7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Immune System Against Bird Flu - and Every Other Infectious Disease

If nothing else, the bird flu scare should remind us not to take our immune systems for granted.

According to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, it'll take 6 months after a contagious strain of bird flu is isolated to make enough doses of vaccine to innoculate everybody in the U.S.

By that time, the pandemic will be over.

The message is clear -- we're responsible for our own health.

1. Get 7 to 8 hours sleep every night.

I believe this is very important, and many recent studies verify that sleep is essential for our health in many areas. That's why when you feel sick all you want to do is lie down and close your eyes. That is nature giving you a clue. I know that when I feel a cold coming on the best I can do for it is to sleep for as long as possible.

2. Exercise moderately.

Too many people are either couch potatoes or ultra-marathon fanatics. Yet good health lies in staying active -- without overstressing yourself.

3. Stop smoking.

Cigarette smoking weakens the small hairs called cilia which line your respiratory tract. These are particularly important in fighting bird flu and other respiratory infections because they guard your lungs against infection.

4. Reduce alcohol to 0-3 ounces a day.

I'm not lecturing you here. Alcohol is not immoral. But in large quantities it reduces your immunity.

5. Cut way down on sugar. It weakens your immune system.

In fact, cut down on all forms of starchy carbohydrates -- including wheat (yes, even whole wheat), rice and other grains.

6. Take a good multi-vitamin/mineral. At the very minimum, you need Vitamin A, Vitamin C, zinc and selenium.

7. Wash your hands thoroughly through the day.

Your skin is part of your immune system -- and touching infected people and objects with your hands is the most common way to catch colds and the flu.

Wash those viruses away -- scrub your hands with soap and water for 30 seconds at a time.

Face it -- you are under constant attack by germs. Bacteria, viruses and parasites want to feed off you and many of them will make you sick.

Some cancers are known to be caused by viral infections. Some medical researchers believe that many more cancers than we realize are caused by infections. And no matter how cancer is caused originally, a powerful immune system is good at destroying cancerous cells before they multiply. A weak immune system is more likely to allow tumors to survive.

Besides, bird flu, we face assaults by a wide range of previously unknown emerging infections such as West Nile fever. Plus newly resurgent medical threats such as tuberculosis.

And bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Even if bird flu never becomes a problem in your area, you need a strong immune system to fight off diseases.

Learn How to Protect Yourself and Your Family From the Avian Influenza Pandemic

Latest news and immune info at: Bird Flu Updates

Some Knowledge About Bird Flu

What is Bird Flu?

Avian influenza (also known as bird flu) is a type of influenza virulent in birds. It was first identified in Italy in the early 1900s and is now known to exist worldwide.

What are the Symptoms?

Flu can cause fever, chills, headache, dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and muscle aches. Unlike other common respiratory infections such as the common cold, influenza can cause extreme fatigue lasting several days to more than a week. Although nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can sometimes accompany influenza infection, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms are rarely prominent. The illness that people often call "stomach flu" is not influenza.

*Spread from person to person.

Influenza is spread easily from person to person primarily when an infected person coughs or sneezes. After a person has been infected with the virus, symptoms usually appear within 2 to 4 days. The infection is considered often contagious for another 3 to 4 days after symptoms appear. Because of this, people used to think the flu was caused by the "influence of the stars and planets." In the 1500s, the Italians called the disease "influenza," their word for influence. Each year, an estimated 10 to 20 percent of the population contracts influenza.

Treating flu with drugs.

Antibiotics are not effective against flu viruses. However, there are two drugs-- amantadine and rimantadine--that can be used to treat some types of influenza infection. When taken within 48 hours after the onset of illness, these drugs can reduce the duration of fever and other symptoms and allows flu sufferers to return to their daily routines more quickly. Both of these drugs are only available by prescription.

Rimantadine is a derivative of the drug amantadine. Amantadine, however, is more likely to cause side effects such as lightheadedness and inability to sleep more often than does rimantadine.

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How to Avoid Catching Bird Flu While Traveling

International travel has always had its special health challenges, but until recently most travelers were not afraid of anything worse than diarrhea.

Bird flu's changed that.

