Flu + Original Articles

Learn how to keep your family safe from swine flu, a potentially deadly virus. Up until earlier this year, no one had even heard of swine flu. Now, as it's swept through at least 70 countries, including the United States, swine flu has become part of our collective consciousness.

If you have heart disease, the swine flu vaccine can do more than just prevent the aches, pains, and fever associated with the virus. If you have heart disease, the swine flu vaccine can do more than just prevent the aches, pains, and fever associated with the virus. It may also protect you from having a heart attack, according to study published in the British medical journal The Lancet.

A new study suggests that abatacept (Orencia®), a rheumatoid arthritis drug, could fight different strains of the flu. Flu activity is already heating up across the country, according to statistics from FluView, a weekly report published by the Centers for Disease Control. If you have rheumatoid arthritis and take immunosuppressant drugs such as corticosteroids or methotrexate (Trexall®), you're more susceptible to catching the flu.

Try some of the best natural flu remedies to stay healthy this season. Looking for natural flu remedies? Seasonal flu may be taking a backseat to the H1N1 virus with health officials these days, but it's still a concern for you and your family. The flu causes symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, fever, chills, body aches and pains, loss of appetite, and pneumonia.

Here, answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about swine flu. Here, answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about swine flu. What is swine flu? Swine flu (also known as novel H1N1) is a new flu virus occurring in humans. It was first seen in this country in April 2009 and has been spreading worldwide.

Telling the difference between a cold or the flu is difficult—but our guide makes it possible. Every fall or winter, your child probably comes down with the same type of symptoms: sneezing, coughing, aching bones and a fever. And each time you may be left wondering if it is a cold or flu. Telling the difference can be very hard to do. The Similarities A cold and the flu (also known as influenza) can present themselves in almost the same way.

Health experts say that the swine flu virus is poised for an aggressive comeback in the fall, just when children will be settling back into their school routines. Learning about the swine flu virus was scary enough this past spring, when it made headlines for the first time. Summer has given the nation a bit of a reprieve in terms of new cases diagnosed, but health experts say that the virus is poised for an aggressive comeback in the fall, just when children will be settling back into their school routines.

There are important precautions you can take throughout the course of your day to help keep you and your family safe from Swine Flu. Turn on the news these days and you will likely hear about the dangers of swine flu. And if you are like most parents today, it's likely you are quite worried about the threat this illness poses to you and your family. But you don't have to hide away, or miss school or work, in order to stay safe from swine flu.

While scientists and the government race to control the novel H1N1 outbreak, there are still a few things about this virus that doctors don’t know or understand. While significant progress has been made in understanding swine flu, some questions surrounding this outbreak remain unclear. How Much Exposure Do You Need to Be Affected? According to Dr. Daniel Jernigan of the CDC, the reasons why someone becomes infected depend on many different factors.

Learn why young healthy adults are adversely affected, the similarity between human flu and swine flu, conspiracy claims, and more. Swine influenza (H1N1), while common in pigs, is rare in humans. Not since 1976 (when there was an outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey that infected about 200 people and caused one death), has this been a huge health issue for humans. Most of us have been logging on to the Internet and staying tuned into TV and radio news to get clued in on what's going on.

It’s a little early to start celebrating the end of the flu season, which usually stretches out until April, and at the latest, May. However, the good news is that this year’s flu vaccine was expected to be a better match to the most prevalent influenza strains circulating across the country. Every year the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) selects three strains of the influenza virus in advance to include in that year’s vaccine. If the strains don’t match the ones that eventually circulate, the vaccine is less effective at protecting people.

Each year we hear of the latest in medical innovations. Although these improvements amaze us at times, the majority of Americans will never come in contact with the latest breakthroughs…or so you think. In 1928, Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming demonstrated penicillin’s antibiotic properties. However, it was not until 1942 that the now common antibiotic was available for mass production. Likewise, the first approved flu vaccine was developed by the United States military during World War II; however, it was not available for the public until the late 1950s.

Not feeling yourself? Your eating habits could be the reason. We all have them at times-days when life really tests us. Your car gets a flat on the way to work, you flub an important report, you can't help your child with his math homework, and to top it all off, you burn dinner. Your mood? Lower than this week's stock market, and understandably so.

When is a cough more than just a cough? When you cough, you probably assume you're sick. But did you know that coughing, instead of hurting your body, actually helps it heal and protect itself? This is because coughing is a reflex that keeps your throat and airways clear. In other words, it's working to prevent sickness.

Your home is crawling with bacteria. Where are the biggest hotspots? The front doorknob, the staircase banister, the microwave door. What do these three areas have in common? They're in your home, you touch them every day, and they're likely infested with microorganisms. Or, in layman's terms, germs. By nature, germs spread through the air, but they can linger on surfaces for 2 hours or longer.

Find out why this emerging disease could become a global pandemic. Avian influenza, commonly known as the bird flu, is a contagious disease caused by a set of viruses that typically infect birds and, in very rare cases, pigs. The viruses tend to be highly species-specific, but have also been known to affect humans. ...

Germs tend to lurk in the most unexpected places. Learn what you can do to protect yourself. You may want to think twice about how you store your toothbrush, where you set your purse, and how often you replace your mascara. Research shows that billions of germs could be lurking in these hot spots—and making you and your family sick. Here, uncover top five secret hiding spots for germs, and learn what you can do to keep bacteria at bay.

