The 2009 flu pandemic is a global outbreak of a new strain of influenza virus, officially named the "new H1N1," first identified in April 2009, and commonly called "Swine flu."
It is thought to be a mutation of four known strains of the influenza A virus, subtype H1N1: one endemic in (normally infecting) humans, one endemic in birds, and two endemic in pigs.
Transmission of the new strain is human-to-human, with cooked pork products safe to eat as the virus cannot be transmitted by eating foods.
Virus source
The new virus is a type of swine influenza derived originally from a strain that lived in pigs. This origin gave rise to the common name of swine flu. Despite this origin, however, the current strain is transmitted between people, not from swine.
Symptoms
The signs of infection with swine flu are similar to other forms of influenza, and includes fever, coughing, headaches, pain in the muscles or joints, sore throat, chills, fatigue and runny nose. Diarrhea, vomiting and neurological problems have also been reported in some cases.
Severe symptoms
Certain symptoms may require emergency medical attention. In children, signs of respiratory distress, for instance, those might include blue lips and skin, dehydration, rapid breathing, excessive sleeping, seizures and significant irritability that includes a lack of desire to be held.
In adults, shortness of breath, pain in chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness or confusion may indicate the need for emergency care. In both children and adults, persistent vomiting or the return of flu-like symptoms that include a fever and cough may require medical attention.
The virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person 2 to 8 hours after being deposited on the surface.
Tap water treated by conventional disinfection processes does not likely pose a risk for transmission of influenza viruses.
Pneumonia
Influenza infection can cause pneumonia leading to death. This is typically described as either viral pneumonia, which has a rapid onset, often within one day after infection, or bacterial pneumonia, which often begins a week after infection after symptoms begins to subside.
Viral pneumonia is sometimes attributed to 'cy-tokine storm,' in which an overly active immune response damages lungs. Reports of deaths among healthy youth during first weeks of 2009 flu pandemic were attributed to this cause.
Prevention
Personal hygiene: Measures to avoid flu infection include: vaccination when available, thorough and frequent hand washing, balanced diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, sufficient sleep, exercise and avoiding crowds.
Airborne virus prevention
Masks may be of benefit in 'crowded settings' or for people who are in 'close contact' with infected persons, defined as 1 meter or less by the World Health Organization. In these cases, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended respirators classified as N95, but it is unknown whether they would prevent swine flu infection. According to mask manufacturer 3M, there are no "established exposure limits for biological agents" such as swine flu virus.
The UK Health Protection Agency considers facial masks unnecessary for general public.
Airline hygiene
Some airlines have modified hygiene procedures to minimise travel health risks on international flights. Asian carriers have stepped up cabin cleaning, installed State-of-the-art air filters and allowed in-flight staff to wear face masks, with some replacing used pillows, blankets, headset covers and headrest covers, while others have begun disinfecting the cabins of all aircraft.
Hygiene practices such as covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing in confined areas may be the best way to limit infection.
Try to: Co-ver your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze; Wash your hands often with soap and water. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective; Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth; Try to avoid close contact with sick people; If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone.
Home remedies
There are a number of ways to help ease symptoms, including adequate liquid intake and rest, soup to ease congestion, and over-the-counter drugs to relieve pain. Aspirin is very effective for treating fever in adults although in children and adolescents, aspirin is not usually given due to risk of Reye's syndrome. While over-the-counter drugs relieve sym-ptoms, they do not kill the virus.
Antiviral drugs
Antiviral drugs can be given to treat those who become severely ill, two of which are recommended for swine flu symptoms: Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Zanamivir (Relenza). They work by deactivating an enzyme the virus needs to grow and spread.
Possible side effects
Both medications can cause side effects, including lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and trouble breathing.
Mediterranean diet pyramid : eat tasty food, improve your health
The Mediterranean diet is recognized as capable of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Many studies of Mediterranean populations of southern Europe showed it.
By following the recommendations of the pyramid, you put away heart problems and cancer. You even keep a youthful appearance longer.
Why? Because this type of diet gives our body all the nutrients it needs: vitamins, trace elements, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, essential fatty acids ... It does not or hardly brings foods that your body does not need. What keeps our energy to fight disease and delay the aging.
