Although you may not know it by its official name, norovirus has the honor of being one of the most common causes of illness in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that there are more than 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis each year are due to norovirus infection.

Most people have suffered from diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain due to this pesky virus (which causes inflammation of the stomach and intestines). It is not fun.

Read on to learn more about the “dreaded” norovirus.

Facts

-Anyone can become ill from the virus. And you can also have it many times during the course of a lifetime.

-It can make you feel extremely ill, yet recovery time is usually 1 – 2 days.

-It is easily passed from person to person.

-The most common complication from the illness is dehydration, especially in the very old and the very young.

-It is transmitted by coming in contact with a person who is sick with the virus, by touching a surface that is contaminated by the virus, or even eating food that is contaminated.

-You cannot get a shot to protect you from the virus, and there are no specific medicines  to treat you with once you become ill.

-Approximately 500 people die each year from norovirus complications.

Preventing Norovirus

Although 1 in 15 people in the United States suffer from norovirus each year, there are ways to prevent getting sick. The number one way of preventing the spread of the illness is by washing your hands often. Warm water and soap combine to kill the virus on hands, so take your time and wash your hands thoroughly – even under the nails!

If someone in your house becomes ill with norovirus, you must be very careful to prevent it from spreading like wildfire. Keep all household surfaces clean and disinfected. If you are sick yourself, do not prepare food – you can give the sickness to the rest of the family that way. If clothes/linens become soiled from fluids from the sick person, you must wash them carefully – use the maximum load length and detergent.

Norovirus and Cruise Ships

Not only does norovirus make those on dry land sick, it can ruin a vacation as well. Do you remember hearing of norovirus in connection with cruise ship outbreaks? On their website, the CDC gives several reasons why norovirus seems to plague ships:

• Health officials track illness on cruise ships; therefore, outbreaks are found and reported more quickly on a cruise ship than on land.
• Close living quarters may increase the amount of group contact.
• New passenger arrivals may bring the virus to other passengers and crew.

Just like on dry land, washing your hands properly is the best way to prevent getting sick on a cruise. You can also use alcohol wipes for protection.

Drink plenty of fluids, mainly water. Your body is better at becoming healthy when it is properly hydrated. Even if you already follow the recommended “8 by 8″ rule (8 ounces of water, 8 times per day), you may want to increase your consumption.

Make sure to get plenty of Vitamin C. Drink fruit juice or simply eat more fruit.

Have warm soup for dinner and tea with honey for dessert. Okay, maybe that would be an extremely limiting diet, especially just to ease a sore throat, but they would certainly be your most soothing options. Chicken noodle soup is a classic, but other soups, especially those with lots of vegetables (and therefore higher in vitamins), will temporarily soothe your throat. Warm tea with honey is another old-age remedy that will help minimize throat irritation.

Avoid milk. Though there are no studies that back this up with scientific evidence, it has been said that milk increases mucus production or thickens saliva. Many people find that, while sick, eliminating milk from the diet can keep the mucus build up in the throat to a minimum, thus preventing unnecessary, painful coughing.

Other things you can do outside of your diet:

Gargle with warm salt water. No one seems to agree on why this actually works, but everyone agrees that it does in fact help. Even doctors will recommend that a person with a sore throat gargle 4 to 6 times daily. Use about one teaspoon of salt for every cup of water.

Stay of out the cold, dry air. Consider using a humidifier if you find that the air in your own home is making it painful to breathe. Adding moisture to the air will ease your breathing.

Sleep. Your body fights sickness best when it is well-rested. If you take the extra time to catch a few extra Zs, you will save time in the long run by recovering faster and returning to your regular schedule sooner.

1. It is not feasible to develop a vaccine for the common cold.

The fact that there are literally hundreds of cold viruses makes it impossible to develop a “cold shot” like the flu shot. Unlike the flu, where health experts can forecast which virus to target each year, there are just too many cold viruses to tackle. Of course, we do not know for sure that there will never be a “cold shot” to help keep these viruses at bay, but one will not be available in the near future.

2. Antibiotics do not help fight off cold viruses.

Many people who suffer from a cold visit their doctor in hopes of getting an antibiotic. Antibiotics do not work against viruses. They kill bacteria; therefore, they are not effective in the fight against the common cold. In some cases, antibiotics may be harmful as they can kill beneficial bacteria in the body. Unless a cold moves from just making you miserable to an infection, ear, sinus, or otherwise, antibiotics will not help.