Will getting the flu shot prevent you from getting sick? Find out here. Many people may think the flu is not a serious disease and that it's just an inconvenient illness, like the common cold. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that every year as many as 36,000 people die from the flu. Most of them are older than 65, which is why people in this age group are strongly encouraged to get a flu shot.

Knowing the symptoms of bacterial meningitis could mean the difference between life and death. Headache, vomiting, fever, fatigue--to most people, these symptoms might sound a lot like the flu. But in some cases, they could indicate a much more serious condition: bacterial meningitis. According to the American College Health Association, meningococcal disease, the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, strikes 1,400 to 3,000 Americans each year, many of whom are young adults, adolescents, and children.

Think catching a cold is bad? It could be worse. At least it's not one of these dreaded illnesses. A plague that wipes out 25 million people in three years. A disease that kills its victims within hours of the symptoms appearing. A flu that makes its sufferers turn blue before drowning in their own lungs. It sounds like the stuff of science-fiction movies, but for centuries, these horrid diseases were very real (in fact, some of them could still post a threat today).

Could your teenager contract meningitis at camp, in the classroom, or at the college dorm? Here, what you can do to reduce your child's risks. It's every parent's worst nightmare: Their teenager returns home from camp or college with a fever, headache, and stiff neck--symptoms that sound a lot like the flu. But as it turns out, their son or daughter is suffering from a much scarier illness, meningitis.

The average adult will suffer as many as four colds a year. Here, a look at the condition by the numbers. The common cold, also known as a viral upper respiratory tract infection, is a contagious illness that can be caused by a number of different virus types. Because of the variety of viruses involved, the body is never able to build up resistance against all of them.

Your child has a runny nose and bad cough. You want her to feel better, but is it OK to give her cold medicine? Cough and cold medicines for kids under the age of 2 have been pulled from drugstore shelves, and experts continue to debate whether the medicines should be given to children younger than 6 or 11 years old. But your son or daughter has a cold now you don't have time to wait for pediatricians and government officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reach a consensus.

Drug-resistant bacteria are becoming a global health crisis. How did this happen? Infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics are emerging as one of the biggest public-health concerns of recent years. So-called superbugs were initially a problem unique to hospitals and clinics, but now cases are being reported among otherwise healthy people throughout the community.

Learn how to keep your child from getting sick without going overboard. As a new parent, you're nervous that your newborn might catch a cold or, worse, chickenpox or influenza. You're constantly trying to sanitize and disinfect everything from the pacifier to stuffed animals. If this sounds familiar, you're fighting the war on germs—something parents everywhere have been doing for years.

According to experts, most Americans aren't washing their hands the right way. Learn how to clean up your act. If you're like most Americans, your parents constantly reminded you to wash your hands as a child. And by the time you got older, the habit was firmly ingrained. But according to the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA), most adults aren't washing their hands the right way.

Rosacea, which often causes constant redness in the face, can be frustrating and difficult to treat, but there are steps you can take to manage the condition. Rosacea is a common, long-term skin disease that affects an estimated 14 million Americans. The condition may produce persistent redness, or flushing; acne; and visible blood vessels in the center of the face. What's more, these symptoms can eventually spread to the cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose.

Stuck at home with a cold? Find comfort with these soothing foods. You can't seem to fight off that nasty cold or flu, and you're stuck at home for several days. The good news? There are certain foods that can help soothe your symptoms. Although you may not feel like cooking or eating anything right now, these simple treats are easy to prepare and may even get you back to health more quickly.

Desks and cubicles may seem benign, but they're often a breeding ground for bacteria. Follow these six tips to stay healthy at work. If you're like most Americans, you put in long hours at work--and you have less time off than anyone in the developed world (U.S. workers average 13 vacation days a year, while the Japanese have 25, the Canadians take 26, and the French enjoy 37). Is all that time at the office making you sick? It could be, according to a study conducted by the University of Arizona.

There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of infection. For healthy individuals, influenza, commonly known as flu, lasts only seven to 10 days. But its symptoms can be severe from extreme fatigue and fever to body aches, chills, and more. Fortunately, the virus can be prevented and its symptoms suppressed.

How sick is too sick for work? Follow our cold and flu guidelines. Everybody knows what it's like to wake up with a cold. You feel groggy, congested, and exhausted. In a perfect world, you could sleep the day away. But if you do that, your boss won't be happy. After all, you're not in grade school anymore, so when is it acceptable to call in sick to work? Could It Be Contagious? On average, adults get two to four colds a year, according to the American Lung Association.

Every year, 5 to 20 percent of U.S. residents get sick with the flu. Here, a look at the disease by the numbers. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), flu season can begin as early as October and continue through as late as May. During that time, 15 to 60 million Americans become infected with the disease—a phenomenon that costs American businesses approximately $7 billion a year in sick days.

Are you thinking about getting a flu vaccination this year? Learn about the risks and rewards. Each fall, medical professionals encourage us to get flu shots in order to lessen our chances of coming down with influenza. For some of us, the flu vaccine can provide protection, or decrease the severity of the illness if we do get sick. But the flu shot isn't necessarily the right choice for everyone.

Follow these tips to minimize your chances of catching the flu this year. For some of us, getting the flu each year seems almost inevitable. Even if we get a vaccination, it isn't a guarantee that we won't get sick. We may feel run down due to our busy schedules, and that's when the flu swoops in, preying on our weakened state.