Logo

By now you've all heard of the swine flu outbreak that has started to spread around the world. To date there have only been a handful of cases in the United States and all have resolved without the use of any medication; however, there have been a few hundred cases in Mexico that unfortunately have been deadly. As seen in previous deadly outbreaks and what makes this swine flu even more ominous is that those killed ranged in ages from 20-50, a typically healthy age group. Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently raised its worldwide "alert level," which it has not done since the Hong Kong pandemic in 1968, where nearly one million people died. Is this recent swine flu something that you need to be worried about? How can you protect yourself and your family?

Swine Flu vs. Seasonal Flu

Normally swine flu, as the name implies, only affects pigs. This virus, however, it seems has recently changed from its original form and therefore has "jumped" from pigs to humans. What makes this virus, named H1N1, particularly different and potentially dangerous is that it can spread from human to human.

Seasonal flu occurs every year, usually during the "cold and flu season" that usually lasts from December to March. The 2008-2009 flu season was a mild one, but like each year, it is estimated that between 250,000 to 500,000 people died from seasonal flu. What is different and worries health officials about H1N1 is that it seems to spread from human to human more quickly and easily than typical seasonal flu and because this swine flu mutated so quickly, there is no vaccine for it.

What to Watch Out for

Symptoms of swine flu are similar to regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. Also, if you or someone you know have these symptoms and have traveled to San Diego County or Imperial County, California or San Antonio, Texas within 7 days prior to the illness onset, there is reason for concern. If you have any of these symptoms, it's a good idea to get checked by your doctor, where a nasal respiratory swab will help confirm or deny a diagnosis.

Prevention Possible

Current public health officials have recommended healthy hygiene practices to avoid the spread of swine flu. Washing of hands, getting plenty of sleep, drinking plenty of fluids and eating healthy foods are great places to start. Obviously, avoiding close contact with anyone who is sick is a no-brainer. Some research suggests that zinc and selenium might improve your body's natural antibody response to the flu while the use of a Neti pot (nasal irrigation) prevents the virus from "setting up shop" in the nasal passages and sinuses.
Treatment After Infection?

Luckily there are plenty of things we can do to help those who unfortunately become ill. Conventionally, we know that H1N1 can be controlled with Tamiflu and/or Relenza. In addition, high doses of vitamin C, typically given intravenously, along with hydrogen peroxide can help get the virus under control.

It is yet to be determined if this current outbreak of swine flu will be as dangerous as some health officials are predicting. In the mean time, taking the appropriate measures to protect yourself and your family with a healthy dose of prevention is a great place to start.