Brace for Impact!

 As of mid August 2009, swine flu caused 8,000 hospitalizations and 522 deaths in the U.S. according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  White House science advisers expect swine flu or H1N1 influenza A virus to infect up to half of the United States population for the fall of 2009.  Infants, young adults, children under 5 years old, people with chronic illnesses, and pregnant women are expected to be most severely affected with 30,000 to 90,000 deaths expected in the U.S.

 In a typical year, approximately 36,000 people die from seasonal flu strains in the U.S. Accordingly, development of a H1N1 vaccine is under way.  Unfortunately, the first 40 million doses of the swine flu vaccine won’t be available in the U.S. until after viral infections are expected to have peaked in mid October.

If you get sick:

Swine flu symptoms you may experience include sharp abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, confusion, and fever.  If your condition becomes desperate, the World Health Organization suggests treatment with antiviral drugs. Care must be taken to prevent pneumonia which is a leading cause of death associated with seasonal flu.  Avoid infecting others by staying home from work or school.  Don’t visit public places until at least 24 hours after your fever subsides (without the use of fever reducing medications).  Do not host “H1N1 parties” in an attempt to expose children to seemingly mild forms of swine flu.

What can you do to avoid getting sick?

The CDC has a long list of common sense basic hygiene tips that include:

•  Frequent hand washing.
• Proper disposal of used tissues.
• Use of alcohol based soaps.
• Avoid direct contact with infected patients.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Frequent towel/linen changing and cleaning. 

In addition, I recommend the following to get your immune system ready for an attack:

· Stay well hydrated by drinking at least 6 glasses of water each day.

· Clean up your diet and get strict with your food selections to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

· Get plenty of sleep.

· Manage your stress with daily exercise.

· Supplement with multivitamins and omega fatty acids/antioxidants.

When your immune system is working well you can fight off infections before you even feel sick.  In other instances you may get mild cold symptoms instead of having intense flu symptoms.

I recommend “gmp certified” Metagenics brand omega fatty acids EPA-DHA 720 and Multigenics Intensive Care multivitamins taken in divided doses throughout the day to insure nutrients are available as needed by tissues.

I personally take these products and give them to my children.   Call (602)992-4444 for assistance placing your order.