Learn About the Symptoms of Swine Flu

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Because the swine flu virus is a type A influenza virus (which is also the type of influenza virus responsible for the standard human flu), the symptoms of swine flu are very similar to those of human flu. The symptoms of swine flu are body aches, chills, cough, fatigue, fever, headache and sore throat.

If you begin to display one or more of the symptoms of swine flu, it is recommended that you visit a health professional. The reason that you should visit a health professional once you exhibit one or more of the symptoms of swine flu is because if the health professional you visit concludes that you have been infected with the swine flu virus, they may be able to give you an antiviral drugs. Antiviral drugs (such as oseltamivir or zanamivir) can help you in several ways. First, they can stop the swine flu virus from reproducing in your body (which can help fight it off). Second, they can lessen the severity of your symptoms and reduce the amount of time before you feel better. Finally, they can help you avoid the more serious complications that can accompany the swine flu virus. However, because these types of drugs are most effective when someone with the swine flu virus starts taking them within two days of exhibiting one or more of the swine flu symptoms, it is important to visit your health professional as soon as possible.

In addition to the symptoms listed above, there are additional symptoms which can signify more serious cases of swine flu. Those symptoms are listed below:

In children: bluish skin color, irritability to the point of a child refusing to be held, fever combined with a rash, difficulty breathing (or faster than normal breathing), failure to drink enough fluids, an improvement in the primary flu symptoms listed above (only to have the symptoms return with a worsened cough and fever) or a failure to interact and/or wake up.

In adults: confusion, a sudden onset of dizziness, trouble breathing (or a shortness of breath), severe vomiting that persists or pressure and/or pain in the abdomen or chest.

If a child or adult exhibits one or more of these more serious swine flu symptoms, it is vital that they seek immediate medical attention.

Since the swine flu virus is currently being spread from one human to another, it is important to learn how this takes place. When a person comes into contact with someone who has the swine flu virus, it can be spread through an event such as a cough or a sneeze. It is also important to understand that the swine flu virus can be spread from someone up to a day before they even exhibit any symptoms of having the swine flu virus.

In addition to direct transmission from one human to another, the swine flu virus can also be spread when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes on a surface, and then another person touches that surface and then touches their own face.

Not only should you avoid individuals who have the swine flu virus, but you should also wash your hands with warm water and soap on a regular basis (using an alcohol based hand sanitizer such as Purell or Germ-X can also help you protect yourself when you are unable to use warm water and soap).

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Swine Flu Symptoms Checker

Filed under: Swine Flu Symptoms - 22 Jul 2010  | Spread the word !

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Paying close attention to a swine flu symptoms checker will help you better recognize the early signs of the disease. It’s critical that you are aware of what to look for so that you can avoid a potentially life threatening condition. Many cases of swine flu have turned out to be mild, mimicking the same symptoms you would experience with seasonal flu. If you fear you may be coming down with the H1N1 swine flu virus, the following checker will give you a clear view of where you stand.

Here’s how to use the swine flu symptoms checker. If you or someone in your family is plagued with a high fever or temperature of more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit and two or more of the following symptoms, you could have the swine flu. The symptoms are unusual tiredness, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, runny nose, loss of appetite, sore throat, aching muscles, shortness of breath or cough. Have a thermometer on hand because you need to carefully monitor any temperature spike.

A swine flu symptoms checker is very helpful for anyone who is of high risk. The high risk groups include women who are pregnant or expecting, anyone with chronic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic long-term lung disease, chronic liver disease, chronic neurological disease, diabetes, those being treated by asthma, people aged 65 and older and children under five years old. If you fall into one of these high risk groups, it is critical that you get vaccinated. Although H1N1 for many people can be mild, the virus can become quite severe and cause deadly complications. Keep check of swine flu symptoms for your overall health.

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Swine Flu Symptoms in Children

Filed under: Swine Flu Symptoms - 04 May 2010  | Spread the word !

