Have you wondered, "What is swine flu?" and should you be worried about it?
Here are some of the basics that you need to know in order to keep you and your family as safe as possible from risk.
For several months now there's been a lot of talk about the H1N1 flu pandemic.
There have even been several hundred H1N1 deaths so far. My heart goes out to the families of each and every person who has lost a loved one to the H1N1 swine flu.
Here's something that may surprise you. In the US alone, over 30,000 people die each year from what we consider the "regular" seasonal flu virus (according to the CDC).
I give you these statistics to help you gain perspective and relieve some of the fear and panic that the media has been creating. Yes, influenza viruses can be deadly. We need to be prepared to take some swine flu precautions, but we do not need to live in an unusual state of fear or panic.
Basically, the swine flu virus is considered a "new" strain of flu virus that causes similar symptoms to the seasonal flu viruses we are all familiar with.
The novel H1N1 influenza was first called the Swine Flu because scientists believed that the strain was very similar to a virus that normally occurs in North American pigs. Further research has caused them to conclude that it really isn't the same virus at all, but the name has sort of stuck, even though it has technically been changed to "novel H1N1" by those in the know.
What is swine flu as regards its origins? The swine flu origin is reported as first appearing in April, 2009, in Mexico. The Mexico swine flu quickly spread across the boarder to the United States and then across the ocean to many other countries.
The rapid spread of the H1N1 virus symptoms across the world is pretty much the reason for the swine flu being named the H1N1 flu "pandemic." Pandemic meaning "a disease that occurs throughout a population, as a large influenza epidemic." (Mosby Medical Encyclopedia)
Like any other flu virus, there are measures that you should take to avoid "catching the bug" and spreading it to others. None of us like to be sick. Some of us are worse patients than others. Would anybody like to testify? :)
If we have a weak immune system due to other underlying illnesses, poor diet, overuse of antibiotics, or other immune threatening behaviors, we are at a much greater risk of being affected by the H1N1 flu pandemic.
Don't panic. Instead, be wise enough to take preventive measures so that you and your family can be as prepared as possible against the H1N1 swine flu. What IS swine flu preventive measures?
The answer to the question, "What is swine flu?" is simple. It's just another strain of flu virus that we need to be aware of as we go about our daily lives.
I suspect we are going to be faced with more and more unusual strains of viruses in the coming years. Don't allow fear to overrule your own common sense. Take steps to help you and your family maintain a strong and healthy immune system and practice the basic hygiene habits that we mentioned earlier.
Should you happen to experience symptoms of swine flu, you may want to consider a natural swine flu treatment to help you recover as quickly as possible.
To your good health!
If you or someone you love has been affected by the swine flu, please tell your story here.
If you have updates regarding the spread of H1N1 in your area, or other comments about the influenza, we'd like to hear them.
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I really don't see what the big deal is with the swing flu. People die everyday from the most common sicknesses …
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