Flu Virus remedies for flu virus symptoms; is your body ready to battle the flu in 2009? Are there alternative medicine flu treatments and natural home remedies for the flu?

What is the flu?

Flu is a common ailment that all of us suffer from. Influenza, commonly shortened to “flu,” is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza A or B viruses. The flu virus attacks the body by spreading through the upper and/or lower respiratory tract.

Flu appears most frequently in winter and early spring, when weather changes occur. Most of us take over the counter medication to help the symptoms. In some cases the flu stays for a longer time than in others as each body has its own mechanism of fighting against these viral infections. This mainly depends upon your immunity level and how strong your immune system is.

Symptoms of Flu

Congestion, sore throat and sneezing are common with colds. Colds and flu sufferers cough, have headaches and chest comfort. You are likely to have a high fever with the flu for several days as well as headache, muscle aches, fatigue and overall feeling of weakness. Body ache and joint pain in many cases are also reported. Flu often affects us during weather change and climatic change. The flu is contagious! If somebody is sitting beside you at a public place and is infected with the flu, it can affect you too. Generally children get the flu from schools. In asthmatic people flu easily leads to an attack of asthma. Breathing problems can make a person feel lousy with flu.

Home flu remedies

A few antiviral medications are available to treat flu. But there are no medications that specifically defeat the common cold. Antibiotics may be helpful if there is a secondary bacterial infection.

Some of the home made remedies are to take steam inhalation two times a day. This helps to ease the nasal cavity and helps in breathing normally. Also two teaspoons of ginger with a dash of honey helps in soothing the throat and helping to bring out the mucus. Drinking hot vegetable soups will help keep the body warm and reduce body ache. Also eating easily digestible foods like broth and vegetable stew can help in keeping the body healthy to fight against flu. Turmeric powder and black pepper powder mixed in hot milk also helps to keep the cold and flu away. Not to forget brandy with warm water helps in keeping the cold away. Once the cold is arrested, fever automatically reduces.

Natural flu remedies and prevention

Most people get afflicted with the flu at least once in a year. Some people can have flu several times in a year. This is a real stress on the immune system. What natural flu remedies are available to us?

1. Flush out the toxins: Drinking hot fluids is beneficial because of their soothing effect on the throat and also the decongestion effect they have on the nasal passages. The time-tested chicken soup really helps! Caffeinated and carbonated beverages should be avoided because they may dehydrate you.

2. Protein intake: Lean meat, poultry, fish, legumes, eggs, and nuts and seeds are good sources of protein. (Though dairy is a good source of protein, it has been found to aggravate symptoms like skin lesions, runny nose and chest congestion in some.) Your anti-bodies are made of protein. So, if your body gets adequate protein, it can fight the infection better. Moreover, most of the protein foods contain good amounts of Selenium, zinc, Vitamins B6 and B12, which play a vital role in improving one’s immunity.

3. Vitamin C: Vitamin C is popular for reducing the severity as well as duration of cold and flu-like symptoms. Aim for at least 2 servings of citrus fruits like oranges, pineapple, sweet limes to stock up on this vitamin. These foods are high in flavonoids, too. Flavonoids work very well in reducing the severity of the flu symptoms. Flavonoids are compounds found in fruits, vegetables, and certain beverages that have diverse beneficial biochemical and antioxidant effects.

4. Get high on glutathione: This is the master anti-oxidant known to boost your body’s defense. Good sources of glutathione include watermelon, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards etc. You can either steam these veggies or consume them as hot, aromatic soups.

5. Stay away from high-fat and sugary foods. They are difficult to digest and may add on to your nausea and ’sick’ feeling. Excess sugar has also been found to bring down your defenses and prolong your illness.

6. Get Your Sleep: Let your body rest and recuperate as much as possible. If you are feeling anxious, then after dinner, do some mental relaxation, deep breathing exercises for ten minutes, so you can get sound sleep at night.

