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Archive for the ‘flu’ Category

Inch by Inch

26 Oct



The three-year-olds were singing “up like a rocket, down like the rain, ’round and ’round like a choo-choo train” to demonstrate how well they could hold their bows to their pint-size violins. Staying home with Nick, it was my husband who enjoyed the distinct privilege of reveling, firsthand, in these toddler’s first steps. I only got the post-recital smile–the one I always get when I think about the tiniest musicians among us–as I listened to the complete run-down of their afternoon in Westport. We’d been through that drill four times. The “taca-taca-stop-stop” rhythms on the A-and E-strings; the “Mississippi is a River”; and enough Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’s to practically send us orbiting around them. I’m the first to admit: after the fourth kid got through the “twinkles” I honestly thought that if I never heard that song again, it would be just fine by me.

But then in talking about the recital over the first dinner we’ve shared alone during the past three weeks, I couldn’t help but romanticize the whole process. As I reflected back on the past thirteen years of violin lessons, I thought about those first recital pieces, about dressing up Cristina in hand-smocked dresses with white tights and black patent leather shoes, and about the first time two of them played Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins onstage one Mother’s Day. Yesterday, just as my daughter got on stage to perform, the school director gave a couple minute speech of encouragement for the other parents. For those with babes barely “twinkling” needed to understand that, before long, they too would witness mastery up close and personal. If only they could stick with it long enough…..

Sticking with anything is hard enough. In this harried world of ours, where emails have replaced handwritten letters; “IM” has replaced leisurely phone chats; and digital pix sent over the internet have replaced personal visits: it’s no wonder that few of us have the patience for mastery. For enduring the day-to-day until the picture is 100% complete. During this time in which we find ourselves, business–and life–moves at the speed of thought. And we can hardly wait for that thought to be finished so we can move on to the next one. (Ever catch yourself finishing someone else’s sentence?)

We’re great starters, each one of us. Because starting something only requires that we overcome the law of inertia, (and maybe a dollop of temptation, too). Getting our bottoms off the sofa and over to the art studio to paint or our legs off the footstool and over to the treadmill to run both require overcoming inertia and the temptation of relaxing with too much TV. Finishing the after-school cupcake so as to pull the violin out of the case not only requires overcoming inertia; it requires serious discipline as well. But each act is far easier than incorporating it into your everyday reality. Indeed, going from the first piece in a music book to a full-fledged concerto is a different thing entirely. (As is going from a beginning painter to one who exhibits at galleries or a soft, overweight couch-sitter to a hard-bodied athlete who enjoys both physical strength and aerobic endurance.)

When I reveled today in hearing my daughter perform a drop-dead gorgeous movement from a concerto by Handel (in a post-recital private concert just for me), I was caught off-guard by its parallel to the roughly three-year endurance battle that our son is facing now with leukemia. As my daughter is sailing through mastery, I couldn’t help but think of all the violin battles we’ve had over the years when she was barely taking those first steps of musicianship. Of hating to practice, of hating to play scales, of hating those nasty etudes. The eyeball-rolling, the door-slamming, and the stomping of the feet on each step up the hardwood staircase. And yet here we were, enjoying the fruits of all of those days of practice. It was a goose bump moment that could not be denied. It was proof-positive that mastery comes in inches, and not in miles. And it was a lesson to me that battles of health, or catastrophe, or financial hardships are not fought three years out. They’re fought inch by inch.

It was my girlfriend, Lisa, who sent me the “inch by inch is a cinch” line. She met me with it when I needed to hear it the most. She met me with it when I was trying to mush three years of chemotherapy treatments into one day. When I was trying to calculate the math of a three-year chemo roadmap with high school graduation and the first two years of college away from home. Of three years of immune suppression with three other kids and an airplane-traveling husband during flu season. And of six months of long drives to the out-of-town clinic with New England snowstorms.