The bird flu H5N1 virus has now been found from Indonesia to Scotland and in six countries in Africa. So anybody traveling in the Eastern Hemisphere must consider their risk of catching bird flu.

Besides, it's expected to arrive in North America by this fall or even sooner, via migratory birds or bird smugglers. From there it'll no doubt reach Central and South America.

Bird flu hasn't been reported in Antarctica yet, but I would still advise you not to have close personal contact with the penguins.

You don't want to bring any H5N1 bird flu viruses home with you in your lungs. Although most advice focuses on chickens and other poultry, I think you should also avoid pigs, since then can have bird flu also.

Stay away from markets where chickens, ducks, geese and pigs are sold live.

Stay away from markets where chicken, duck, geese and pork meat are sold. Don't buy raw chicken, duck, geese or pork, even from supermarkets.

Stay away from farms where chickens, ducks, geese and pigs are raised.

In many poor countries, chickens walk freely around villages foraging for food. Try to stay away from them as much as possible.

(There is a certain charm in such areas, I understand. I once visited a rural Thai house where the only door was not attached to the doorframe -- but at night laid sidewides across the width of the opening to prevent chickens from wandering into the house at night. However, suffering from jet lag as I was, the loud crowing of the roosters at 2:00 AM kept me away. Don't let anybody tell you they wait for dawn!)

Don't attend cockfights. The sharp spurs spatter the audience with chicken blood.

Avoid zoos. If you must go in, avoid open bird exhibits. Keep your distance from any displays of ducks, swans etc.

If you are backpacking or trekking through the woods, avoid wild birds and their excrement.

Don't eat any raw or red chicken meat. Make sure it is thoroughly cooked. Cut it open with a knife before to make sure before you take a bite.

In my limited traveling experience in Asia, meat is very well done, perhaps as a sanitary custom to kill bacteria and parasites. However, Vietnam does have a national dish of raw duck blood soup. It's now discouraged by the government, but if you do happen to be offered it -- decline graciously.

Also, Laos and Lao people in northern Thailand eat a dish called lahp which is made from raw meat. That's usually beef but it can be pork or chicken. Politely decline all lahp unless it's beef or fish.

The same with eggs -- make sure all eggs you eat are well done. Do not order eggs "sunny side up." Do not eat if the yolks are runny. If you are heating a bowl of hot noodles, do not let them add a raw egg. Yes, the heat of the sauce hardened the eggs, but not the 70 degrees Celsius or 158 degrees Fahrenheit required to kill the bird flu virus.

Avoid people who are coughing and sneezing. Maybe they just have a cold. Maybe it's something worse.

If you happen to get sick, seek the best available medical care. The U.S. government is requiring its embassies and consulates to have a list of local medical care "resources," but I'm sure any decent hotel room clerk or taxi driver will know the best and nearest hospital or clinic. Chances are your medical insurance won't cover the cost, but check on that with the company before you leave home. If you live overseas there are health insurance plans available to expats. Look for them on Google.

Unfortunately, you can't avoid riding in airplanes. You're trapped in a small space along with many other people. You don't know what kind of germs they have. They may feel healthy and display no symptoms, because they've been infected with bird flu for less than a day.

The best advice I know of, is to suck on those zinc and Vitamin C lozenges that are sold to people with colds. They get zinc as close as possible to your mouth and nose. That's your best chance to trap any infections coming at you from the shared air of your jet cabin -- before they infect your lungs.

Take these sensible precautions and you have almost no chance of catching bird flu on your next vacation.

And if you do get diarrhea . . . I cleared that up in a few days by taking acidophilus capsules, bought at the local GNC.

Richard Stooker is the author of How to Protect Yourself and Your Family From Bird Flu and Bird Flu Blog

Don't ignore the threat of bird flu!

 

In the midst of all the commotion that is being created in the world today, yet another bolt of lightning has struck man kind recently. And this time, it has fallen straight from the sky. Thanks to our feathered friends, bird flu or avian influenza is slowly and steadily claiming human lives. According to statistics, bird flu has spread its wings all across the globe and is soaring fast, subtly preying on poultry and humans alike.