3. Children catch more colds than adults.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), children catch 6 – 10 colds per year, while adults average 2 – 4. One reason for this is that with age, immune systems are better able to fight off colds. Also, children in school or other close settings are more likely to pass the viruses between them. The fact that children catch so many colds can affect school performance, as the CDC reports that 22 million school days are missed each year due to colds.

4. Being chilled or going outside in zero degree weather with a wet head will not make you “catch your death of cold.”

With all due respect to your grandmother and/or mother, you will not catch a cold from the simple act of feeling cold or exposing yourself to the cold. Colds are transmitted from one person to another through close contact. Basically, you can only come down with a cold if you have been exposed to one of the hundreds of cold viruses. Although it is not a good idea to trudge through the snow without a coat on (as you may succumb to hypothermia), you won’t catch a cold from doing so!

5. Cold viruses circulate all year long, not just during winter months.

Logic tells us that if we suffer from colds more in the fall and winter, it must follow that those viruses go dormant or die off in the spring and summer. This, however, is false. Cold viruses lurk all year long. The reason they seem to be more prevalent during cold months is that they spread more easily due to people, especially schoolchildren, being in close proximity.

Although common, colds can be prevented. The single best way to avoid catching a cold is to remember to wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water. Also, strive to eat healthy foods and make sure to get enough sleep. Finally, new research shows that regular exercise boosts your immune system, so step up your work outs. These steps will help you to stay healthy and to avoid a 2 – 7 day miserable bout with the “sniffles.”

The CDC explains that “…the illness is most severe for babies; more than half of infants younger than 1 year of age who get the disease must be hospitalized. About 1 in 5 infants with pertussis get pneumonia (lung infection), and about 1 in 100 will have convulsions. In rare cases (1 in 100), pertussis can be deadly, especially in infants.”

In order to protect your child from this life threatening illness, become familiar with the facts about whooping cough (pertussis).

POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. What is whooping cough or pertussis?

It is a disease that spreads easily, and it can travel quickly among family members. Caused by bacteria, it begins as a cold, but after one to two weeks, it turns into violent coughing “attacks.” These coughing fits can be so severe that the lungs lose all air, and a patient must struggle to breathe. A loud “whoop” sound is characteristic of the illness; however, in infants, the whoop may be absent.

Listen to what whooping cough sounds like by following this link.

2. How does the disease spread?

The illness spreads when an infected person, who may not even know they are sick, coughs or sneezes around other people. Those exposed then breathe in the bacteria. Babies can be infected by parents, siblings, or caregivers.

3. How do I know if my baby has whooping cough?

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services relates that confirmation of pertussis is determined by, “…a nasal swab specimen obtained during the early stage of illness.” Also, if your child has been exposed to the illness, he or she will be monitored to see if symptoms develop.

4. Is there anything I can do to prevent my child from getting sick?

Keep babies away from anyone who is coughing or has cold symptoms. Anyone who touches your baby should wash their hands with warm soap and water – frequently and often. Also, have your child immunized against the disease at the doctor’s office or local health department.

The CDC explains the immunization process which may seem complicated:

In the US, the recommended pertussis vaccine for children is called DTaP. This is a safe and effective combination vaccine that protects children against three diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. For maximum protection against pertussis, children need five DTaP shots. The first three shots are given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. The fourth shot is given between 15 and 18 months of age, and a fifth shot is given when a child enters school, at 4–6 years of age. If a 7-10 year old is not up-to-date with DTaP vaccines, a dose of Tdap should be given before the 11-12 year old check up.

Although the task of keeping up-to-date with your child’s immunizations may seem difficult, clinic staff will keep accurate records on what vaccine in needed. Two main things to remember – take your child for regularly scheduled check-ups, and ask if he or she is current with their shots.

5. Are there any treatments for whooping cough?

Fortunately, there are four antibiotics that can be prescribed to combat the illness; however, since young children are so vulnerable, it is better to PREVENT the disease than to treat the disease. That is why immunizations and good hygiene remain critical.

The threat of whooping cough is real. Public health workers across the nation have been dealing with this resurgence of pertussis for the past several years. Even though anyone can get whooping cough, it is especially dangerous for infants. Learn about whooping cough to protect the life of your little one.