Yet I must claim “inch by inch” these days. I claim it when Nick’s hematologist lays out the day’s plan. I claimed it on Friday when we were sent back to the hospital for the day and another overnight stay. And I even got Dr. Joe claiming it with me. Together, we agree to not worry about what next week–or next year–will bring; it’s simply too much to think about. We agree to tackle the battle inch by inch.

Whatever your personal struggle or your present-day worry: adopt an “inch by inch is a cinch” plan of positive action. As I’ve said often: just ask yourself at the end of each day: “Did I move forward?” And if you did–even by an inch–you can sleep soundly in the assurance that you will triumph in this journey of life. One day not far from now, inch by inch, you’ll celebrate mastery. You’ll celebrate wholeness. You’ll celebrate complete healing.

 
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Bird Flu: Human Infection

25 Oct



Bird flu is a disease caused by a specific type of avian (bird) influenza virus, the so-called H5N1 virus. This virus was first discovered in birds in China in 1997, and since then has infected 125 people in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia, killing 64 of them. It is spread by infected migratory birds (including wild ducks and geese) to domestic poultry (primarily chickens, ducks, and turkeys), and then to humans.

Some infected people have developed abnormal clotting profiles resulting in excessive bleeding—which was a frequent clinical symptom in the deadly so-called Spanish influenza of 1918-19, which killed more than 100 million people worldwide. Indeed, bird flu shares a number of disturbing characteristics with the 1918-19 influenza virus. These two viruses have, in fact, recently been shown to be similar genetically. And in a recent laboratory experiment with mice, the 1918-19 virus was found to produce 39,000 times more viruses four days after infection than the regular seasonal human flu strain. The 1918-19 virus killed 100 percent of the mice that were infected with it, compared to none of the mice infected with the regular flu strain. With a current “case fatality rate,” or death rate of approximately 50 percent in humans, bird flu is obviously also a very deadly disease.

There are only a few reports in the medical literature describing the clinical features of bird flu in humans. The clinical spectrum of H5N1 infection ranges from asymptomatic infection—where the person doesn’t even know he or she is infected—to fatal pneumonia and multiple organ failure. Some infected individuals develop liver or kidney dysfunction, and there were two children who died from the virus that came to medical attention because of diarrhea and seizures related to encephalitis (infection of the brain). However, the most common presentation is one of fever, cough, and trouble breathing. Approximately 70 percent of patients also have diarrhea, and a few patients have had only gastrointestinal symptoms (such as stomach ache, vomiting, and diarrhea) and no breathing problems.

Deaths have generally been in normally healthy people. The first report in the medical literature of deaths from bird flu was on 12 patients living in Hong Kong. Their median age was nine years, with a range of one to 60 years. All presented with fever, and eight had symptoms or signs of upper-respiratory infections (five had clinical and X-ray evidence of pneumonia when first diagnosed). Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, including stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, were present in eight patients. There were a total of five deaths (one died with Reye’s syndrome, which is associated with taking aspirin in children).

In a study of 10 patients in Vietnam with laboratory-confirmed avian influenza (H5N1), the mean age of the patients was 13.7 years. For eight of the patients, there was a clear history of either direct handling of poultry (chickens or ducks) or exposure to sick poultry in the week before the onset of illness. All presented in January 2004 with cough, shortness of breath, and fever, and seven had diarrhea; none had myalgia (muscle aches)—which is often found in the regular seasonal flu. Notably, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) was administered to five patients, four of whom died (treatment was probably started too late for the medication to be effective—it must be given within 48 hours after onset of symptoms to be effective). In total, eight of the patients died, for an 80 percent case fatality rate or death rate.

As is apparent from the descriptions above, the presenting symptoms of individuals with bird flu are very similar to the symptoms of the normal seasonal flu. Infections caused by either the bird-flu virus (H5N1) or the seasonal influenza virus can be completely asymptomatic—that is, cause no symptoms at all. Fever, cough, malaise (feeling ill), and gastrointestinal symptoms are common to both infections. Excessive bleeding occurs only with bird flu, but currently this symptom doesn’t appear to be common. Difficulty breathing is more common with severe cases of bird flu, not seasonal flu. Runny nose and sneezing are found only with colds (or allergies).

