H1N1 (Swine Flu) - Keeping A World Perspective

References and External Hyper Links:

• Influenza: H1N1 at the Open Directory Project

• Swine influenza at the World Health Organization

• International Society for Infectious Diseases PROMED-mail news updates

• H1N1flue resource centre of The Lancet

• BioHealthBase Bioinformatics Resource Center - Database of influenza genomic sequences and related information.

Europe

• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

• Influenza A(H1N1) at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

• "Influenza" at the Health-EU Portal

• UK National Pandemic Flu Service

• Official UK government information on swine flu from Directgov

• Official swine flu advice and latest information from the UK National Health Service

• Human/Swine A/H1N1 Influenza Origins and Evolution - Analysis of genetic data for the origin and evolution of swine flu virus.

North America

• Health Canada flu portal

• Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) Swine Influenza portal

• H1N1 Influenza (Flu) portal at the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

• US Government swine, avian and pandemic flu portal

• Medical Encyclopedia Medline Plus: Swine Flu

• Swine Flu Outbreak, Influenza Virus Resource - Sequences and related resources (GenBank, NCBI)

India

• Swine Flu - Latest Update from India

“H1N1 Flu Self-Evaluation, from the US's Flu.gov / Evaluation (will require that you read and agree with the terms) web site.

“This is provided for informational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for evaluation and treatment by a health care professional. This self-assessment information does not capture identifiable information in any matter

“Additional Information”

“Warning signs that you may be getting worse:

Most people with the flu (including H1N1 flu) will get better over a few days. However, some people may get sicker and should see their doctor if they get worse. Some warning signs that should make people consider calling their doctor or going to a walk-in clinic or emergency room are:

• Hard time breathing or short of breath.

• Pain or pressure in the chest or stomach.

• Feeling dizzy all of a sudden.

• Being confused.

• Not being able to stop throwing-up.

• Flu-like symptoms that were getting better – but then came back with a fever and worse cough.

Are you pregnant?

There are certain things pregnant women with the flu should do right away for their health and the health of their baby. They should:

• Call their doctor right away.

• Tell the doctor they are pregnant and are worried they might have the flu.

• Ask the doctor if they need medicine for the flu.

• If they can't get in touch with their doctor, they should go to a walk-in clinic or the emergency room right away.

Flu.gov Resources

Flu.gov is your central resource for US Government information on seasonal, H1N1, avian and pandemic flu. Check out some of these Flu.gov resources:

• About the flu

• Flu symptoms

• Caring for a sick person at home

• Seasonal Flu Information

• H1N1 Flu Information

• Information to download and share

Don't see the information you need? Visit Flu.gov to ask a flu expert a question or sign up to receive updated information about flu.”

Current and previous links to the Sometimes On The Edge© web site (see Index: H1N1 Swine Flu)

Other references:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: 2009 flu pandemic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Influenza

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Influenza A virus subtype H1N1

What To Do Ahead of Time:

Even before the cold and flu season talk to your doctor and pharmacist. Consider stocking up on some generic or patented©TM, 'over the counter' medications. Many contain sugars. But I use the sugar free versions, especially formulated for diabetics.

CAUTION: Most doctor and pharmacist advises that these are all adult doses, for people over 18 years.

WARNING: Follow direction and limits very carefully and note that some of the following medications have the same ingredients; therefore you should never exceed the recommended dosages with first consulting your doctor and/or pharmacist.

1. Acetaminophen – if you are experience fever, body, head, joint and muscle aches – usually 250 – 500 mg (might be marketed under brand names Aceta, Actimin, Anacin-3, Apacet, Aspirin Free Anacin, Atasol, Banesin, Ben-uron, Crocin, Dapa, Dolo, Datril Extra-Strength, DayQuil, Depon & Depon Maximum, Feverall, Few Drops, Fibi, Fibi plus, Genapap, Genebs, Lekadol, LemSip, Liquiprin, Lupocet, Neopap, Ny-Quil, Oraphen-PD, Panado, Panadol, Paralen, Phenaphen, Plicet, Redutemp, Snaplets-FR, Suppap, Tamen, Tapanol, Tempra, Tylenol, Valorin, Xcel.) (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Acetaminophen (Paracetamol))

2. Anti-Nauseant – if you begin 'throwing up' - usually 50 mg tablets of Dimenhydrinate (might be marketed under brand names Dramamine, Driminate, Gravol, Gravamin, Vomex, and Vertirosan ) (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Dimenhydrinate)

3. Cold and Flu (Influenza) medications - often combine medications marketed generically and under many, many brand names often containing Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide, Ibuprofen, Pseudoephedrine Hydrocholoride

• An analgesic (sometimes called a painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain.

• An Antihistamine which can be used to describe any histamine antagonist, but it is usually reserved for the classical antihistamines that act upon the H1 histamine receptor.

• A cough medicine is a medicinal drug used to treat coughing and related conditions. Dry coughs are treated with cough suppressants (antitussives) that suppress the body's urge to cough, while productive coughs (coughs that produce phlegm) are treated with expectorants such as DM – Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide, that loosen mucus from the respiratory tract.

• A decongestant which acts via enhancing nor epinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline) or adrenergic activity by stimulating the α-adrenergic receptors.

• A sore throat might require sucking on a throat lozenge or a piece of ice, or gargle with warm salt water (made by dissolving 1/4 teaspoon salt in one cup of warm water). Eating only soft foods, drinking cool or warm liquids, or sucking on popsicles may bring relief, too. While antibiotics kill the germs, you can take a few steps to feel better. Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) originally marketed as Brufen, and since then under various other trademarks, most notably Nurofen, Advil and Motrin. ), or acetaminophen can help ease throat pain.

4. Diarrhoea Relief – if you experience diarrhoea - usually 2 mg tablets of Loperamide Hydrocholoride (is available generically and under brand names such as Lopex, Imodium, Dimor and Pepto Diarrhea Control.) (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Loperamide)

5. Laxative, since some influenza medications have a tendency to cause constipation. Many foods and medicines can act as laxatives. See, (Laxative - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Laaxatives (or purgatives) are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation.)

6. Vitamin C – “Proponents of mega dosage propose from 200 to upwards of 2000 mg/day. A recent meta-analysis of 68 reliable antioxidant supplementation experiments, involving a total of 232,606 individuals, concluded that consuming additional ascorbic from supplements may not be as beneficial as thought.” (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Vitamin C)

Other things that you can take or use to increase your immune systems response:

• Antioxidants

• Multivitamin & dietary minerals, use daily

• Others include a healthy and nutritious diet and exercise

• Some people believe in the value of other 'health foods' and supplements

Labels: H1N1 Swine Flu, Health, Pandemic,