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Catching a cold can make a person feel lousy for about a week, but imagine if that cold becomes worse and turns into a virus known as the Swine Flu, or H1N1. This can happen not only to adults but children as well.

Swine Flu/H1N1 is a virus that invades the bodies’ cells and takes over and destroys the immune system. The body tries to fight it but without antibiotics, it may be a losing battle if not monitored. Children, who are younger than 5 years old may have a hard time fighting this strain of influenza, especially those who are younger than 2 years of age. Infected children younger than 2 have a higher risk of hospitalization and outpatient and emergency room visits when compared to older children.

If you believe your child is suffering from this strain of flu, keep in mind these major warning signs: bluish skin (a rash which can mean a lack of oxygen), fast or troubled breathing, irritable behavior, bad eye contact, not wanting to be held, not drinking enough liquids, and not waking up or being interactive. If any of these major symptoms occur, then go immediately to the emergency room. Just keep in mind that if your child has a fever, cough, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, aches/pains, headache or chills and fatigue, these could also be symptoms of the H1N1 or Swine Flu, so treatment would be needed right away. Health care providers must always use their best judgment when diagnosing children so they are not sent to the hospital with “just a cold”.

Studies of the Swine Flu/H1N1 strain continue and they found that infected children can be treated with 2 anti-viral medications. It is recommended that treatment start quickly and once the medication starts working, your child will soon be on the road to recovery.

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Swine Flu Symptoms in Adults

Filed under: Swine Flu Symptoms - 29 Mar 2010  | Spread the word !

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The swine flu differs little in the people it infects. The most notable symptoms are always those of the common cold or flu and can easily become worse over time. This is due to the age range of which the adult who are getting infected are. Anyone in the young adult to middle age range (15-50 years) has a vigorous and healthy immune system. This immune system is controlled by cytokines, a special molecule that is produced by different cells which trigger the immune responses of the body. They tell the body to produce certain types of proteins or cease the production of them as well and this could lead to a more damaging scenario to the body.

In adults, this immune response can be too much for the body to handle and could lead to fatal conditions. The reason why it is not so strong in younger children as well as the elderly is because their immune systems are different. Young children are still developing their immune systems and this makes them less vulnerable to the overreaction of the body’s immune-response. In the elderly, their immune system is not very strong and this makes the immune response to the swine flu much less damaging to the body.

The best way to deal with the infection is to get a vaccine whenever possible to prevent the disease from catching the adult body by surprise. Since the swine flu can easily shift into another variant, it is not truly known whether or not it will completely remove itself from the infectious cycle which could affect the human race. The most recent swine flu outbreak is only one of many similar flu variations which have occurred in history. Taking the appropriate precautions to prevent infection is recommended.

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Treating Symptoms: What to Do If You Come Down with Swine Flu

Filed under: Swine Flu Symptoms - 26 Feb 2010  | Spread the word !

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By now, most people know the symptoms of swine flu: fever of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, exhaustion, headache, muscle aches, sore throat, cough, vomiting and/or diarrhea. When people feel so sick, they may be tempted to seek medical help; but in most cases a visit to the doctor is not necessary.

There are things you can do, however, to ease the aches and pains and other miserable symptoms. First, get plenty of rest. Because H1N1 is contagious, you’ll need to take a few days off work to avoid infecting your co-workers. Spend the time getting all the sleep you possibly can. If you can’t sleep, try to lie quietly and listen to soothing music or watch television.

Next, drink plenty of fluids. This is especially important if vomiting and diarrhea have left you dehydrated. Water, herbal teas, and warm and cold juices are always a good bet. Leave caffeinated drinks and alcohol alone until you are feeling better.

Taking a warm bath or shower can help you feel refreshed and ease muscle aches.

You may also use over the counter medications to lower your fever, ease your aches and pains, and soothe your cough.

