There is no doubt that conventional medical therapy has not been very effective in treating herpes simplex. However, it does offer drug therapy (Acyclovir) which is still the most effective compared to whatever else is available. Alternative care may work in some but in most individuals it does not. Herpes, unfortunately is forever and so buyer beware of anyone making claims that they can cure it.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Is there anything promising in the future for treatment of herpes?
Most individuals recover from herpes infection in 7-20 days. The few lucky individuals just get one infection for remembrance. The unlucky ones get recurrences at variable rates. As far as a cure is concerned, it is still light years away and it definitely won’t come cheap. The pharmaceutical industry is not in the business of losing money. If the price of acyclovir is anything to go by, the vaccine will definitely not be cheap.
There is no doubt that conventional medical therapy has not been very effective in treating herpes simplex. However, it does offer drug therapy (Acyclovir) which is still the most effective compared to whatever else is available. Alternative care may work in some but in most individuals it does not. Herpes, unfortunately is forever and so buyer beware of anyone making claims that they can cure it.
There is no doubt that conventional medical therapy has not been very effective in treating herpes simplex. However, it does offer drug therapy (Acyclovir) which is still the most effective compared to whatever else is available. Alternative care may work in some but in most individuals it does not. Herpes, unfortunately is forever and so buyer beware of anyone making claims that they can cure it.
Is there a way to prevent herpes?
The number of individuals who acquire Type 1 herpes infection are in the millions. So far, there is no vaccine available to prevent the infection. However, there are some other methods of preventing spread of the infection.
Any individual who has an acute infection with signs of tingling, burning, itching, or pain suggestive of a herpetic infection, should refrain from contact from other individuals. All oral activity should be stopped until the infection has subsided- even separate utensils should be utilized by the infected person. Fingering different parts of one’s body or the partner’s is an absolute no-no. Wash your hands frequently, stop sharing personal care products with others and avoid sex when you or your partner have an acute infection.
Any individual who has an acute infection with signs of tingling, burning, itching, or pain suggestive of a herpetic infection, should refrain from contact from other individuals. All oral activity should be stopped until the infection has subsided- even separate utensils should be utilized by the infected person. Fingering different parts of one’s body or the partner’s is an absolute no-no. Wash your hands frequently, stop sharing personal care products with others and avoid sex when you or your partner have an acute infection.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Can I use Chinese medicinal herbs to treat my common cold?
No one is immune from the common cold and it affects all age groups. Unfortunately this simple illness can be a real pain. Because of the failure of traditional medicine to prevent or treat the common cold effectively, many people have been turning to Chinese medical herbs. Herbs are widely used in china for the treatment of many medical disorders besides the common cold. As far as their efficacy is concerned, there is none. There is not one piece of good clinical evidence that Chinese herbs help prevent or treat the common cold. What this means is stop wasting your money on unproven products and use home remedies to treat your common cold- rest, take a Motrin if you have muscle pain, drink lots of fluids and eat healthy. If you want to prevent the common cold, get vaccinated but there is no guarantee that the vaccine will work. Unfortunately we live in a society where everyone wants an instantaneous cure for all the medical problems- instead of a cure most people end up getting disappointments- that is medicine for you!
Friday, November 26, 2010
What are the recommendations for a flu shot this year?
The flu unlike the common cold can make anyone sick. You are liable to miss work for a week and feel like crap. Other symptoms of flu include a sore throat, severe body aches, fever and cough. In some people, these symptoms may last at least 5-10 days. Therefore, this year, it is highly recommended that everyone get the flu vaccine.
This year’s new vaccine will include the H1N1 strain and the latest strains of flu viruses in circulation. For those people who hate needles there is the option of the nasal mist. However, the nasal mist works best in children and does not provide the same degree of immunity in adults. Moreover the nasal mist is also many time more expensive than the flu shot.