Now, more than ever before, eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet will the best way to stay away from as well as recover from any infection.

Technology spending for hardware, software and consulting services accounts for a significant portion of most health care providers budgets today, especially since the Obama Stimulus Plan and HITECH Act are incentivizing providers to implement electronic health records. In a perfect world, technology works perfectly, improves efficiency and the quality of care and makes life easier for the provider. However, the real world is not perfect and things can, and do, go wrong with technology products and services after you purchase and/or license them from third party vendors. Technology contracts generally are written by the vendors and consultants. Unfortunately, many technology contracts fall short of giving providers adequate protection and often contain hidden pitfalls and costs. Despite this fact, many providers never give these contracts to experienced health lawyers to help them negotiate better terms and protections for their high-tech investments BEFORE signing. This is a potentially costly practice. Every health care provider should be concerned with at least the following FOUR KEY ISSUES, which should be addressed in any technology contract:

Warranties and Limitations of Liability: Despite elaborate sales presentations, technology contracts typically disclaim most, if not all, warranties and limit the liability of vendors to only refunding all or part of the purchase or license price paid for the technology. Such refunds are inadequate to protect the average provider when problems arise. A technology vendor should be required to give a written warranty in the contract that its product will perform in accordance with documented standards and for a reasonable period of time. At a minimum, this time period should be long enough for the provider to evaluate the technology in its operations. A better solution is to require a warranty for the useful life of the technology, or as long as there is a support and maintenance service agreement in place. A vendor also should not be allowed contractually to limit its liability on default only to return of the purchase price. If a provider suffers actual damages caused by the technology, the vendor should be required, in writing, to stand behind its product and services and reimburse such damages. A reasonable compromise is to require the vendor at least to tender the limits of its insurance coverage, which creates minimal additional risk to the vendor while better protecting the provider.

Payments & Performance: A provider should not agree to pay the full purchase price up front, as is often a contract requirement, leaving the vendor with little incentive to complete its responsibilities. The parties should mutually agree in advance upon a project timetable with milestone targets for delivery and implementation of the technology. Payments should be made in installments conditioned upon reaching the targets. In addition, providers should build in testing rights, in order to evaluate whether the technology is performing as promised. The provider always should have the final say in whether a test provides a successful outcome and whether the final payment should be made to the vendor.

Support and Maintenance: A technology hardware purchase or software license is only as good as the support and maintenance that goes along with it. The vendor should be willing to provide support for at least a defined useful life of the technology. Several questions should be answered in a written support agreement. Are updates or upgrades provided without additional charge? Will the vendor perform on-site or off-site support and maintenance? Will the provider pay a monthly fee plus an hourly charge or is there only an hourly charge? Does the hourly charge differ depending on when or what level of support is needed? Do the charges increase over the term of the support agreement? What is the vendor agreeing to support? Will changes made to the technology by the provider automatically terminate the warranty or support obligations? Unless the contract is specific regarding essential issues, a provider may find itself paying for less or different support and/or maintenance services than needed or expected.

Confidentiality: Confidentiality of patient health information is a critical issue. Federal HIPAA law has a variety of privacy and security rules providers and their business associates must follow. In addition, some states, including Florida, have enacted legislation that requires entities that conduct business in the state and which maintain computerized data that contains personal information to provide notice to any resident if there is a breach of security. A technology contract should specify if the vendor will have access to any of the confidential patient information. A health care provider must require the vendor and its employees to maintain the confidentiality of such information under federal and many state laws. The technology contract also should expressly protect the confidentiality of provider trade secrets and other proprietary information to which a vendor or consultant may have access.

Although technology contracts may appear intimidating, as they frequently are presented by vendors in small print and columned format, leading providers to believe they are non-negotiable forms, this is not the case in most instances. Investing the time and resources to have a health law attorney experienced in technology contracting review and help to negotiate contracts for hardware purchases, software licenses, maintenance and support, as well as technology consulting services, can save providers significant expense, disappointment and damages should the technology products or services not perform as promised.