In most cases, your symptoms will resolve by themselves and you’ll be back to your regular routine in no time. There are a few cases, though, when seeking the help of a doctor is warranted. It’s definitely wise to see your doctor if you suffer from chronic health problems or from deficiencies in your immune system. A visit to the doctor is also warranted if you have trouble breathing, if your flu symptoms get worse instead of better, or if you have repeated episodes of vomiting that leave you dehydrated.

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Swine Flu Shot Availability for the Masses

Filed under: Swine Flu Symptoms - 01 Feb 2010  | Spread the word !

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The upcoming 3rd wave of swine flu that is possible is making several locations wise up for the need to be vaccine enabled for the masses. The swine flu may actually not come back as powerful as before, but it is still a good idea to take the precautionary steps towards ensuring that as many people as possible get the newest vaccines. These vaccines will be available to nearly everyone and they can be found in many locations such as public health clinics and even Walgreens centers. This makes the difficulty to receive the vaccine much less for anyone. Depending on the location, limited amounts of the vaccine may be possible as well and will be administered on a first come first serve basis.

Companies will also be able to get nurses to come to their places of business to administer the swine flu vaccines for their workers. This option is available through special services and must have arrangements made for this to be possible. The vaccines will be given by trained nurses with the amount of vaccines needed on hand. This can easily be determined by checking with employees and having them sign a consent form to receive the vaccination. Once everything is set up, you could set the date that the nurse is to come in and administer the vaccine to employees. This is a great option to ensure that the workplace has a much lower chance of spreading the contagious swine flu virus.

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Swine flu – aka H1N1

Filed under: Swine Flu Symptoms - 01 Feb 2010  | Spread the word !

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Swine flu, also known as H1N1 is the serious virus that hit the U.S. last year and has since escalated. It has been sweeping the United States causing countless deaths and illnesses. Prevention and early detection are key in the treatment of swine flu. Many people do not realize they have swine flu until it is too late. It is important to know what symptoms to look out for so you can inform your doctor early when they emerge.

The symptoms of the swine flu, or H1N1 are very similar to the traditional flu. These symptoms include a fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, severe headache, chills, and fatigue. Other symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. Using these symptoms alone, it is impossible to tell if you are suffering from the common flu or the deadly epidemic.

If you fall ill, it is important to get checked out immediately. You should visit your nearest health care professional so that they can give you a lab test to determine what type of ailment you are experiencing. It is only through these tests that your diagnosis can be known for sure and that proper treatment can begin.

It is important to remember that like the regular flu, H1N1 can occur in young children. While this is rare, when it hits children the effects are devastating and often fatal. It is critical that any child with even the slightest symptom be examined by a physician in order to properly treat the condition and prevent any devastating consequences.

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Children Who Received Recalled H1N1 Vaccine Will be Fine

Filed under: Swine Flu Symptoms - 17 Dec 2009  | Spread the word !

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H1N1 Vaccine

There was a recall on about 800,000 doses of prefilled H1N1 vaccine syringes which were not potent enough. The San Francisco Bay area had received approximately 9000 of the 47,800 doses of the state and was only able to send back about 500. The recall was far enough along in the distribution of the vaccine that the missing 8500 have already been used. These doses were for use in infants 6 months to 3 years old and parents are told that their children will be fine and another dose of the vaccine is not needed. The vaccines were initially potent enough, but when released to the US public, the potency was much lower than the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration required.

The doses which were recalled on December 7th were only slightly below the required levels, but they were still effective in their vaccination in children. The children taking this vaccine will still need to take their second dose, as young children require 2 doses of the vaccine (the next within 3 weeks) to be protected. The City is planning to release the next batch of 16,000 doses at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium to the people who are most at risk of contracting the virus on December 22. The people who are most at risk are pregnant women, caregivers of children under 6 months, the young under 24 years, people under the age of 65 with underlying health conditions as well as health care workers.

