The Swine Flu Virus Symptoms

Stress in modern day life is nearly impossible to avoid even without the worries of whether you’ll come down with Swine Flu (H1N1).  Stress makes the body more susceptible to catching a virus.  Here are a few tips to decrease stress in your life.

Take a few minutes for quiet time.
We’re surrounded by noise.  The TV’s always going.  The radio gets turned on the moment we get in the car.  The loud speakers blare as we grocery shop.  It’s a noisy world and that noise can add to stress levels.  Enjoy the peacefulness of quiet.  Intentionally spend 15 to 30 minutes in peaceful silence.  You don’t even have to do anything but listen to the silence if you don’t want to.

Start Your Day on a Positive Note
Don’t get bogged down by last night’s dishes, early morning laundry chores or racing around the house to get yourself ready for work.  That’s just starting your day loaded with stress.  Start the day by reading from your favorite inspirational book.  Have a cup of coffee on your back porch looking at the sun rise. Take a few moments and write in your journal.  The world will wait and you will be ready for it.

Take Time for Yourself Every Day.
Do something you enjoy every day.  It can be something as simple as taking a walk with your puppy pal, or stroking your kitty cat.  Value yourself by giving yourself a treat.  If you love to garden but just haven’t had the time.  Make the time. Buy an assortment of herbs and pots and potter for a bit. Doing something you like is a great stress buster.

You can’t prevent the Swine Flu (H1N1) but you can decrease the odds that you’ll get it if you de-stress your life.

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Both illnesses are caused by viruses, although different types of viruses.  Colds and the flu (influenza) begin with similar symptoms, a running nose, congestion and cough.  However the flu accelerates quickly and infects the lungs, and has more severe symptoms such as body aches, headache, vomiting and diarrhea.  Most people can tough out a cold and maintain their regular schedules.  That’s not possible for the majority of people who come down with the flu.

The most critical difference is that people die from the flu, 36,000 cases in the United States alone in 2008.  People do not die from the common cold.  The flu can result in pneumonia, respiratory failure and death.

The Swine Flu (H1N1) is a combination of 4 different kinds of flu, a human strain, 2 swine strains and an avian strain. It is a new type of influenza and as of yet there has been no vaccine developed.  If you have been vaccinated against the flu it won’t help against the Swine Flu.  Each virus strain requires its own vaccine to be developed to be effective.  Scientists say they are about 100 days away from developing a vaccine against the Swine Flu ((H1N1).

Colds usually last about a week.  A case of the flu can last from 2 days to 10 days depending on the variety of flu.  The most dangerous influenza virus is the avian flu as it has a fatality rate of over 50%.  The most devastating flu epidemic was in 1917-1920, the Spanish Flu which killed from 20 to 50 million people worldwide.

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Viruses are not alive the way a plant or an animal is alive.  They do not consume, excrete waste product, grow, or react to their environment.  They do however reproduce themselves, but only in a host cell.  A specific type of  virus will only reproduce in a  specific type of host cell. There are viruses that affect just about every type of organism.  It may be better to think of viruses as active and de-activated rather than alive or dead.

Viruses are the cause of Swine Flu (H1N1), other types of influenza, ebola, HIV, rabies, herpes, common cold, measles, chicken pox, polio, and more.

Ultraviolet light used in water purifiers and air filters does deactivate or kill viruses.  Ultraviolet light represents the frequency of light between 200 nanometers (nm) and 400 nm.  You can’t see it with the naked eye.  The most effective frequency for killing viruses and bacteria is between 254 nm and 265 nm.

The viruses are deactivated because the light causes genetic damage.  The virus can no longer reproduce itself.  Ultraviolet lights used in home filters need to be wiped off every six months.  Some systems are closed and signal that the bulb needs to be changed.  They use about the same amount of energy as a 40 watt incandescent bulb.

Should you use an air filter that uses ultraviolet light? That depends on how often you’re exposed to people who may be sick, how much the air in your home is circulated, and other factors.   Many modern homes are virtually sealed air systems in the winter when the heat is on or during the summer with air conditioning.  This closed system doesn’t allow the viruses to dissipate but keeps them trapped within your home.

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