Jan 22 2015
This year’s flu is one of the worst we’ve seen, so read up on the dreaded influenza virus and stay healthy.
Your head is so stuffed up you feel like you’re underwater, have a hacking cough, can’t decide if you’re freezing cold or overheating, and your body feels like you’ve been hit by a train. Welcome to the flu, and this year’s version is nothing to mess with. In fact, influenza experts are calling it one of the worst years ever and have more bad news: the flu shot we got as a preventive measure probably isn’t working.
Each year, between 5 and twenty percent of Americans come down with a case of the flu, which adds up to 15 to 60 million people, directly or indirectly causing thousands of deaths. And this year is no exception, with doctors’ offices, pharmacy lines, and emergency rooms filled with the flu-stricken. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta reports that thirty-six states are experiencing unusually high levels of flu activity, with parts of the Pacific Northwest and the southern central United States getting hit the worst.
“So far this season, influenza A — H3N2 viruses — have been detected most frequently, and in almost all states,” says CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD. Unfortunately, flu seasons with H3 viruses dominant, as is this year’s H3N2, re usually far more severe and longer lasting than other strains of the virus. While data still needs to be compiled this year, so far this season the hospitalization rate for flu has been 9.7 people per 100,000, while in most normal years the hospitalization rate is 4.3 people. The last time we saw a H3N2 strain of the flu was 2012-2013, when 5.5 people out of 100,000 were hospitalized. Already the CDC is saying that our flu season may be more severe, last longer, and cause worse illnesses, which those numbers display.
So what about that flu shot you got back in November? The CD reluctantly admits that this year’s flu shot may be offering minimal protection. Every year scientists, health workers, and vaccine manufacturers from around the globe meet several months before the flu season to make an educated guess about which strains of flu may be most prevalent that coming winter. But even with their expert opinions they are just guesses. In a year where they guess right, the ensuing flu vaccine may be 60-90 percent effective in protecting against the influenza virus. This year, it seems to be only 23 percent effective, according to the CDC.
“Unfortunately about half of the viruses in cases that we’ve identified this season are different than the ones that are included in this year’s vaccine. The vaccine won’t protect against these viruses.”
So even though 40 percent of Americans, about 140 million people, got their flu shot, it might offer a low instance of help. Children under 2 and those over 65, or people with chronic health conditions like asthma are most at risk of severe illness from this year’s flu.
But still, the CDC and medical community recommends you do get vaccinated with a flu shot this year, as there is still a measure of protection, virtually no drawback, and the effects could be cumulative up to 4 years.
Of course we all know the symptoms too well: a fever, chills, coughing, a sore throat, stuffed up and running nose, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, and sometimes nausea.
The flu virus is most easily transmitted when virus-laden droplets are sprayed from an open mouth or nose (coughing or sneezing.) You can also easily catch the flu from touching a surface that has flu germs, as they can live and remain communicable outside the body for up to eight hours. When a person touches this surface and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth, the virus is transmitted straight to their body and they become infected.
Doctors recommend a few basic measures to prevent catching the flu:
1) Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub, especially after being in public.
2) Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth as much as possible.
3) Try to avoid close contact with people who are sick with the flu.
4) Getting plenty of sleep, regular exercise, managing stress, not smoking, staying hydrated, and eating a healthy diet all help boost the immune system.
If you are healthy but are exposed to a person with the flu or think you’re coming down with it, there are some antiviral drugs that can prevent you from falling ill. Remember that the flu is a virus, not bacterial, so antibiotics will have no effect. But there are antiviral drugs that can help you from getting sick, or minimize the effect.
Currently there are four antiviral drugs approved for treating the flu in the United States—oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza), amantadine (Symmetrel), and rimantadine (Flumadine). The sooner you take these the better, as they could be up to 70 to 90 percent effective at preventing the flu.
The flu is contagious for up to a week so you’ll want to stay home from work and try to stay away from family. It’s recommended you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without medication so you’re not contagious. Some medications will help treat the symptoms of the flu, like Tylenol Cold & Flu and DayQuil and NyQuil.
For those who prefer more natural remedies, there are things you can do to feel better and recover faster:
- Drink lots of water. You’ll want to stay hydrated and even Gatorade, soda, and fruit juices are fine, but stay away from caffeine or alcohol.
- Eating chicken soup may actually help you feel better. The old mothers’ tale has been backed up by a study published in the journal Chest, showing that chicken soup helps symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.
- Get extra sleep, take naps, and get plenty of rest to give your immune system a chance of rebuilding.
- Use a humidifier in sick rooms or take long, hot showers for the steam several times a day. Breathing moist air helps ease nasal congestion and breaks up a cough.
- You may even want to put boiled water in a bowl and put your face over it with a towel over your head to breath the steam. A drop of peppermint or eucalyptus oil in the water helps even more.
- A hot towel or warm compress on your forehead and nose will help a headache and relieve sinus pain.
- If you have a sore throat, try cough drops or throat lozenges to coat the throat and ease pain, and you can also try gargling with warm salt water several times a day.
We hope this helps you…so feel better!
Follow The Leader?