Though bird flu has not reached an epidemic level, it should not be shunned as a timely phenomenon. Everyday, across continents, people are falling victim to it and succumbing to death. Especially, in countries where there are no advance mechanisms and the resources to effectively counter the disease in case of an outbreak, the time to layout immediate action plans and precautionary measures is now.

There is no such thing as a 'possible threat' when millions of lives are at stake. Nobody knows for a fact whether the avian influenza virus is or is not a potential catastrophe waiting to unleash itself. Therefore, at this time, there is no room for complacency. No matter what the experts say, it is best to get into the defensive mode and do everything possible to fight back in this battle to stay alive.

The logic is simple. Why wait for something bad to happen and then get into the safety drive? Instead, why not start now and stay ahead of the threat? Hence, the only saving grace right now is vaccination and drugs like Tamiflu, which fortunately has the ability to control or even cure the raging flu that is hovering close.

It is an open canvas. And the catch is what you want the picture to be. It could either be a gory painting of death everywhere or a painting with happy smiling faces, as it should be. The choice is definitely yours and the truth, however blatant, is that there can only be one result when this is all over, you have either won or you have either lost the battle.

As a conclusion, let us believe that the bird flu is a deadly threat. Because if it is, it is not going to be pretty and the only thing protecting us from being infected would be our preparedness that instigated us to stack life saving drugs like Tamiflu. So, why take chances?

Hayley Stubbs an associated editor to eupharma.co.uk, is a contributing author to the http://www.eupharma.co.uk for distinct article sites/journals. Please feel free to visit http://www.eupharma.co.uk for more information on General Health related issues. Or write to him AT hayley.stubbs@gmail.com. Any comments and /or suggestions will be highly appreciated. Please note that this article is not a substitute for medical advice

Human to Human Transmission of Bird Flu- Is it Possible

The turn of the birds


It might have been the rats first and now it?s the turn of the birds; men are at constant war with the rest of the world. The war that includes more than what the human eyes could possibly endure; this time we are to deal with the H5N1 viruses which are on the edge of an outbreak. And for you layman, the message we wish to convey is this, birds are on the verge of spreading the flu and the possibility of treating Avian flu lies more in preventing the infection at first hand. You have options from Tamiflu to Amantadine, drugs which give you the chance to survive the disease if consumed within forty eight hours of the start of symptoms.


The micro level recombinations


What binds the success men have still against the reach of a pandemic is that H5N1 spreads only from a bird to a human. The need of the hour is take a quicker look to examine the nature of such a belief. True to the words, influenza A virus is specific to certain species other than birds. Birds have a craving for all subtypes of the virus. Animal to animal, bird to bird and between animals and birds the disease spread with ease. What the foresight of human fails to capture has more to be blamed on the reassorments that go past his eyes to the micro level. With the start of the flu symptoms, humans are at constant risk of the process that goes down further within their nerves. Genetic recombination?s could mould a H5N1 to dance intone to the genes within the human body resulting in something that is deadly, a strain that could cross over from a human to a human.


Rewriting the routes of history


So the possibility of exposure to the virus is the best way in which you could avert the disaster. Maybe a careful evaluation of the virus in human would take a year to produce an anti dose to save the species. However that would be the time more for bird flu to avenge the death that humans had spread between them. This is a suicide attack of the flyers. You have the options let bare as the need of the hour to escape the clutches of Avian flu is necessary to all. Get ready and equip yourself with the remedy. Get Tami flu and Amantadine by your side to seize the spread of the symptoms. The long road that stretches back to the routes of history has proved time and again that when men lagged to make the right decision he lagged to make the proper existence; this is the time to rewrite history, strive for the best.
 

How effectual is Tamiflu for Bird flu?

You are a part of the flu; try Tamiflu

With the last rays of the purple sun fading into the misty sea the last of the birds fly towards you with the flu. The night has lots of discomfort to offer; the best of it being the half awakened state at which you brood around the light to look for a solution. The rooster calls early the neat day to remind you of the fear; and fear you should as the wonderful life of yours is at risk with the avian flu. What prompts you further to prepare the concoction of the risky ingredients that could add to your getting attracted to Bird flu, starts with the passion that you enjoy in devouring the fowl. The H5N1 goes down along the throat, cuts the larynx and mixes with the juices of your stomach to be part of the weakening system. You are now a part of Influenza; you are under the mercy of the virus. Is there a solution? What about Tamiflu? What about Amantadine?

