Is Swine Flu ‘The Big One’ and Prevention

Dr. Jack Bukowski, Fruits and vegetables, Harvard University, Health, Immune System, Information, Life, Michael Osterholm, Prevention Better than Cure, Saving Lives, Swine flu Pandemic, Vibe Health, Vitamin C

Is Swine Flu ‘The Big One’ and Prevention

bk
April 27, 2009

Fresh Fruits
Image Courtesy of Hong Lee Toh

Frankly speaking, I am no expert or medical doctor and thus I cannot give you the answer to that. I guess no one can give you the definite answer too. According to a Yahoo! News by Associated Press, “… it’s too soon to tell.”

A prominent expert on global flu outbreaks, with the University of Minnesota, Michael Osterholm said, “What makes this so difficult is we may be somewhere between an important but yet still uneventful public health occurrence here — with something that could literally die out over the next couple of weeks and never show up again — or this could be the opening act of a full-fledged influenza pandemic.”

Yesterday, I was talking to a friend and the first thing she asked me is, “Have you read about the swine flu?” She is concerned and worried about how the swine flu can potentially kill a lot of people. Hopefully this will not go on to kill millions around the world, as pandemics did in 1918, 1957 and 1968.

Besides being concerned and worried about this, it is more important to take proactive measures to secure yourself and your family. Everyone has an important part to play to prevent the swine flu pandemic from happening.

Although flu shots have been offered in different nations, new types of flu viruses have remained a threat. So what can we do? The best bet will be to work on your immune system. With a stronger immune system, you body has a higher chance of winning battles against viruses.

How do we boost our immune systems? (These are not the only things you can do to boost your immune system. I am sure you can add more to this list. The important thing we should focus on is boosting our immune systems)

1. In a previous article, ‘C is the Alphabet to Healthy Life,’ which I posted, increasing your intake of Vitamin C could be a good start to boosting your immune system.

The good thing is Vitamin C is easily available in fruits and vegetables. The foods that are very rich in Vitamin C include green peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnip greens and other leafy greens, sweet and white potatoes, and cantaloupe. I believe there are more foods which you can add to the list.

2. Drink plenty of water. How many times have you heard about the important of drinking water? And how many of us are doing it? The usual guideline is about 6-8 glasses of water everyday. My body has a way to let me know that it needs water – it protests by giving me headaches. Headaches and thirst are both signs of dehydration.

3. Get a full night’s sleep. Depending on individual, your body may need anywhere from 6 to 10 hours of sleep each night. According to an article on Vibe Health dated 27 February 2009, “Medical researchers are discovering that sleep may be the body’s way of recharging your immune system, explaining why poor sleepers are prone to infections and heart disease.”

4. Exercising. Exercise can make a noticeable difference to your health and happiness by releasing Endorphins. Moderate and consistent exercise help one to boost immune system and to sleep better. If you overdo it, it may do harm to your immune system instead.

5. Drinking Tea. Immunologists at Harvard University discovered that people who drank five cups of black tea a day for 2 weeks transformed their immune system T cells into “Hulk cells” that pumped out 10 times more cold and flu virus – fighting interferon — proteins that defend against infection — than did the immune systems of those who didn’t drink black tea. Green tea should work just as well.

While five cups a day may seem like a lot, Dr. Jack Bukowski of the Harvard Medical School thinks fewer cups may still offer some valuable protection. Moderation is important.

Besides following these points to boost immune system, we must also adopt good hygiene practices and be socially responsible:

1. Washing hands thoroughly and often especially if you have been out in the public.
2. People should avoid touching their mouth, nose or eyes with their hands unless they’ve washed their hands.
3. Using a serving spoon when sharing food.
4. Not spitting on the floor, covering nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and to throw it into garbage immediately.
5. Wearing masks when unwell.

Those who have flu-like symptoms are advised to seek medical help promptly, and inform the doctors of their travel history.

Although there is no way to control 100 percent on how the swine flu pandemic may evolve, we can do our parts to prevent it from affecting ourselves, our immediate families and friends. I hope these few points can inspire you to take proactive measures to boost your immune system. Wishing everyone great health!

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37 thoughts on “Is Swine Flu ‘The Big One’ and Prevention”

    1. Symphony of Love Post author

      @ Liza, thank you. I was watching the news last night and experts were saying that swine flu can be worse than the SARS back in 2002-2003. Let us all stay vigilant but not overly worry. It is important to watch our healths.

  5. Symphony of Love Post author

    @ PC, it may be true to avoid human contact especially in areas where there is a high number of confirmed swine flu cases. Or I would say in such areas, we should avoid going to places where there is a lot of people gathering together.

    According to a report by AP, “In a bid to prevent mass contagion, Mexico canceled school nationwide until May 6, and the Mexico City government is considering a complete shutdown, including all public transportation. The Cinco de Mayo parade celebrating Mexico’s defeat of a French army on May 5, 1862 and Mexico City’s traditional May 1 parade were canceled. More than 100 museums nationwide were closed.”