Image Credit: xieqiang.li

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Learning the Symptoms of the Swine Flu

Filed under: Swine Flu Symptoms - 30 Sep 2009  | Spread the word !

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Many people are concerned about the Swine flu and wonder what symptoms the virus causes. Well, like the normal variants of the flu, the Swine flu often causes the myriad of symptoms associated with the common cold and flu. Common symptoms include fever, unusual tiredness, headache, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath and cough, loss of appetite, aching muscles and diarrhea or vomiting. This makes it very difficult to determine whether or not you have Swine flu because the symptoms are nearly identical to the normal flu. The best option is to look into getting treatment if possible and staying away from healthy people to prevent spread of the disease. Although the Swine flu has been determined to be relatively mild, it could still cause complications and lead to secondary diseases that are more deadly such as pneumonia.

Many people who are in the higher risk groups are those who have weakened immune systems and have had problems with chronic lung disease. Smokers have been known to be prone to lung diseases and can catch these flu diseases much easier due to the fact that their lungs are inflamed and have prior damage done to them. The Swine flu vaccine is being made available and many people are urged to get it if available in the areas which are most likely to be hit this fall and winter seasons. Make sure to take vitamins and avoid contact with healthy individuals if you suspect that you may have the swine flu. See a general practitioner to get tested and check on your flu symptoms to ensure that you are doing everything that you can to help prevent spread of the disease.

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Do You Have These Swine Flu Symptoms?

Filed under: Swine Flu Symptoms - 14 Jul 2009  | Spread the word !

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You may not realize it, but swine flu symptoms are very similar to other forms of influenza that affect people every year all over the world. That said, there are some slight differences because this form of human flu virus contains swine flu as well, a combination that means humans aren’t as immune to it because it’s new. This could be trouble if it starts to build up momentum and becomes a large flu pandemic.

Here are some signs and symptoms you should look for if you think you may have swine flu:

A fever is sometimes present and sometimes missing. If it is present, there’s a good chance it’s going to be a high temperature, which isn’t good. Because of this, keeping track of your temperature is important if you think you may have some type of the H1N1 human flu virus.

Coughing is another symptom of both types of the flu virus. There are other types of coughs as well, especially if you’re a smoker, so you should know enough about your body to determine whether the cough is getting worse or not.

A runny and stuffy nose is very common for both types of human flu, especially H1N1 flu virus.

Other symptoms include an aching body, a sore throat, headaches, chills, extreme fatigue. Also, diarrhea and vomiting are sometimes seen as a swine flu symptom, they’re more common with other strains of the flu virus.

If things get serious, checking with a doctor is a good idea so that you can get medicine to help combat the effects. Getting help early is important, but even more important is prevention – knowing what to do to keep yourself as safe as possible from picking up the human influenza virus.

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Swine Flu Improving the Hygiene Habits of US Citizens

Filed under: Swine Flu Symptoms - 14 May 2009  | Spread the word !

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If you have opened a newspaper, turned on your television or browsed the Internet during the last two weeks, then you know that it has not taken long for the swine flu virus to make its way through a large percentage of the United States. When you combine this fact with the almost non-stop media coverage of the swine flu spread, it can seem like there is no good news out there and that all we have is doom and gloom. However, if you take a minute to cut through some of the non-stop hype, you will see that things aren’t necessarily as bad as they initially seem.

Although the swine flu has claimed lives in the United States as well as other countries, there are good things that have come out of this unfortunate situation. According to a survey that was conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, out of one thousand adults who were questioned for the survey, sixty-seven percent reported that at least one member of their household has improved their hygiene habits. This means that the swine flu virus has caused at least one person in their household (if not more) to start washing their hands or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer on a more regular basis than prior to the swine flu outbreak.

As a result, the director of the CDC (Dr. Besser) has this to say:

“If they can make hand washing something that is routine, if they can make covering their coughs appropriately something that is routine … they will protect themselves not only from influenza but so many respiratory infections.”

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