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Think about
catching a cold or the swine flu during a flu
pandemic. Think about
catching a cold or the swine flu during a flu pandemic. To my
knowledge, I am the only one in the world who predicted that a flu
pandemic would start a few months before it happened. I did this on
my blog at http://flustop.blogspot.com
. The swine flu causes some people in
high-risk groups severe or fatal complications. A cold will not kill
you. In this case, you will be crazy with fear because you will not
know which one you have. Think about the sleepless nights you would
have with worry. In 1918 during the Spanish Flu Pandemic, many
people passed away in a few short hours to days after catching the
flu. If you had a choice, I bet you would love to avoid the stress.
Is it cold or swine
flu?
During a swine flu pandemic, you wake up in the morning with a
cough. You are worried that it is the swine flu. A cold is a milder
version of the flu. Cold symptoms will last for a few days. However,
they could last longer in children/elderly. Flu symptoms can last a
few days to weeks. Many people get pneumonia after catching the flu.
In addition, its cause could be from bacteria or from the
virus.
Cold and flu are highly contagious. You and your kids could catch
the cold up to 7/8 times a year. The cold is the most common viral
infection in the world. The flu and cold virus spreads by air. And
the virus spreads when people touch the dried germ. When someone
with the germ sneezes or speaks, tiny droplets of the germ fill the
air. People inhale these droplets. Or these droplets fall on hard
surfaces where people touch them. They then transfer the germ to
their body through the following:
1. Nose
2. Ear
3. Mouth
4. Eyes
5. Cut or sore
6. Any open orifice.
Treatment of Flu and Cold
The best weapon to fight the flu or swine flu is a vaccine.
During the flu season, a vaccine will give you the most protection.
The best thing to help sick people during a swine flu pandemic is a
swine flu vaccine. And there may not be enough of it to go around.
Tamiflu works the best to help stop the flu. It can reduce the
symptoms. However, it must be given within 48 hours of the start of
symptoms to work the best.
There are no cures for the common cold. You can take certain
medications to control the symptoms. However, you will have to deal
with it until it is over. Usually you can treat the cold by giving
the sick person the following:
1. Many fluids
2. Make sure they get a lot of rest
3. And make sure they are comfortable.
Acetaminophen is a good choice to treat the symptoms of a cold.
It is easier on the stomach than other medications.
Treat other things like coughs/runny nose with
decongestants/antihistamines. Avoid the things below:
1. Caffeine
2. Alcohol
3. And smoke because they can cause problems plus
dehydration.
There are universal truths that are the same in many areas of
life. One of them is the value of good timing. Let’s say your
cooking food. You let it cook for too long what happens. A baseball
player swings the bat at a ball at the right time to make contact. A
slower fighter can gain points by attacking when it is least
expected. I am sure you can think of many things in life where
timing rules.
The best thing you can do to avoid problems is to watch your
symptoms closely. The rapid flu tests that are available from
different companies do not detect the swine flu accurately. Infact,
they are correct only about 40% of the time. The CDC is advising
doctors to treat the symptoms of the flu and forget about waiting
for the test to come back.
The World Health Organization and the CDC said that the people in
the following groups have increased risk of severe and fatal
problems when they catch the swine flu:
1. Healthy young
people with no underlying health problems (5 to 24 years old)
2. (40-49) year-olds are the group most at risk once they are
infected
3. Children under 5 years old
4. Minorities
and native people are at a four to five time higher risk
5.
Respiratory disease
6. Asthma
7. Cardiovascular
disease
8. Diabetes
9. Suppressed immune systems
10. Neurological disorders
11. Kidney problems
12. Heart disease
13. Adults over age 65.
14. Obese people
15.
Pregnant women
Some of the people in these groups would not qualify for the
antiviral drugs. However, people in these groups should monitor
their symptoms carefully and take action if their conditions worsen
immediately.
If your symptoms make you think that you have the swine flu, and
you are in one of the high-risk groups, keep a close eye on the
severity of your symptoms.
You need to be in the right position fast. It helps you react
fast to what you want to do. In tennis, we prepare the racquet
before the ball arrives. To cook we prepare the meat first. You want
to know in advance the doctors, clinics and hospitals, their phone
numbers and where they are located before a serious problem happens.
The time you spend right now could be big for you later.
Bacterial infections
Bacterial infections can cause you to feel sick. A good thing to
do is check your body for swollen areas that look discolored. Look
for:
1. A cut hand
2. A cut finger
3. Or ingrown toenails. There are times when an infection will
not be seen.
You want to look at the symptoms to decide if it is the cold or
flu .
The information below can help you
decide if you want to put a sick person in the
following:
1. In a normal room at home
2. A quarantine
3. A health clinic
or hospital
4. Or none of the above.
A flu pandemic can last up to two years. With waves lasting six
to eight weeks separated by calm.
You will not know if you have the swine flu or the regular flu.
Except if, you develop severe breathing problems. If you have a
severe swine flu case, many times the swine flu will attack the
lunges directly causing acute lung injury. Get professional help
immediately. The lung injury causes hypoxemia or lack of enough
oxygen in the blood.
There are symptoms that can help you decide
between:
1. The pandemic
flu or the seasonal
2. And the common cold
Pick the condition that has the most symptoms.
How to Determine a Pandemic Swine Flu vs. the Common
Cold.
See the guide below.
|
The Cold
|
The Symptoms
|
The Pandemic Flu
|
|
People
with a cold will sneeze more often but not enough to be a
reliable sign. |
Sneezing
|
Many people catch the flu from people who are
sneezing. Please cover your mouth with your upper sleeve before
sneezing. |
|
You
might get a headache for another reason, however, headaches
are not usually caused by a cold. |
Headaches |
If
you have a headache, there is a good chance that it is caused
by the flu |
|
During
a cold a sore throat is a common
result. |
Sore
Throat |
A sore
throat can be a common swine flu
reaction. |
|
You
probably will not have the fever and the cold at the same
time. |
Fever |
If you
have a fever with no infection, the chances are that you have
the flu. |
|
The
chills is not a normal symptom of a person with a
cold. |
Chills |
There is a good chance that you will have the chills with
the flu. |
|
If you
have minor aches and pains, then it could be a
cold. |
Aches
and Pains |
If you
have sudden severe aches and pains not accounted for, you
probably have the flu. |
|
A cold could develop over a few days. As soon as
symptoms begin to start, write down the time and date. If it takes
it’s time to get serious, it’s probably not
the flu. |
Speed
of Development |
From the time you first feel a symptom coming on make sure
to record the date and time. If you are seriously ill in a
few hours, there is a good chance you have the swine
flu. |
|
If you
feel mildly tired, that is a sign of a
cold. |
Tired
Feeling |
If
you feel like you are severely tired, then that is a sign of
the swine flu. |
|
If your
hacking with a lot of mucus as a byproduct, think about the
cold. |
Coughing |
Coughing with very little mucus or a dry cough,
think about the flu. |
|
A cold
many times will have a clogged nose associated with it. Unless
you have an allergy situation. |
Clogged Nose |
Clogged noises are not usually associated
with the flu. However, running noses are a
common sign of the flu
|
|
A cold
may have mild chest discomfort as a
symptom. |
Chest
Discomfort |
A severe flu
case has severe chest discomfort as a
symptom. |
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is required, the services of a professional should be obtained.
Therefore, it is understood that if you should use any of the
information in this guide, you do so taking full responsibility for
your actions. | 