The cough in either type of infection is what is referred to in medicine as “nonproductive”—meaning there is no sputum brought up when coughing, or if any sputum is brought up, it is white in color. This type of cough is characteristic of upper respiratory viral infections. As either type of infection progresses or worsens, tissues may be damaged, disrupting the normal structure and function of the infected cells. This in turn may allow bacteria to grow and also cause damage. When this happens following a viral infection, it is referred to as a “secondary” bacterial infection. When this occurs, the color of the sputum characteristically turns yellow or green. If this happens, antibiotics are indicated to treat the bacterial infection. (Antibiotics are not indicated in the treatment of viral infections, because they don’t work.)

It is safe to assume that during a bird-flu pandemic, most individuals who become infected with the bird-flu virus will either be asymptomatic—having no symptoms—or their illness will not be severe enough to require hospitalization. The small percentage who do become seriously ill will have to be hospitalized, and treated with either of the two antiviral agents available, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza). A smaller subset of that group will develop life-threatening complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which requires treatment with a mechanical ventilator, a respirator.

Some individuals may develop other serious complications such as liver failure, kidney failure, neurological problems—such as seizures, paralysis, psychiatric problems such as delirium or psychosis, or bleeding problems. However, it is reasonable to predict that most people infected with the virus will not die and will not have significant residual symptoms, although a small percentage will.

Bradford Frank, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.

The Frank Group

P.O. Box 138

Lakewood, NY 14750

[http://www.AvoidBirdFlu.com]

 
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Towel Dispenser Choices For a Healthy Hygienic Home

25 Oct



If you have ever used a public restroom, you have seen towel dispensers. Many businesses are using the hand dryer in their public restrooms today, but those paper towel dispensing units are still a sanitary solution for drying your hands. You can have one or more of these units in your bathroom, kitchen or any room where you need a way to dry your hands; they are the most sanitary way to dry your hands at home. Since it is recommended to wash your hands often to avoid contracting colds and flu, you need a way to also avoid coming into contact with the same drying towel.

Working in the kitchen means encountering a lot of bacteria, both good and bad, so it is vital that you wash your hands before, during and after food prep to keep from getting bacteria inside your body that can infect you with various diseases. It is also vital to keep your counter space clean, disinfected and sanitized to avoid bacteria being left behind. A paper towel dispenser is a recommended way to avoid contracting bacteria or leaving any behind. These are functional units that can save you and your family from harmful germs.

There are different kinds of towel dispensers on the market including the roll towel or automatic paper towel dispenser. The roll style dispenser simply pulls down from a continuous roll which allows you to get as much paper towel as you want before you cut it off. The automatic dispenser uses motion sensor detection technology to dispense a predetermined length of towel. You simply wave your hand under the motion sensor the towel dispensing unit doles out a preset length of paper towel with which to dry your hands. The automatic type of dispenser is probably the more sanitary of the two styles since you are not coming into contact with anything on the dispenser that someone else may have touched.

These devices are pretty easy to find and most are affordable for home use. Comparison shopping online for paper towel dispenser units is the best way to find the best deal. Usually they do not come with paper towels or batteries (if needed), so you will need to purchase them separately. Paper towel dispensing units are good for families that are health conscious and want to promote a healthier and more germ free environment at home.

 
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Got a Sore Throat? Try These Natural Remedies

21 Oct



Almost everyone has suffered from sore throat at one time or another. For many of us this unpleasant experience occurs more than once a year. This particular infection can be viral or bacterial, however, majority of the time it is a contagious viral infection. Some of the contagious viral infections include a cold, flu, and mononucleosis. Although the bacterial throat infections have to be cured with doctor prescribed medications, the viral infections can be treated by many successful at home remedies.

