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.

Everything about Tamiflu: Part 2

All consumers should understand that Tamiflu is not a cure for swine flu. It does reduce symptoms of the illness and duration of illness. When taken within the first 48 hours, some people tend to recover a lot faster when taking Tamiflu. Finally, one is less likely to develop complications of bronchitis, pneumonia and ear infections when taking Tamiflu.

There are suggestions that Tamiflu can help reduce complications of swine flu but there is no real hard evidence to show that as of yet.
In general Tamiflu is safe. It does have a few side effects of which the most common are nausea and vomiting.

Rare complications reported from Europe where the drug has been extensively used indicate that Tamiflu can also cause seizures, mood alterations, confusion and loss of concentration. One school report indicated that children given Tamiflu at the outbreak resulted in nearly 50 percent developing side effects ranging from nausea, stomach cramps and difficulty sleeping.

How to prevent the common cold? Part 1

Now that winter is here, it is better to prevent the common cold and remain healthy. There a few things that one can do to prevent the flu. These include:

Get the flu vaccine. The ideal time to get vaccinated with the flu vaccine is early in November. It takes the body at least 2-3 weeks to build up immunity to the common cold virus. The flu epidemic usually starts in mid December and runs through to end of March. If you do miss an early flu shot one can always get a later flu vaccine as the flu season is quite long.

All consumers should understand that the flu vaccine is not 100 percent guarantee against the infection, but it can definitely reduce the intensity and duration of illness. The flu vaccine is about 70%-80% effective in warding off the common cold in healthy people. The vaccine is less reliable or effective in elderly individuals. Health experts recommend flu vaccinations for individuals over the age of 50 because the flu shot has been shown to reduce risk of flu related complications like emergency room visits and hospitalizations.