While washing hands is not a guarantee that the illness will be contained to one person, it definitely helps.  In our household, it usually is one of the kids who gets sick.  So, once there is a fever or a stomach ache or headache present, I usually begin to remind everyone to wash their hands.  Additionally, the sick person is given a towel specifically for him or her in one of the bathrooms.  No one else uses that towel, it is the designated “Sick Person Towel”.  Although this method is not perfect, there have been very few illnesses that have spread beyond one person in our house.

Of course, just running your hands under cold water won’t satisfy the mom request of “Wash Your Hands.”  As I am not a medical professional, I decided not to deliver an unofficial lecture on proper handwashing, but rather decided it would be best to share the advice given by the Centers for Disease Control:

• Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
• Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
• Continue rubbing hands for 15-20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing “Happy Birthday” twice through to a friend.
• Rinse hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.*
• Always use soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

*In your own home a fabric towel is fine.

The Airborne that my roommate uses comes in a tablet format that you are supposed to dissolve in 4-6 ounces of hot or cold water. I personally think they taste good without the water (I will admit that I have licked the tablet before putting it in a glass) but that the taste is a little weak when it is dissolved–as if it were water with a small squeeze of lime. However, there are different flavors such as Zesty Orange, Lemon-Lime, Pink Grapefruit, and Very Berry.

What is in Airborne that makes it such an immune system booster? Well this dietary supplement has so much packed into one tablet that I do not even know where to begin. It is a special blend of zinc, ginger, echinacea and 13 other vitamins, minerals and herbs. Some of the vitamins it contains are vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E. It also contains selenium, manganese, magnesium, riboflavin, amino acids, and more.  It has also been studied by scientific studies and medical journals and has been shown to support the immune system. It is safe and meets the rigorous safety standards of the Dietary Health and Supplement Act (DSHEA) and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

You can get Airborne at a variety of stores such as Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, BJ’s, Costco, Trader Joe’s, and more. The average price for a pack of 12 tablets is seven dollars. It may be mental, but I do believe that Airborne is a great natural way to help boost your immune system when you are starting to feel sick.

The best way to handle a hangover is to understand its nature. The sick feeling, the nausea, the vomiting, the thirst, and the splitting headache that a person having a hangover experiences is caused primarily by dehydration. The ethanol in alcoholic drinks has a dehydrating effect on the body. Alcohol also causes a lower than normal level of blood glucose, which contributes to the bad feeling during the hangover.

The first step in getting rid of a hangover is to address the primary cause–the dehydration. Drink a lot of water to help replenish the water in your body. Do not take pain relievers because they won’t help you; some medications like acetaminophen may even worsen the bad feelings and cause damage to your liver.

Contrary to what you’ve seen in movie scenes and what other people say, never consume coffee. Why? Coffee is a diuretic, it contributes to  dehydration–the last thing that a person suffering from a hangover needs. Eat fruits instead, like bananas, which help in replenishing the lost electrolytes and potassium in your body. Banana is rich in potassium and other nutrients. Drinking natural fruit juice will help also. Eat eggs, poached, hard-boiled,etc. The cysteine in eggs helps in breaking down acetaldehyde, the toxin associated with alcohol metabolism and hangovers.

Take a hot shower, it has a relaxing effect on the body and will help you sleep through the worst of the hangover period.

But, of course, the best cure is prevention. If you can prevent a hangover (by not consuming too much alcohol), then do it. If it is unavoidable during a night of partying, you can use the previous tips.  Also, before you go to sleep after partying and drinking, try to drink a lot of water, it will help lessen the dehydration that’s caused by the alcohol you’ve ingested.

Swine flu, or swine influenza, is a disease that affects the respiratory system; it is caused by the Orthomyxoviruses or a certain strain of the type A influenza virus. Although  endemic in pigs, Orthomyxoviruses can be transmitted to humans. Those who are in contact with pigs with the virus are most likely to get the disease.  There are also cases of human-to-human transmission, which was the case in Mexico.  The severity of swine influenza in humans could vary: it could be mild, or it could be severe and could lead to death.

A person who has swine flu can infect other people through coughing and sneezing. Experts also believe that it is possible to be infected just by touching a contaminated surface. The symptoms of swine flu are very much like that of the common influenza: cough, fever, fatigue, sore throat, headache, and chills. Diarrhea and vomiting also can be experienced. Swine flu can lead to pneumonia and respiratory failure, which can lead to death.

Experts recommend antiviral drugs like oseltamivir or zanavimir as treatment for swine flu. Antiviral drugs work by keeping the virus from reproducing inside the body. Antiviral drugs can be most effective when taken by the patient 48 hours after symptoms are experienced.