All birds and mammals can be infected with a form of influenza virus, of which there are three types (A, B and C). Humans can be infected by forms of all three, but most flu varieties in animals and humans that cause serious health concerns are Influenza Type A. Viruses can mutate rapidly, and because hosts’ immune systems do not initially protect against new mutations, new strains can subsequently cause widespread infection. Often new strains result from the spread of an existing flu virus from one species to another, which provides the virus with the necessary tools to transmit between members of a different species to it’s usual host.

Swine Flu

The latest flu strain to hit the headlines (H1N1) - known popularly as “Swine Flu” is a strain of Influenza Type A. While the normal version of “Swine Flu” causes outbreaks of influenza with low mortality rates in pigs, the strain which is currently causing human deaths is not the same virus. The new strain combines genes from human, pig, and bird flu and is similar to the strain that caused “Spanish Flu”, responsible for a human pandemic in 1918. “Swine Flu” is an entirely different virus to the “Bird Flu” which was widely talked about last year, and among the most important differences is that “Bird Flu” infected humans who had direct contact with infected birds, where as “Swine Flu” is being transmitted from human to human.

Flu in Horses

Influenza is widespread in horses and is believed to have a nearly 100% infection rate in unvaccinated populations. Flu in horses is primarily caused by the H7N7 and H3N8 strains. In 2007, an outbreak caused the Sydney Races in Australia to be suspended.

Flu in Cats

An avian strain (H5N1) of Influenza Type A, which was given the popular name “Bird Flu”, had until recently posed the greatest risk for a new influenza pandemic since it first killed humans in Asia in the 1990s, but it did not mutate into a form that spreads easily between people. H5N1 is unusual in being deadly to many species, including domestic cats which were never previously susceptible to any influenza virus. Aside from when infected with H5N1, the term “Feline Flu” does not actually refer to infection by influenza, but instead generally refers to the symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. Because cats have little exposure to influenza viruses, any case of flu which was able to transmit between humans or dogs and cats would probably lead to a widespread infection, since cats have no natural immunity to any influenza virus.

Flu in Dogs

Type A Influenza viruses also include equine influenza (H3N8), which in 2004 was discovered to be responsible for Canine Influenza. Because of the lack of previous exposure to this virus, dogs have no natural immunity to this virus.

Flu in Pigs

Although this new influenza is being called “Swine Flu,” it is being spread from person to person, not from pigs to people. None of the infected humans in North America have had contact with pigs, and no pigs in North America have been found to be infected with this strain. Pet pigs are therefore not known to be able to contract the strain of “Swine Flu” which is being talked about in the news, however they are able to contract normal “Swine Flu”, which does not normally have any more serious consequences than seasonal flu does for humans.

Conclusions

In general, influenza viruses are not transmitted from one species to another. For example, dogs and cat do not develop flu after exposure to owners with a seasonal flu virus. While it is theoretically possible for a new influenza strain to be transmissible between humans and other domestic animals, it is likely that such a strain would be transmissible between only humans and one other animal. Because the “Swine Flu” virus contains genetic elements of human, pig and avian flu viruses, it would seem very unlikely that this strain would have the ability to infect hosts which are not humans, pigs or birds. And, according to the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA), “there is no evidence that pets are susceptible to this new strain of influenza; it appears to be transmitted solely from person to person”.

They say it’s tough to repair marriage after it’s been broken a couple of times. Maybe you feel that way after you discovered that your husband or wife cheated on you. Or when you find that the two of you have grown to hate each other instead of love one another. It is tough to repair marriage, I won’t kid you but it can be done. If your marriage is really on the edge, here are the two things you can do immediately to stop the marriage from bleeding further –

1. Call a marriage time-out

If you’re always fighting and yelling and screaming at one another, getting in each other’s face more is not going to make things any better. Instead, declare a time-out. Take a weekend away from one another. Go spend time at your favorite cafe or go see separate movies. While you’re apart, make sure you each reflect on what’s good about the marriage and what’s not working. Think about whether you each are committed to making it work. Then come back together and work things through.