The "modern" food is often responsible for an inadequate intake of these nutrients. On or often a state of fatigue, and less resistance to germs. Moreover, our so-called modern diet often contains an excessive proportion of sugar and bad fats.
What are the bad fats? They are mostly margarines which are produced artificially and many vegetable oils. Because these oils are produced industrially, seeds (soybean, sunflower, corn, grapeseed ... are often overheated and the oil is extracted with chemical solvents). For this reason, saturated fat should not be excluded from the diet. Saturated fats such are "stainless", ie they can not be attacked by free radicals. Unlike polyunsaturated oils that are very instable .It is true that these oils lower LDL cholesterol, but on the other hand, they easily oxidize cholesterol.
So eating a little cheese and butter and reducing margarine and polyunsaturated vegetable oils is a good thing for your health
The Mediterranean preferably use olive oil that supports the cooking and can be used to season salads and vegetables. This oil has largely proven itself as food for good health. The unsaturated fats in olive oil reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol. These polyphenols help to combat excess free radicals. The excess free radicals caused by pollution, radiation or tobacco smoke increases the cancer risk of myocardial infarction and accelerate aging.
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Vegetables, fruits, whole grains like brown rice are important in this type of cuisine. The garlic either fried or with salad is widely used. This food has the property to decrease blood pressure ,blood sugar and cholesterol. It plays a leading role against the arteriosclerosis.. Moreover, it fight many germs and virus.
The fish is consumed at least twice a week but it can be eaten every day without problem. Fish is rich in omega 3 fatty acid. However, the ideal proportion between the intake of omega 6 and omega3 must not exceed (1 / 5) Not more than 5 times more Omega6 than omega3. But in our "modern" cuisine the proportions are often of 1 / 10 or 1 / 15 . Most cooking oils , margarine, dairy products and meat are rich in omega 6. However, excess omega-6 predisposes to cardiovascular disease and some arthritis.
In addition, omega 3 improve the flow of blood and decrease the risk of blood clots in the arteries.
The chicken provides protein, like fish and red meat. But this food is low in saturated fats. Fats that are generally considered bad for the arteries.
Besides the Mediterranean diet contains very little red meat because at first, there were only goats and sheep in these regions. The meat of these animals was few consumed; these animals were used primarily for their milk and hair.
The goat cheese and sheep contain much less saturated fat than cow cheese. They therefore rise less cholesterol.
Regular consumption of red wine in moderation (two glasses of 10 cl per day) significantly decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The famous "French Paradox" has thus been identified
Should we remove the sweets, cakes, ice cream? No, it must be a treat from time to time. But once or twice a week is up.
Also, if you can take your meals in a friendly way with friends or family members, it is even better. You will digest better and be less stressed. You'll get a lot less hungry between meals
Finally, moderate physical activity will improve your health. A half hour walk a day or three times an hour a week, for example, would be perfect
By following the recommendations of the mediterranean diet pyramid, you will quickly feel in better health. You will decrease your risk of heart problems and cancer. So why not try?
You can also watch this blog for more details on the of the Mediterranean diet pyramid
There is a general misconception that arthritis is an age-related medical condition that afflicts only the senior citizens or the elderly. It may be true with osteoarthritis, the most common type of joint disorder that usually affects adults of both sexes in their middle age. But what most people don't understand is that there are other types or causes of arthritis.