The common cold is an upper respiratory infection caused by a virus. You can catch a cold from another person (members of your family, friends, co-workers, people you have never meet before in a restaurant or supermarket) or objects such as a keyboard, mouse, doorknob, or eating utensils.

The symptoms of a cold develop slowly, usually two or three days after a person has been infected with a cold virus. Colds, which usually about two weeks, include these symptoms:

• Stuffy, runny, sneezing nose (secretions can be yellow or green)
• Sore throat
• Cough

The flu is a very contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza A or B viruses. You can catch the flu during the winter months and early spring. The flu virus attacks both upper and lower respiratory tract.

Flu symptoms might be similar to that of a cold, but with the flu you are more likely to run a high fever for several days. Usually, complications from colds are minor, but with the flu they can become a life-threatening illness, such as pneumonia. Flu symptoms can appear suddenly and can include:

• Fever over 102 degrees
• Stuffy nose
• Nausea
• Chills and sweats
• Extreme fatigue, your body aches
• Cough
• Headache
• Loss of appetite

The common cold and flu are both contagious viral infections of the respiratory tract, but the flu is worse than the cold. The cold can drag you down but with the flu you don’t even want to get out of bed!

• Bundle up. The cold beats down upon your immune system and the easiest way to counter this is simply to stay warm. Don’t hesitate to put on the extra layers, and add your scarf and mittens!
• Be more alert of getting the right vitamins and minerals to help your immune system. Keep many fruits and vegetables in your diet. If you’re having trouble eating that cold apple or carrot on a cold day, try to think of warmer recipes. Vegetable soups are great, and baked apples can make magnificent desserts. Taking vitamin and mineral supplements isn’t a bad idea, but you should not use them to replace healthy fresh foods.
• Improve your hygiene habits. Covering your coughs and washing your hands more often will be the best way to prevent the spread of germs. When you use a tissue, throw it out immediately.
• Overlooked ways to keep your immune system strong are to stay active and get enough sleep. As long as you put on some extra layers and be extra careful on the road, running is a good option, but you may want to consider indoor alternatives. Dust off that treadmill or perhaps take up dancing! Being active keeps your immune system at its peak, but don’t forget, you need rest as well. Missing out on sleep attacks your immune system just as much as cold weather.
• Let the fresh air in. Even if it’s cold outside, open your windows each day to freshen up the air in your home.

Did you know that every year (on average), 5%-20% of the United State’s population gets the flu while more than 200,000 people are hospitalized, and 36,000 people die from the flu.

What is the flu? The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. It can cause mild to severe illness, and it can cause death. In order to protect yourself from this serious disease, you need to take certain precautions.

One of the most effective ways to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination. You should get your yearly flu vaccination around September or whenever your hospital first offers it. There are two types of vaccination. One is called the flu shot. This is an inactivated vaccine that is given with a needle. The other is the nasal-spray flu vaccine which is made with live, weakened flu viruses that can be given to people 2-49 years old who are healthy and not pregnant.

You should not be vaccinated if you are allergic to chicken eggs, if you have had reactions to influenza vaccinations before, if you have the Guillain-Barre syndrome, if you are less than six months old, or if you are sick.

Being vaccinated is important because it is fairly easy to catch this disease. It is spread person to person via coughing and sneezing. People can infect others even one day before the symptoms develop and even 5 days after you become sick–so you must be careful. For instance, maintain healthy habits, such as washing your hands frequently.

Some of the symptoms of the flu include: fever, headaches, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, muscle aches, or various stomach symptoms. Should you be experiencing any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Can garlic cure the common cold? Many researchers are now saying chicken soup will help you survive a cold, and garlic has been fingered as the reason why. An old home remedy for coughs is to crush one clove of fresh garlic into a spoonful of honey or vinegar. Take in the morning, and then again at night. You should be sniffle free in a day or so.

The honey does a good job of masking the taste, but you still shouldn’t try it on an empty stomach. The vinegar will take some of the bite out of garlic. Take your pick – sweet or sour!

Another effective home remedy, supported only by decades of anecdotal evidence, is garlic oil. To make garlic oil, simply put some olive oil in a pan, and crush a few cloves of garlic into it. Gently heat the mixture and cook for a few minutes, then let it cool and steep for several hours. Strain the oil and keep it in the fridge. Garlic oil is used topically on fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot, or as ear drops to cure an earache. It’s pretty potent stuff, so don’t use it on broken skin or if you have eczema!