2. Explore every possible way to resolve whatever issues are draining the life of your marriage

Open your minds to new and different ways to resolve your differences. Don’t rely on what you both think are the right ways to repair marriage. Talk to experienced friends and marriage help experts. Research the Internet or just skim through the marriage help section of the local library. Find fresh ways to resolve your differences and start growing your marriage again.

If the question of how to save my marriage pre-occupies your every waking moment, your marriage must be in a pretty bad way. You probably know that any marriage that’s failing has a 50 percent of ending in divorce, right? So how do you turn things around and address the question of how to save my marriage before it’s too late? There are two things you absolutely must do –

1. Have a good heart-to-heart talk with your husband or wife

Here’s what you really need to figure out. Is the marriage worth saving? Are you both committed to turning things around? What are the issues? What can you do about these issues? What are your differences? What can you do about these differences and how can you both bridge them? Finally, how bad are things and, most significantly, is either of you having an affair outside?

2. Don’t be afraid to cry out for help

If your spouse doesn’t seem to care either way, and you find yourself trying to save the marriage alone or by yourself, don’t despair. You can do it. But you can’t do it alone. Get the support of close friends or family members. Ask to speak to your pastor or rabbi. Even if you’re not prepared yet to speak to anyone, don’t wait around. Go do research, read up books, go on the Internet to look for saving marriage ideas and techniques. Remember, in order to successfully address the question of how to save my marriage, you must take action. Waiting might make things worse.

Often, clients will ask me “How hard am I supposed to work when performing cardio?” Essentially this is referring to intensity of the workout. The harder you work the more calories you are going to burn. There are a few ways to determine how hard to work:

1. Follow the Borg RPE scale. This is a scale that runs from 0-10 based on how hard or easy you are working out. Zero equates to sitting in a chair, while ten is something that is very difficult and can only be sustained for a brief period of time such a few minutes. Generally you should fall somewhere between a 4 and a 6 to get maximum benefit out of your workout.

0 - Nothing at all
0.5 - Just noticeable
1 - Very light
2 - Light
3 - Moderate
4 - Somewhat heavy
5 - Heavy
6-7 - Very heavy
8-9-10 - Very, very heavy

2. Take your heart rate. Whether you count it yourself or use a monitor, your pulse can be a great measure of intensity. You want to keep you heart rate between 65-85% of your maximum heart rate which can be determined with the following formula: 220 - Your Age

Once you have that number multiply it by .65 and by .85 to get your target heart rate range. This number gives you the beats per minute you should expect to reach a fat, burning intensity. Keep in mind this is an estimate and some medications can affect your heart rate.

3. Try the talk test. You want to get to a point where talking is a bit difficult while you are exercising, yet it can still be done. If talking is a breeze, then pick up the pace or if you’re wheezing and couldn’t talk if you tried, then you need to slow down the pace until you can.

What makes swine flu so dangerous is that like all influenza viruses it undergoes the process of antigenic drift. This is when spot mutations occur on the genetic material that causes slight changes in the physical make-up of the virus.

These slight changes are what frustrate scientist’s attempts to create the ultimate vaccination for influenza. Due to constant changes to the protein particles of the outer coats of viruses (which the immune system is targeted for during vaccination) new vaccines are always needed to combat ever new versions of the viruses.

Swine flu is an example of such a change. But what are these changes and what parts of the virus causes the damage that destroys normal healthy cells?

The H1N1 designation of the swine flu virus gives us a clue to the inner workings of the virus. It represents the major functional proteins on its surface.

The ‘H’ stands for hemagglutinin which is a protein that binds the swine flu virus to the cell and injects its content into it.

The ‘N’ stands for neuraminidase which possesses a number of specialized enzymes that causes the infected cells to release the newly formed viruses.

