With seasonal flu, we know that seasons vary in terms of timing, duration and severity. Seasonal influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Each year in the United States, on average 36,000 people die from flu-related complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related causes. Of those hospitalized, 20,000 are children younger than 5 years old. Over 90% of deaths and about 60 percent of hospitalizations occur in people older than 65.
The 2009 H1N1 flu has caused greater disease burden in people younger than 25 years of age than in older people. At this time, there are relatively fewer cases and deaths reported in people 65 years and older, which is unusual when compared with seasonal flu. However, pregnancy and other previously recognized high risk medical conditions from seasonal influenza appear to be associated with increased risk of complications from 2009 H1N1. These underlying conditions include asthma, diabetes, suppressed immune systems, heart disease, kidney disease, neurocognitive and neuromuscular disorders and pregnancy cough.
People infected with seasonal flu or the 2009 H1N1 flu shed virus may be able to infect others between1 day before getting sick and 5 to 7 days after. This can be longer in some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems and in people infected with the new H1N1 virus.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from getting others sick.
The best prevention of spreading the virus is to cover your mouth when sneezing/coughing, throw out tissues, and wash your hands!
All information has been provided by http://www.cdc.gov.
Their site is constantly being updated, and includes further information on how to stay healthy.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Why Stay Sick Longer Than You Have To?
During these financially hard times, many people are worried about using their sick days. With such concerns as losing your job if you are sick too often or not getting paid because you haven’t put the time in, who can blame you for going to work sick even though you realize that you could make yourself worse, and are putting your associates at risk. So what can you do?
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help you to stay healthy, and to combat most illness that you may encounter this cold/flu season.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) does not treat the viruses that cause the common cold or the flu. TCM takes each symptom and categorizes it into different patterns. We are able to treat your symptoms effectively and efficiently. Since we are able to treat the pattern and not the disease (common cold) no two patients will be treated exactly the same.
For example, if you find that before you are sick you are constantly tired, you get sick easily, and take a long time to recover, we would treat you differently than someone that is generally healthy and suddenly comes down with fever and chills, and a phlegmy wet cough.
Both are caused by what we call an “external invasion”. Each one has an underlying pattern that needs to be treated on an individual basis. External invasions can be caused due to deficiencies, wind, cold, heat, damp, or any combination of these factors. This can make living in the “Windy City”, which can have all four seasons in one day, difficult.
By taking each symptom into consideration and treating the individual and not the disease, acupuncture and Chinese Herbs can be very effective at boosting the immune system and helping you to get better faster.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help you to stay healthy, and to combat most illness that you may encounter this cold/flu season.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) does not treat the viruses that cause the common cold or the flu. TCM takes each symptom and categorizes it into different patterns. We are able to treat your symptoms effectively and efficiently. Since we are able to treat the pattern and not the disease (common cold) no two patients will be treated exactly the same.
For example, if you find that before you are sick you are constantly tired, you get sick easily, and take a long time to recover, we would treat you differently than someone that is generally healthy and suddenly comes down with fever and chills, and a phlegmy wet cough.
Both are caused by what we call an “external invasion”. Each one has an underlying pattern that needs to be treated on an individual basis. External invasions can be caused due to deficiencies, wind, cold, heat, damp, or any combination of these factors. This can make living in the “Windy City”, which can have all four seasons in one day, difficult.
By taking each symptom into consideration and treating the individual and not the disease, acupuncture and Chinese Herbs can be very effective at boosting the immune system and helping you to get better faster.
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