Before the requiem is heard aloud

When the start has been marked, Tamiflu has an offer for you; before the requiem becomes heard aloud; Tamiflu marks the beginning of the magic. The magic then flows with the pipe of the piper; you are pulled out from the advent of misery, you are shown the daylight.An alternative can be Amantadine. Bird flu symptoms starts without much of a panic; you are under the spell of a fever, cough, sore throat and muscle ache. But mark the incidence of such simple symptoms; they are bound with a ramification, culminating with acute respiratory diseases and other sever life threatening complications. So if someone asks about the strength of Bird flu, it is with regret that we agree to its fatality. Whether it be Tamiflu or Amantadine, both comes of best use at the initial stages.

Forty eight hours to destiny

The brand name Tami flu has oseltamivir phosphate as its active ingredient and the process of intake has strengths varying with the form of intake. From capsule to powder for oral suspension, this prescription drug has the charm to ward off the flu. With the viral attack and the flu symptoms popping up, Tami flu gives a chance for survival; it's a short time but still the forty eight hours becomes crucial. More to this is the fact that Tamiflu can reduce the chances of attracting the H5N1 viruswhen the flu out break looms freely around you. So the myth has at least a vent for fresh air; blow hard, ward out the spirit, take a deep breath and live life to the best extent, you have the support of Tamiflu.

Emily Purles is an associated editor to the website http://www.checkflu.com, a Roche Tamiflu Online site, is committed to provide visitors with complete information on Roche Tamiflu, Treatment of Influenza, Tamiflu, Influenza, Avian Influenza, H5N1 Virus, Human Transmission, Bird Flu, Mutating Virus, Neuraminidase Inhibitors, Oseltamivir Phosphate, Treatment of Flu, Types of Influenza virus and other related topics. Your feedback & comments

How effectual is Tamiflu for Bird flu?

You are a part of the flu; try Tamiflu

With the last rays of the purple sun fading into the misty sea the last of the birds fly towards you with the flu. The night has lots of discomfort to offer; the best of it being the half awakened state at which you brood around the light to look for a solution. The rooster calls early the neat day to remind you of the fear; and fear you should as the wonderful life of yours is at risk with the avian flu. What prompts you further to prepare the concoction of the risky ingredients that could add to your getting attracted to Bird flu, starts with the passion that you enjoy in devouring the fowl. The H5N1 goes down along the throat, cuts the larynx and mixes with the juices of your stomach to be part of the weakening system. You are now a part of Influenza; you are under the mercy of the virus. Is there a solution? What about Tamiflu? What about Amantadine?

Before the requiem is heard aloud

When the start has been marked, Tamiflu has an offer for you; before the requiem becomes heard aloud; Tamiflu marks the beginning of the magic. The magic then flows with the pipe of the piper; you are pulled out from the advent of misery, you are shown the daylight.An alternative can be Amantadine. Bird flu symptoms starts without much of a panic; you are under the spell of a fever, cough, sore throat and muscle ache. But mark the incidence of such simple symptoms; they are bound with a ramification, culminating with acute respiratory diseases and other sever life threatening complications. So if someone asks about the strength of Bird flu, it is with regret that we agree to its fatality. Whether it be Tamiflu or Amantadine, both comes of best use at the initial stages.

Forty eight hours to destiny

The brand name Tami flu has oseltamivir phosphate as its active ingredient and the process of intake has strengths varying with the form of intake. From capsule to powder for oral suspension, this prescription drug has the charm to ward off the flu. With the viral attack and the flu symptoms popping up, Tami flu gives a chance for survival; it's a short time but still the forty eight hours becomes crucial. More to this is the fact that Tamiflu can reduce the chances of attracting the H5N1 viruswhen the flu out break looms freely around you. So the myth has at least a vent for fresh air; blow hard, ward out the spirit, take a deep breath and live life to the best extent, you have the support of Tamiflu.

