spread of stomach ulcers or peptic ulcers, it may be important to know the food that should be avoided so that the medicines and treatments taken for controlling the problem may work better. Here is a list of foods that you should avoid:

Hot beverages such as tea, coffee, cocoa and milk should be avoided because they cause acid imbalance in the stomach.
Anything that may contain caffeine should also be avoided.
Alcohol should be completely avoided by those suffering from peptic ulcers.
Citric or sour drinks such as grape or orange drinks should also be avoided for remaining at ease.
Any spicy powders or seasonings, such as pepper, chilli powder and garlic should be excluded from the diet.
Anything that is made from milk or cream and is extremely fatty in nature should not be consumed.
Flavoured cheese that is strong and spicy should not be eaten.
Meats that include high levels of fat or those that are highly seasoned should be completely avoided.
Chillies or peppers in any form should be kept away from your diet.
Anything that is made from tomato should also be avoided, such gravy, sauces or raw tomatoes.
When you start to keep your diet clean and healthy, it may be much easier for your doctor to cure you of stomach ulcers.


Stomach Ulcer - 10 Types of Food You Must Avoid!

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