Arthritis, also known as joint inflammation, is defined as an inflammation of one or more joints and involves the breakdown of cartilage resulting in pain, swelling, and limited movement. Cartilage is responsible for protecting the joints and serves as a shock absorber when pressure is placed on the joint during walking or running. It allows for the smooth movement of our limbs. Without cartilage, the bones will rub together and can cause pain, swelling (inflammation), and stiffness. Doctors usually prescribe arthritis pain relief and anti-inflammatory drugs to help alleviate the pain. Arthritis, or joint inflammation, can be due to the following causes: · Broken Bones; · Infections that are usually caused by bacteria or viruses; · An autoimmune disease (the body attacks itself because the immune system believes a body part is foreign); and · General "wear and tear" on joints. Generally, as soon as the injury heals, the inflammation disappears. The infection is treated and the disease is cured. However, there are some injuries and diseases wherein the inflammation remains stubbornly and continuously causing pain that may lead to deformity. This condition is known as chronic arthritis. People suffering from arthritis experience the following symptoms: · Joint pain · Joint swelling · Stiffness, especially in the morning · Warmth around a joint · Redness of the skin around a joint · Reduced ability to move the joint Arthritis is a condition that can occur in men and women of all ages. Other types of arthritis include: · Rheumatoid arthritis (in adults) · Osteoarthritis ( middle age and above ) · Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (in children) · Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) · Gout · Scleroderma · Psoriatic arthritis · Ankylosing spondylitis · Reiter's syndrome (reactive arthritis) · Adult Still's disease · Viral arthritis · Gonococcal arthritis · Other bacterial infections (non-gonococcal bacterial arthritis) · Tertiary Lyme disease (the late stage) · Tuberculouus arthritis · Fungal infections such as blastomycosis Osteoarthritis, being the most common type, is a chronic disease which causes the cartilage between the bone joints to deteriorate and may cause painful sensation and/or stiffness. New pieces of bones, called bone spurs, may grow around the joints as a result of osteoarthritis. Until now, there is no known reason yet as to the cause of osteoarthritis but it is generally being associated with aging. However, factors such as metabolism and genes can play a role in its development. There are many factors to consider before your doctor can prescribe arthritis pain relief treatment plan such as the particular cause of arthritis, affected joints, severity of arthritis, and how the condition affects your daily activities. Age and occupation will also be taken into consideration. Eliminating the underlying cause of the arthritis is one of the goals for treating arthritis. However, not all cause are curable like in the cases of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Relieving pain and discomfort as well as prevention from further damage becomes the focus. Lifestyle changes and exercise can greatly help in improving the condition of those suffering from arthritis. Medications such as arthritis pain relief and anti-inflammatory drugs can be taken in addition to exercise and lifestyle changes.
Your uniform reflects the intensity of your involvement in the game. No game is complete without the player donning the assigned uniform and then stepping on to the field. Baseball too has elaborate uniforms for its players worn to indicate the player’s role in the game and the identity of his team. However, while it is important to don your uniforms before you step on to the field, it is most integral to make sure that your uniforms are comfortable enough to render you comfort at playing this game with its true spirit.
Baseball uniforms comprise of sets of pants, shirts, jerseys, caps et al. The shirts are collared and buttoned and the pants are padded and hit the shins. If you are planning to buy a baseball uniform, look for the following factors to purchase perfect attire:
Fitness: Avoid uniforms that give you a perfect slim fit. This is because this game involves a lot of diving and jumping and running across the field, carrying body fitter attire would limit your speed and intensity and thus your power. Therefore, opt for lose shirts and pants that are a bit snug that give you ease with your activities on field. Also, opt for sleeves that hit a few inches above your elbow so that they do not disrupt you from raising your arms high while batting or pitching. Pants should be considerably padded and not look bulky.
Material of the uniform: This is yet another important deciding factor to help you purchase the right uniform. Make sure that the material of the uniform is light and comfortable. It should not cause irritation on the skin, even in extreme temperatures.
Protection: Protection should be your ultimate priority while playing any game. In basketball, make sure that your uniform also provides some degree of protection like shock absorption and cushioning especially at the sensitive lower part of the body. This is because the hip and the shoulder pads do not provide 100 % protection as they may get broken or cracked due to over-usage or high temperature, so is it important that your uniform too is equipped with protection ways.
A proper fitted uniform definitely boosts your confidence on facing the game. For more information and requirement on baseball uniforms visit http://www.victory-la.com/. Victory Custom Athletic specializes in baseball and softball uniforms to provide a unique collection for all the game lovers spread across Los Angeles.
Victory does not take any short cut when it comes to manufacturing its uniform. When you buy your Victory uniform, you are not only guaranteed the finest fabrics available to the industry utilized, but without question, the very best raw materials and components the industry has to offer. Victory uniform fabrics are 100 percent made in the USA and nothing in imported even in the times of recession.
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