One of the oldest and the most trusted ways in relieving sore throat is with apple cider vinegar. Many people gargle with this concoction upon experiencing the initial uncomfortable aches. Several times per day will usually do the trick. This natural remedy tends to ease the pain almost immediately. Another great remedy for reducing throat pain comes from the consumption of garlic. Many people swear by this technique as it relieves the pain almost instantly by coating the throat and soothing the soreness. However, some people are comfortable with simply cutting a garlic clove into little slices and eating it plain. An alternative way would be to make the garlic clove into a paste and place it on a sandwich. This way the burning effect is not as strong.

And a third and final remedy in reducing throat pain comes from cayenne pepper. Numerous people swear by this technique. You can gargle with the product or add it to your tea or coffee. There are many different recipes available online, so if you don’t like cayenne pepper with your coffee, you might find something else that you won’t mind drinking. So the next time you are suffering from a viral sore throat infection, try applying some of these natural remedies.

 
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Flu Shots – Beware of Toxic Additives

20 Oct



One year ago this month, The Washington Post ran a story that not only extolled the use of the influenza vaccines but pushed for a new and improved version by saying, “Why wait for the pandemic to benefit from better flu vaccines?”(1) The story went on to say that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is planning to strengthen the flu shot “destined for the elderly” by adding an immune-boosting compound to the shot called an adjuvant.

An adjuvant is a substance added to produce a high antibody response using the smallest amount of virus (antigen) possible. By definition adjuvants are considered to be “pharmacologically active drugs.” They are designed to be “inert without inherent activity or toxicity” and yet they are required to “potently augment effects of the other compounds” in the vaccines. It is difficult to explain how a substance can be defined as “pharmacologically active” and at the same time be described as “inert and have no activity or toxicity.”

The limiting factor for approval of new adjuvants has been that most are far too toxic for use in humans. However, one adjuvant has been approved in Europe and its approval is on the way for use in the U.S. It is an oil-based adjuvant called MF-59, a compound primarily composed of squalene.

On first blush, squalene seems like a good choice for an adjuvant. Manufactured naturally in the liver, squalene is a precursor for cholesterol. In addition, squalene can be purchased at health food stores in its more commonly known form, “shark liver oil.” However, ingested squalene has a completely different effect on the body than injected squalene. When molecules of squalene enter the body through an injection, even at concentrations as small as 10 to 20 parts per billion, it can lead to self-destructive immune responses, such as autoimmune arthritis and lupus.(3)

Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this reaction. Metabolically, squalene stimulates an immune response both excessively and nonspecifically. More than two dozen peer-reviewed scientific papers from ten different laboratories throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia have been published documenting the development of autoimmune disease in animals subjected to squalene-based adjuvants.(4) A convincing proposal for why this occurs includes the concept of “molecular mimicry” in which an antibody created against the squalene in MF59 can cross react with the body’s squalene on the surface of human cells. The destruction of the body’s own squalene can lead to debilitating autoimmune and central nervous system diseases.

The squalene in MF59 is not the only cause for concern. One of its components, Tween80 (polysorbate 80) is considered by vaccine manufacturers to be “inert” but is far from it. A study published in December, 2005 discovered that Tween80 can cause anaphylaxis, a sometimes fatal reaction characterized by a sharp drop in blood pressure, hives, and breathing difficulties. Researchers concluded that the severe reaction was not a typical allergic response characterized by the combination of IgE antibodies and the release of histamines; it was caused by a serious disruption that had occurred within the immune system.(5)

Vaccine manufacturer Chiron is already using MF59 in its European influenza vaccine for seniors called Fluad(TM). It remains to be seen if Chiron will gain approval for using this adjuvant-containing vaccine in the U.S. In the mean time–and for the first time–all children from age six months to five years will be targeted for the flu shot this fall. Expect even more children to be on the vaccine list as early as 2007; discussions are underway to mandatorily vaccinate the healthy five to nine year-old group as a school requirement.