All these aspects of swine flu make it potentially very dangerous. Even though the form that is currently spreading is relatively mild it could still change into a virulent strain in the next few months before winter arrives. The fact that it’s also a new disease means that there is no current vaccine for the virus. So if it becomes more deadly, we will have no protection against it except for those provided by generic anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza.

We know the devastation that influenza viruses can cause, the Spanish flu pandemic infected more than one third of the world’s population and killed more than 50 million people.

We have no choice but to be vigilant in relation to the spread of swine flu. It is dangerous because it is so changeable and because of this we have to treat it extremely seriously.

With summer here, the garden can provide plenty of inspiration for your wedding favors. Even if you are not having an outdoor wedding, you can still give garden themed wedding favors to your guests.

Here are ten ideas to give you ideas for garden themed wedding favors:

1. Seed Cards: These are widely available from favor stores and come in a range of designs. They are simple biodegradable cards with flower seeds embedded in them. Once your guest gets home he or she can plant them straight out in their garden.
2. Seed Packets: Purchase packets of seeds from a garden center and divide them up into small envelopes or even tins. You can personalize them with labels, stickers and tags. It is a nice idea to give seasonal plants seeds or seeds for flowers you have used for wedding.
3. Herbs: Whether you give herb seeds or fresh herbs in pots, these fragrant plants always make a great gift.
4. Potted Plants: Purchase small plants - either for indoors or outdoors, from your local garden center, try plants such as mini roses, African violets, gerberas or violas. Pot them into small terracotta pots and add some ribbon and thank you tags.
5. Tree Seedlings: These may cost more than other favors but they do make for an eternal gift. Just consider if all of your guests have room for a tree though!
6. Candies: Give your guests some flower shaped candies in a novelty watering can favor box.
7. Cookies: Have some custom cookies made in the shape of flowers, butterflies, watering cans and bees.
8. Recipes: Give them a recipe for traditional lemonade so they can enjoy a refreshing drink on a hot summer’s day in the garden!
9. Gardening Tools: Why not give out trowels, hand forks or seed dabbers or even gardening gloves for those with green fingers.
10. Bulbs: Choose bulbs such as tulips, crocus or narcissi. You can either present two in a box with some planting instructions or give your guests helping hand by planting them first. You can do this early so they have sprouted by the time the wedding comes around or make up little kits with a plant pot, bulb and a packet containing enough compost to fill the pot!

Today, thanks to the present day technology which had gone a long way to further enhance our modern world communications which had lead to an influx into the world of internet where you can lay your hands on any information you desires. It is this trend that had made somebody like me and many others to discover that there are lots of financial and business opportunities on the net.

One of such financial opportunity is that of trading in forex. You would find out that the internet forex trading had become one of the most financially lucrative mean of not only acquiring your financial wealth but also a place where one can communicate with other players in the world of forex.

Today, a lot of green horns have been flocking the internet trying also to seek, in order to find. It is a place where all shades of people would be found trying to trade in foreign exchange market. These include the heavy weights, the mediums and the fries online liquidity traders. Many of such fries -Newbie, did not take time to study the situation on ground properly before they plunged head on into this land of the unknown and get burnt in the process.

However, there are some that are taking their time before plunging, trying to do proper studies in order to come out as a champion in the internet massive storage of wealth. It is for this type of people that have the knowledge and that the internet is not only for acquiring wealth but it is a place where adequate knowledge of things you don’t know can be acquired that this type of information would be useful for.

Just as I have mentioned above, the ideal thing for any newbie is to take time and seek for knowledge about what forex trading is and what it takes to trade it and these could be found in abundances on the internet before deciding to do the actual trading.

It is note worthy to note that trading in forex has its own advantages, for one, it is currently the largest growing world wide financial market with a lot of liquidity, every day, every week and every year round. In addition, it is a market that can be accessed any time of the day because it is always available. How do you access it? It is quite simple, through your computer and appropriate internet connection.