Eating garlic seems to be helpful as well, so if you do get a scratchy throat or drippy nose, make some garlic bread, a plate of pasta, and feel better soon!

]]> http://www.healtheagle.com/garlic-natures-remedy/feed/ 4 http://www.healtheagle.com/common-headache-types/ http://www.healtheagle.com/common-headache-types/#comments Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:00:06 +0000 Rosanne Lorraine http://www.healtheagle.com/?p=139 Headaches are a common health problem in any part of the world. It is likely that every single person will experience a headache at one time or another during the course of his life. But it is important to realize that not all headaches are the same. Some headaches are mild while some are painful enough to make a patient bang her head against a wall.

Anything that stimulates the body’s pain receptors in the neck and head can cause a headache to occur. Some causes include:

Injuries to the neck

Muscle tension

Dental problems

High blood pressure

Eye strain

Disorders in the nose, ears, or throat.

Basically, headaches can be categorized in two groups: primary and secondary. Primary headaches include cluster headaches and migraines. Meanwhile, secondary headaches usually are caused by another disorder, such as injury or infection. Pain is felt when some structures in the head, like the nerves at the head and neck, the muscle and skin, the arteries that leads to the brain, or the sinuses, become inflamed.

Primary Headache

Tension headache – this is noted to be the most common form of headache. It feels like pressure is being pressed around your head. Tension headaches can be caused by both physical and emotional stress associated with lifestyle changes.

Migraine headache – it occurs more frequently in women compared to men. Hormones are observed to play a crucial role in its occurrence. You will feel a throbbing sensation in your head when you have a migraine headache. In addition, it has been associated with the spasms of blood vessels that go to your brain.

Secondary Headache

They are red unsightly raised area’s on the skin that itch. They can also cause swelling to different area’s of the body such as the lips and hands. Hives, also referred to as urticaria generally occur after an allergic reaction has been triggered. These triggers can be caused by almost anything from plants to pets, mold, mildew and food. Foods such as eggs, milk, shellfish, nuts, aspirin and food preservatives are high on the list of things that can cause a reaction. Other factors like detergents, latex gloves, perfumes and pet dander can also trigger an allergic reaction that often leads to hives if the person is exposed to the allergen again and again. For the majority of people it is not anything in particular that causes the chronic hives. Roughly about 95% of chronic hives cases, the hives are idiopathic, this is a term (a medical term meaning that there is no discernible cause for the hives. Because many of the remaining 5% of cases that have a cause, it is worthwhile to see a physician to determine if any underlying disease is present. This can be accomplished with a physical, as well as a few blood and urine tests. Antihistamines like Benadryl will often help ease the allergies. In many cases a person may have to receive shots and cortisone treatments. The danger in hives is that if they reach a persons throat, breathing becomes labored and death can occur without proper treatment. It is always best to discuss with your physician the best treatment for you as no two hive sufferers are alike.

To learn more about hives you can also look in a health directory.

Some more effective, although slower, therapies are the probiotic therapies. This type of treatment, combined with dietary changes has a good chance of curing (rather than masking) the heartburn problem. Basically probiotics are the beneficial bacteria normally found in the digestive system. Many different brands of probiotics are available, but the best have a wide variety of the beneficial bacteria, and are “super” strains. Eating a diet made of real foods, such as whole grains and beans, real vegetable and fruit versus processed foods will also help provide a genuine cure from indigestion.

About one trillion strong, our white blood cells constitute a highly specialized army of defenders. The phagocytes, which are soldiers in this army, are the first to attack viruses. When they come upon a cell that has burst, they eat up the wreckage and in the process consume the viruses. But they aren’t able to destroy these foes enough to keep them from infecting nearby cells.

The T cells are a more sophisticated part of our immune system. They are trained to recognize invaders. They then send urgent chemical signals to killer T cells. The message is to multiply quickly. The killer T cells puncture the cell membranes bacteria or destroy infected cells before viruses have time to multiply.

During stress the body releases large amounts of a steroid called cortisol. When our soldiers the macrophage recognize and encounter cortisol they can no longer respond to infection.

Exercise may enhance the immune system. It stimulates the brain to release chemicals called endorphin and enkephalin. They also seem to reduce anxiety and cause a sense of well being.

Even more startling, some studies suggest that they affect macrophage and T cells. Exercise may also result in increased levels of interleukin-1 and interferon, both of which strengthens our defenses.