A record 121 million doses of flu vaccine was produced for the 2006-2007 flu season and production is being ramped up to 140 million doses for the coming flu season. Be prepared for a huge push to get everyone vaccinated this fall. Consider it to be psychological pre-conditioning. The plan is to get each person ready–and eager–to roll up their sleeve for an injection of the “pandemic” flu vaccine when it becomes available.

Retaining freedom of choice will become increasingly important for those who want to refuse. Get politically active by joining the American Association for Health Freedom at health freedom, the organization on Capitol Hill that lobbies for a person’s right to choose and the practitioners right to practice. Self-appointed experts at the WHO and the CDC who really believe the only way to survive a pandemic to be innoculated with viruses and chemicals will be pressuring you to comply. Don’t let the bird flu vaccine become mandatory in your State.

When the media begins to, once again, shriek about the coming bird flu pandemic by urging everyone to be vaccinated, remember that the bird flu vaccine will be largely untested. Worse, it will be no more effective than the annual flu shot and there is a high probability it will contain MF-59.

______________________________________________________

(1) Neergaard, Lauren. “Experts Say Elderly Need Better Flu Shot.” The Washington Post. April 17, 2006.

(2) Kenney, R. T., Edleman, R. “Survey of human-use adjuvants,” Expert Review of Vaccines 2 (2) (2003): 167-188.

(3) Ref. No. 1: Svelander, L., Holm, B. C., Buchtt, A., Lorentzen, J. C., Svelander, L. “Responses of the rat immune system to arthritogenic adjuvant oil,” Scandinavian Journal of Immunology 54 (2001): 599-605. PMID: 11902335.

(4) Matsumoto, Gary. Vaccine A: The Covert Government Experiment That’s Killing Our Soldiers and Why GIs Are Only the First Victims Vaccine. (New York: Basic Books)

(5) Coors, Esther A., Seybold, Heidi, Merk, Hans, Mahler, Vera. “Polysorbate 80 in medical products and nonimmunologic anaphylactoid reactions,” Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 95 (2005): 593-599.

 
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Home Remedies For Stomach Flu

17 Oct



Home remedies, more or less deliver results for so many diseases, from sore throat, flu, to common cold. Often these remedies will make your condition bearable rather than cure it. Actually that is what home herbal remedies are supposed to do – make you feel more comfortable giving your body system enough time to heal. So many people, therefore, rely on home remedies for a large number of common diseases.

The stomach flu is one health problem which is hard to contain with the help of home remedies. It does not mean that there is no remedy for the disease. The real problem is pf containment. Remedies essentially involve swallowing something, and it is almost impossible to swallow when you have a bad stomach flu, simply because anything that goes down is up in seconds.

Even then, there are quite a few remedies worth trying when you have it. Among them, herbal tea stands out. There are several kinds of stomach teas that are very good for you. Peppermint is very soothing on the stomach, as is ginger. If you’re using a ginger tea, however, you should only use a little bit. Once you have a stomach flu, almost anything can irritate your tummy. Remedies that irritate the stomach lining will be no good. They will be out before you can even finish them!

Ironically there is one important upside to stomach flu – it does not last for very long. It will generally start to subside after 12 hours at the most, at which point you can try using some remedies to make you more comfortable. Up to that point, however, there is very little that you can do. There are remedies out there that claim to cure it, but by the time you can take them, the flu will already be mostly gone.

When you have a stomach flu, there is little you can do about it. It all boils down to surviving. Your first task should be to try and keep yourself hydrated, whatever the hardship. You must take in lot of water, sip clear broth if you can, and have some tea from time to time. Anything to keep liquid inside of your body will help.

 
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Swine Flu – Fiasco Or Fraud?