Therefore, for $10-$15, you can now get a flu shot, that might hurt a little, but will most likely you save you many days of illness. Most insurance companies will cover the cost, or have relatively low co-pay ($5-$15, depending on your policy). Medicare covers the flu-shot for retirees and geriatric patients, and the VA covers the cost for most veterans. A number of employers, including most major medical centers, offer the flu-shot for free to their employees.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Does a face mask protect from swine flu?
We have become a very paranoid society and feel that by covering our eyes, nose and mouth, micro-organisms cannot enter the body. During the swine flu epidemic, thousands of people were wondering on the streets wearing face masks and looking like zombies. To date, there is no evidence that face mask can protect you from swine flu.
The majority of studies on usefulness of masks are from hospitals. Health care workers generally wear face masks when dealing with infectious disorders but they also wear disposable gowns, gloves and wash hands (at least some do).
During the SARS outbreak in China in 2003, there were some studies done which showed that face masks when combined with other protective clothing did protect against the virus. However, this study was only hospital based and did not look at the general population.
In a few studies done on household members and prevention of seasonal flu, the use of face masks combined with hand washing did not reveal any significant differences. The studies showed that the virus was prevented only when combined with regular hand washing and if the mask was worn within 36 hours of acquiring the symptoms. Unfortunately in our society, the majority of people do not even wash their hands after pooping. It is very unlikely that these individuals will ever wash their hands on a regular basis.
The majority of facial masks prevent organisms from leaving your body and do not hinder organisms from getting into the nasal passage and lung. Moreover, the masks have to be changed every 60-120 minutes to retain their effectiveness because the mask pores get wet and clogged from hot breath.
So if you want to prevent swine or seasonal flu, get a carton of masks and make sure everyone in the home wears them. Finally, the masks have to be disposed off carefully to avoid infecting others.
In general masks are only useful if you have been diagnosed with swine flu and want to avoid passing it on to others or if you are caring for an individual at home with swine flu.
The majority of studies on usefulness of masks are from hospitals. Health care workers generally wear face masks when dealing with infectious disorders but they also wear disposable gowns, gloves and wash hands (at least some do).
During the SARS outbreak in China in 2003, there were some studies done which showed that face masks when combined with other protective clothing did protect against the virus. However, this study was only hospital based and did not look at the general population.
In a few studies done on household members and prevention of seasonal flu, the use of face masks combined with hand washing did not reveal any significant differences. The studies showed that the virus was prevented only when combined with regular hand washing and if the mask was worn within 36 hours of acquiring the symptoms. Unfortunately in our society, the majority of people do not even wash their hands after pooping. It is very unlikely that these individuals will ever wash their hands on a regular basis.
The majority of facial masks prevent organisms from leaving your body and do not hinder organisms from getting into the nasal passage and lung. Moreover, the masks have to be changed every 60-120 minutes to retain their effectiveness because the mask pores get wet and clogged from hot breath.
So if you want to prevent swine or seasonal flu, get a carton of masks and make sure everyone in the home wears them. Finally, the masks have to be disposed off carefully to avoid infecting others.
In general masks are only useful if you have been diagnosed with swine flu and want to avoid passing it on to others or if you are caring for an individual at home with swine flu.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
What basic treatments work to prevent swine flu?
Washing hands is the key to prevention of not only swine flu but many other infectious disorders. It really does not matter what type of soap is used as long as the hands are washed on a regular basis. Even though hundreds of anti septic and alcohol solutions are sold for hand washing, these are really not need. Many studies exist which show that simple soap and water are just as effective as any alcohol based solution.
Hand washing is highly recommended for individuals who work with children since children frequently acquire viruses and develop the common cold. Hand washing can prevent transmission of viral infections from children to adults,
How many times to wash the hands again is a big question. There are some who say wash the hands 10 times a day and others who say wash the hands 4 times a day. In general; wash hands any time you touch inanimate objects or use the toilet, before and after eating and in the work place. It is known that the majority of people never wash hands after using the bathroom. These are the same people who then complain about bad doctors and poor health care.