Emily Purles is an associated editor to the website http://www.checkflu.com, a Roche Tamiflu Online site, is committed to provide visitors with complete information on Roche Tamiflu, Treatment of Influenza, Tamiflu, Influenza, Avian Influenza, H5N1 Virus, Human Transmission, Bird Flu, Mutating Virus, Neuraminidase Inhibitors, Oseltamivir Phosphate, Treatment of Flu, Types of Influenza virus and other related topics. Your feedback & comments

The virus that causes bird flu

The virus that causes bird flu appears to be versatile and resilient. Scientists are working on a new vaccine that would be effective against the new strain of the virus that causes Bird flu. There are different subtypes and strains of the virus that causes bird flu, and some cause more severe disease than others. Results of the examinations for the H5N1 virus that causes bird flu are be announced later on Sunday, officials said. Certainly the virus that causes bird flu could mutate so that it could be transmitted from human to human.

A new type of a virus that causes bird flu appeared in Japan, Reuters announced. Do not assume that any form of bird flu killed the ducks or geese, because these birds can die from many other causes.

poultry industry tests continuously to make sure the virus that causes Asian bird flu doesn't get a foothold in commercial poultry flocks. At present, the virus that causes Asian bird flu does not easily infect humans. The H5N1 virus which causes bird flu struck a human being for the first time in 1997. It appears that the H5N1 bird-flu virus causes a massive immunological response against the virus in those with the strongest immune systems.

An influenza outbreak among birds occurs when the virus causes serious illness or death and is spread from bird to bird. Migratory water fowl, and ducks in particular, carry the virus that causes bird flu. This bird flu strain mutates rapidly, easily mixes with viruses from other species and causes severe disease in humans. The Bird Flu virus causes severe flu-like symptoms in people and may result in death.

Proper cooking kills the virus that causes bird flu. An 18-year-old man became the ninth person in Vietnam to die after contracting the H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu. Turkish health ministry officials confirmed that in seven cases of ill individuals, the virus identified was the one that causes bird flu. For three reasons: 1.They don't change because unlike humans birds don't have immunity towards influenza which causes them no reason to mutate.

Infection with bird flu viruses in domestic poultry causes two main forms of disease that are distinguished by low and high extremes of virulence.

For more information about the Causes Bird Flu, please visit our website at http://ngullen.com/causesbirdflu or our blog: http://bird-flu-news-review.blogspot.com/

Key Differences Between Bird Flu And Other Flu Types

There are three types of influenza viruses: A, B, and C. Of these, type A is further classified into subtypes, H and N. Type A affects people and numerous animals, while B and C typically affect humans only. Each type varies in severity, with A being the most dangerous, then B, and C being the least severe.

Bird flu is of the A type of influenza virus, one of more severe types. While several subtypes and strains exist, H5N1 is the most widely known and feared form of bird flu.

One of the primary differences of bird flu and the other types of the influenza virus is the way it is transmitted. Other strains of the flu virus, common among humans, are passed from human to human through saliva and mucus. This is done through sneezing, coughing, or breathing on or near someone. H5N1, on the other hand, is only transmitted from poultry to humans, and is done so through direct contact with the animals or their feces.

Another difference between the regular flu virus and H5N1 is the availability of a vaccine. The regular flu has been an irritant to people for some time. As a result, steps were taken long ago to challenge the virus and lessen the impact it had on people. Every year, people go in droves to receive a flu vaccine to avoid the virus. However, a vaccine has not been developed for the mutated form of bird flu that is to come. The reason for this is multifaceted. One reason is the lengthy development process. H5N1 has been a serious threat to humans for less than two years, since the outbreak of the virus began in Vietnam in January of 2004. Therefore, there has not been significant time to research and create a vaccine for the virus. Also, little purpose lies in creating a vaccine for the current strain of H5N1, as the real threat will come when the virus mutates. A vaccine that is developed now will be useless when mutation occurs, at which point a vaccine will really be needed. So, the virus must first be allowed to mutate and only then can an effective vaccine be developed.

The other variation between bird flu and other flu strains is the severity of the symptoms. While symptoms of sneezing, coughing, sore throat and fever are similar, the symptoms easily become severe in cases of bird flu.

Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Crohn?s Disease. For more of her articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now. Click here now and read more of her articles.