Symptoms of H1N1
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Apparently, the world’s governments are powerless to prevent the spread of H1N1 Flu, but there are things that you can do to protect yourself and your family. However, it is often hard to know what to do because of all of the clutter.
The purpose of this site is to SIMPLIFY the critical information you need into a form that you can use to protect yourself, your family, and your community.
First, learn to recognize the symptoms of H1N1, understand what to do in case you or a love one is infected.
Second, stock up on whatever supplies you believe you might need, now. If the worst case scenario occurs at least you will be prepared.
Third, keep up with the spread of the virus, so you can determine the best course of action. You can keep up with all of the latest news on our H1N1 Tracker.Symptoms
The symptoms of the H1N1 Flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of common seasonal flu. The most common H1N1 symptoms include:
- Fever – particularly a fever of over 100 degrees
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Chills and fatigue
- Body aches
- Headache
- Occasionally, vomiting and diarrhea
Persons who experience flu-like symptoms should immediately contact their physician, but, remember, Swine Flu is a highly contagious disease and people who believe they are infected with H1N1 should avoid going out in public unless absolutely necessary. So, call first.
Warning Signs
People at higher risk of serious complications from seasonal flu, including people over the age 65, and children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, people of any age with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), and people who are infected with HIV should be extra vigilant in looking for the symptoms of H1N1.
Because young children often cannot explain how they are feeling it especially important to keep an eye out for children who are having difficulty breathing.
If any person, but particularly small children and others in high risk groups, exhibit any of the following serious warning signs, seek immediate emergency medical care:
- Trouble breathing, including rapid breathing.
- Gray or bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Sleeping constantly and not interacting when awake
- Being especially irritable
- Not urinating or no tears when crying
- The symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
H1N1 Symptoms: Summary
Nearly, everything you learned about the symptoms of traditional flu is true of H1N1 symptoms, so you’re probably thinking, why all the concern? What worries public health professionals is that there is not a vaccine available for H1N1, though one is being manufactured, and the vaccine for the regular flu will not be effective against this newly discovered strain.
That means, if the vaccines are available, you will need two flu shots to be fully protected from both H1N1 and the normal seasonal variety of the flu.
Finally, the simple fact that the virus is new is a real concern, because there is concern that it might mutate into something more deadly. Remember, the regular seasonal flu strain kills hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year, and, so, even if H1N1 turns out to be no more virulent than the regular flu that is still an awful disaster on the grandest scale.
At this point it is hard to know what the ultimate out come of the H1N1 pandemic will be. Be prepared, but don’t panic.
Products For Preventing and Treating H1N1
There are numerous products on the market designed to prevent or treat H1N1. Some of these products may be great, but consumers need to be wary of products that make extraordinary claims. The H1N1 pandemic has brought out all sorts of kooks and con men offering instant cures.
In the United States the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration have teamed up to crack down on business making unsubstantiated medical claims. Download a PDF list of Business and Products censured by the FDA.Some advocates of alternative medicine and supporters of consumers making their own medical decisions have railed against the FDA for being overly aggressive, because they generally require expensive, time-consuming peer-reviewed scientific studies before they will approve a product for use.
Though, it is easy to understand the frustration of people who want to make their own decisions about their personal health care, this site will not accept advertisements for any products listed as fraudulent by the FDA and none of the statements on this site should be viewed as medical advice.
Furthermore, consumers should carefully research any product and come to their own conclusion before making a purchase.
With that disclaimer in mind, here are the products and services that most well educated consumers should probably consider.
Air Purifiers
The FDA does not recommend any particular brand of air purifier to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus and they have reprimanded several manufactures of air purifiers for making unverified claims, but Cleanair4life.com offers a variety of air purifiers that they assert eliminate viruses, including the H1N1 virus. They make some very strong claims, but they also offer a lot of compelling evidence, particularly for the Airfree models.
However, you should remember that even a perfect air purifier is worthless if you do not follow good standards of hygiene and public health.Medical Supplies
There are also a lot of choices for medical supplies, such as masks, disinfectants, and hand cleaners. Frankly, you can probably buy most items you might need at your local pharmacy or supermarket, but if you believe you need hospital quality medical supplies you should price them at iMed.com
Medical masks are probably the most common item that you might want to order from a medical supply company, because if you are going to the effort to wear a mask you probably want to go ahead and buy form fitting hospital quality masks, known as N95 respirators, which might not be easily available in your local drugstore.
However, you should note that the experts are not sure how effective even the N95 masks are at preventing the spread of H1N1.
Medication
The FDA has approved the prescription antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza for the treatment of H1N1 Flu. You probably want to purchase these and other prescription medication from your local pharmacy. However, you might want to consider purchasing them from Canada Pharmacy. They offer competitive prices and privacy, which some people might find invaluable.
Regardless, you should not take antivirals without being sure that you actually are infected with the virus, because the last thing anyone wants is for the H1N1 virus to develop resistance to the only effective medications.Posted byGOWTAM.... at 10:31 AM