Remember hand washing is not 100 percent guarantee that you will not develop swine flu but it does reduce your chances of acquiring the infection. It is widely recommended that if all people practiced some type of basic hygiene precautions, then fewer people will be infected with swine flu or the common cold virus.
Hand washing is highly recommended for individuals who work with children since children frequently acquire viruses and develop the common cold. Hand washing can prevent transmission of viral infections from children to adults,
How many times to wash the hands again is a big question. There are some who say wash the hands 10 times a day and others who say wash the hands 4 times a day. In general; wash hands any time you touch inanimate objects or use the toilet, before and after eating and in the work place. It is known that the majority of people never wash hands after using the bathroom. These are the same people who then complain about bad doctors and poor health care.
Remember hand washing is not 100 percent guarantee that you will not develop swine flu but it does reduce your chances of acquiring the infection. It is widely recommended that if all people practiced some type of basic hygiene precautions, then fewer people will be infected with swine flu or the common cold virus.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Swine flu vaccine
The swine flu vaccine was recently developed to help protect the public against swine flu. There is pandemonium about the swine flu vaccine and everyone is rushing to get it. The question is does it work?
There are several brands of the swine flu vaccine on the market but by and large they all work in the same way- increase the body’s immunity to the virus
Up until now pregnant women, the elderly and young children were first offered the vaccine as they appeared to be at a higher risk for developing complications from the virus infection. This vaccine is not meant to be a replacement for the seasonal flu vaccine and some people may need both vaccines.
Some versions the flu vaccine have to be administered twice 2-3 weeks apart but now there is evidence that a single shot of the vaccine may be enough to boost immunity
Experts say that the swine flu vaccine can reduce an individual’s chance of acquiring swine flu by 50-70 percent. While most people do develop antibodies after the vaccine, there are still some people who do get infected by the virus.
Vaccination is not a guarantee that you will be 100 % protected from the virus.
So far the vaccine has been deemed to be safe and the only side effects are burning at the injection site and mild pain. So far no major side effects have been reported after the swine flu vaccine. A few deaths have been reported but it is not known if this was from the swine flu infection or a component of the vaccine.
Beside the local side effects at the site of injection, there have been reports of headaches, swollen glands, fever and joint pain. However, all these effects are temporary and resolve in a few days
Individual who are allergic to eggs should not get the swine flu vaccine. For these individuals there is another brand of the swine flu vaccine made without the use of eggs.
There was concern that the swine flu vaccine may be a cause of temporary paralysis but experts feel that this side effect may be directly related to the infection and not the vaccine.
There are several brands of the swine flu vaccine on the market but by and large they all work in the same way- increase the body’s immunity to the virus
Up until now pregnant women, the elderly and young children were first offered the vaccine as they appeared to be at a higher risk for developing complications from the virus infection. This vaccine is not meant to be a replacement for the seasonal flu vaccine and some people may need both vaccines.
Some versions the flu vaccine have to be administered twice 2-3 weeks apart but now there is evidence that a single shot of the vaccine may be enough to boost immunity
Experts say that the swine flu vaccine can reduce an individual’s chance of acquiring swine flu by 50-70 percent. While most people do develop antibodies after the vaccine, there are still some people who do get infected by the virus.
Vaccination is not a guarantee that you will be 100 % protected from the virus.
So far the vaccine has been deemed to be safe and the only side effects are burning at the injection site and mild pain. So far no major side effects have been reported after the swine flu vaccine. A few deaths have been reported but it is not known if this was from the swine flu infection or a component of the vaccine.
Beside the local side effects at the site of injection, there have been reports of headaches, swollen glands, fever and joint pain. However, all these effects are temporary and resolve in a few days
Individual who are allergic to eggs should not get the swine flu vaccine. For these individuals there is another brand of the swine flu vaccine made without the use of eggs.
There was concern that the swine flu vaccine may be a cause of temporary paralysis but experts feel that this side effect may be directly related to the infection and not the vaccine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