Feb 16 2015
10 Things to understand about stress.
As a nation, our day-to-day stress levels are shockingly unhealthy. In fact, the majority of people say they feel unhealthy stress levels, and 1 in 5 people quantify their stress level as “extremely high.
Let’s look at some other data on stress:
75% of Americans experience symptoms related to stress in a given month.
33% feel they are living with extreme stress.
48% feel their stress has increased in the past 5 years.
2. Stress causes physical symptoms.
While stress does cause many psychological discomforts and effects, it also manifests itself through physical symptoms. 77% of people who report symptoms related to stress experience physical symptoms. These can include tight shoulders, back pain, digestive problems, headaches, dizziness, difficulty breathing, chest pain, abdominal pain, lack of energy, a change in sex drive, grinding teeth, fatigue, muscle tension, and especially the inability to sleep. 66% of Americans blame stress for their nighttime tossing and turning.
According to the Center for Disease Control, stress is implicated as a factor in heart, stomach & mental disorders as well as high blood pressure & high cholesterol levels.
Chronic stress can take such a toll that it even affects our genetics and accelerates the aging process. In a comprehensive study, it was found that women with high stress levels experience a shortening in some of their DNA, which was the equivalent of almost a decade of accelerated aging compared to women with less stress.
3. Feeling stressed is a vicious cycle.
Of course, high levels of stress create a vicious cycle that results in more stress and the inability to function normally, clearly, and healthily. People who experience high stress will have a hard time eating a god diet, getting enough sleep, breathing normally and deeply, exercising enough, and may engage in more frequent use of alcohol, nicotine, or even more harmful drugs. These behaviors exacerbate the effects of stress and may lead to additional health problems like depression, cardiovascular disease and a greater susceptibility to colds or disease.
4. The common causes of stress.
There are several causes of stress that are most common in our lives. Those include work problems, financial problems, family conflicts or responsibilities, relationship issues, and health concerns. It’s important to understand the exact causes of stress in your life so you can work on healthy and positive solutions, and try to keep the physical and psychological effects spread throughout your entire life.
5. Stress takes a huge toll on the workplace.
The high levels of stress we feel as Americans spills over into the workforce, exacting a high cost and heavy toll in health and production. According to the American Institute of Stress, it’s estimated that workplace stress costs more than $300 billion per year in health care and missed work. Stressed workers health costs are 46% higher than other employees, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. And stress is directly accountable for:
19% of employee absenteeism
40% of employee turnover
60% of workplace accidents costs
60-90% of doctor visits.
It’s also been found that stress on the job increase the chance of cardiovascular problems, anxiety and depression, substance abuse, some cancer, back pain and higher injury rates.
6. Doctors and healthcare professionals often mishandle patient stress.
Our healthcare system is failing to properly handle the epidemic of stress in our society. In fact, studies reveal that doctors often overlook stress as the cause for common physical ailments, preferring to over-prescribe medications and drugs. Stress is a factor in 66% of doctor visits and 50% of the deaths to Americans under 65, yet of the patients that walk into doctors’ offices and hospitals with those symptoms, only half are properly diagnosed!
Considering that the CDC found that 90% of all disease is stress related, the medical profession needs to raise their level of awareness and amend their treatment options to combat stress before considering other diagnosis.
7. There’s a profound difference between normal everyday stress and deeper psychological disorders.
To clarify, we are talking about the spectrum of stress that most people experience, not the extremes that need more in depth treatment. About 10-20% of patients suffer from severe anxiety or depression indicative of a major psychiatric disorder. But the vast majority of us feel what’s called “everyday psychological stress.”
8. A lot of factors can contribute to stress.
High levels of stress can be caused by other factors in your life, like high use of alcohol, drugs, a sedentary lifestyle, sleep apnea or sleeping disorders, genetics, seasons, exposure to sunlight, environmental factors, and many others. It’s important to understand the cause and effects of stress so you can work towards managing that which is under your control.
9. There are natural and easy ways to help treat your stress.
At the same time our stress levels are through the roof, we’re not doing a good job trying to handle our symptoms and live healthier lives. In fact, only 37 percent of Americans feel they’re able to adequately manage their stress. Going to a doctor or speaking to a mental health professional are great options, but on a daily basis there are so many simple and effective ways we can manage stress in our lives and become healthier. Exercise is one of the best stress fighters, as exercise three times per week or more worked just as well as drugs for anxiety and depression, according to Psychosomatic Medicine. Stretching four times per week led to falling asleep 30% faster and decreased the use of sleep medications by 60%. Yoga, meditation, and relaxation and deep breathing practices have all been found to be extremely effective in reducing stress.
10 . Help is always available!
If you feel that your stress is overwhelming, unmanageable, or causing unhealthy symptoms in your life, it’s a great idea to talk to someone. Remember that it’s a sign of strength to ask for help, not weakness. You can do some research online into the causes of stress and some of the cures we outlined, or contact a doctor or mental health counselor.
Contact Dr. Lance Casazza any time if you’d like to discuss your stress levels, techniques for better health, and the physical symptoms it may be causing.
By Norm Schriever • General Health News, Health and Wellness, Uncategorized • Tags: anxiety, depression, doctors mishandle patient stress, natural stress reducers, physical symptoms of stress, Stress, stress management