    Remember, moderate intake of tea is good but don’t overdo it. And in the event, if you find that you body don’t react well to tea, it is better that you stop it too as not everyone is suitable to drink tea.

  6. pcmemoirs

    Luckily I’m not in Mexico, but I read about the attempts to avoid mass gathering. Football/soccer teams played in empty stadiums etc…
    So all we can do now is watch our health and hope it doesn’t spread…

    pcmemoirss last blog post..Windows 7 coming in May?

    1. Symphony of Love Post author

      @ PC, yes, fortunate for you. I just hope that this will not go on to affect more people and speedy recovery for those being affected.

      @ Penny, agree with you; it is quite pointless to worry. We should just take proactive and preventive measures and if it shall hit us, it will anyway. Worry is futile. Yes, hopefully it will not be serious.

  7. Penny

    I have decided not to worry about it. That said, I’m still going to stock up on vitamin C and healthy stuff in case. It just came to the UK so I guess it will spread pretty quickly, hopefully it won’t be serious.

    Pennys last blog post..Out of Routine

  8. Aftercancer

    For someone who’s not a doctor you’ve given pretty good advice here. If you are really concerned check the website of either WHO or CDC to see where cases are located. Right now the areas are pretty scattered.

    1. Symphony of Love Post author

      @ Aftercancer, thank you. I just hope that the information provided can be a guideline for most people to follow instead of just being worried and don’t know what to do. Yes, WHO and CDC websites are definitely two good sources where we can find more information about swine flu. Thank you for sharing.

  9. Michelle

    This is all wonderful information. Great things to know. This flu is such a scary thing. I’ve talked to a few of my family members who are medical professionals and feel that the media is really hyping this situation up. They feel there is no need to panic yet. Thanks for your sweet comment on my blog. You’re awesome! I appreciate your visit. Take care.

    Michelles last blog post..Stopping The Violence Against Women

  10. Symphony of Love Post author

    @ Michelle, indeed, if we just read the news in the media, it can be very scary how the swine flu case is evolving. No cause for panic at the moment. We just have to stay vigilant and take good care of our healths. Instead of worrying, most proactive measures should be taken to enhance our immune systems. Until an effective vaccine is widely available, we have to rely solely on our immune systems. Did you realize how many times I am stressing on immune system? I guess I can never emphasize enough how important it is. 🙂

    1. Symphony of Love Post author

      @ Jade, thank you for tagging me. It is truly my honor. Pardon me that I will not be joining the fun as I don’t do tag at the blog. I hope you can accept my sincere apology.

  14. Webbielady

    That is a very detailed advise/ tips on how to be safe. You hit the nail right on the head. ^^

    Those are for me, not so difficult to remember but the problem is, it is really very difficult to stay disciplined, you know, we have this lifestyle that really destroys our health: for one, sleeping early is a problem, i bet you know what I mean.

    Webbieladys last blog post..WOOF Contest – Top Picks

    1. Symphony of Love Post author

      @ Webbielady, indeed, the challenge is being disciplined enough to follow through. I guess for a start, we can choose 1-2 points to start doing. We can start by eating healthily and drinking more water? You are right about the point on sleeping early. Then again, who else is responsible for our healths? I have already made it a point to go to bed earlier every night. I will do my best to sleep before 12 or even earlier.

  15. vanillaseven

    yeah, drink plenty of water and have some enough sleep.. i read somewhere that our body do the healing when we’re sleep, and it’s the best if you already in a deep tight sleep at 11.00pm

    vanillasevens last blog post..Purple Stars

  17. Symphony of Love Post author

    @ Vanilla, yes you are right. In fact, if possible, we should be sleeping as early as 10 pm every night; that is the time where the different organs in our bodies rejuvenate.

    Badong, yes, hope that it will end soon. For the meantime, just be alert and stay vigilant. The last thing we need to do is to be worried.

  20. Sue

    I have found myself washing my hands more. I am trying not to worry to much about it, but being somewhat cautious doesn’t hurt I guess.

    1. Symphony of Love Post author

      @ Sue, it is good to be cautious; better safe than be sorry. We just need to stay alert; practice good personal hygiene, eat right and live right. We should be alright.

  23. grace

    Thanks for this very helpful tips, BK.
    My husband and I were in Walmart this afternoon, and I was about to pick a bag of crunchy pork, when my husband reminded me of swine flu, I almost throwed it away. LOL

  25. vunhome

    Thanks for the info. I’m so not good at boosting my immunity. Does it mean that eating pork is a no no, at this time?

    vunhomes last blog post..Praise

    1. Symphony of Love Post author

      @ vunhome, I believe that you will get better when you put your mind to something. According to report, it is safe to eat cooked pork. 🙂

  28. Symphony of Love Post author

    @ Blogger, it should not be that bad; not to worry too much.

    Lyla, it may not be as bad. Apparently, it is quite similar to a common flu. Just watch personal hygiene and healthy lifestyle and it should be alright. 🙂