17 Oct



Christmas is the time for families to remember the Good News, and for politicians to bury the bad news. We’re happy to follow this tradition, by being the very first content provider to announce the official ending of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. We do this with absolute confidence, following a thorough analysis of recent medical reports and national sickness statistics. At the start of the year the country was led to anticipate a death toll similar to that caused by the 1918 global flu pandemic. According to an official warning: ‘The loss of human life even in a mild pandemic will be devastating.’ In preparation for this expected carnage, Whitehall contacted coffin makers to make sure they could cope with the surge of demand, and introduced contingency plans for crematoria to operate seven days a week. Now we know that the risk was grossly exaggerated.

According to a recent statement by Sir Liam Donaldson, England’s chief medical officer, the swine flu pandemic has been ‘considerably less lethal’ than feared with a death rate lower than a tenth of one per cent. This means that we haven’t been faced with a pandemic, which the World Health Organization originally defined as a disease causing ‘enormous numbers of deaths and illness’. This wording was changed in May 2009, when it was clear that the H1N1 infection was mild and would not be particularly life threatening, so that governments around the world could continue using the disturbing word ‘pandemic’ to describe the outbreak.

The resultant over reaction caused needless panic and an enormous waste of taxpayer’s money. One Middlesborough hospital set aside an entire ward for the isolation and treatment of patients with suspected swine flu. Three months later the ward had admitted just 28 patients, only two of whom were found to be suffering from H1N1 infection when throat swabs were taken. The truth is that the disease has proved to be less virulent that the normal outbreaks of seasonal flu. In New Zealand only seventeen flu-related deaths have been recorded so far this year. This compares with the normal annual tally of about four hundred fatalities from seasonal flu. This is probably because infection with this year’s relatively mild H1N1 strain has provided immunity against the normal, range of seasonal flu germs. This is the view of Ron Law, a New Zealand virus expert, who argues that exposure to swine flu may have saved 383 lives in New Zealand, ‘which makes it more effective than any flu vaccine.’ Some virologists go a step further, suggesting that flu virus strains are getting milder in an attempt to improve their survival chances. This is a wise evolutionary choice, for if victims are killed, or put to bed for several days, they have less chance or transmitting the virus.

So don’t let the fear of catching swine flu spoil your Xmas celebrations. Celebrate with the crowds. Ignore the advice of Debrett, the arbiters of court etiquette, who suggests that this Christmas we should give up mouth-to-mouth kissing under the mistletoe. Don’t be a hypochondriac. Laughter, and the close company of family and friends, are known to save more lives than germs will kill. Unless you have a compromised immune system, your best life style choice is to enjoy the conviviality of the festive season. Let the fun and games proceed as usual. Don’t forget that this is a pagan as well as a religious festival. It’s the winter solstice, a time to dance, feast and frolic, and this can’t be done without close human contact.

However, while it’s high jinks and jollity for the next few days, we shouldn’t forget three vital lessons which must be learned from this year’s swine flu fracas. The first is the importance of building a strong personal immune system. Blood tests taken this summer revealed that about a third of children had already developed antibodies against the H1N1 virus, showing that they’d met, and successfully coped, with the infection without feeling ill or showing any outward signs of the disease. This particular viral strain has been around for at least thirteen years, which may explain why so few elderly people have fallen victim to swine flu this year, because they’ve already acquired a natural immunity. (Throughout the coming year we’ll be offering advice on how to build a strong immune system.)

The second lesson is that we must place more reliance on past experience. There was an H1N1 outbreak in America in 1976 which was hopelessly bungled by Gerald Ford’s administration, and as a result is now referred to as ‘the swine flu fiasco’? A national immunization campaign was introduced which had to be cancelled after a few months when it was found that the virus had killed only one person, while the side effects of the vaccine had caused twenty-five deaths. Are we doomed to repeat this error? The third, and most important, lesson is that governments should not take on the responsibility of handling disease outbreaks.

This should be left to doctors with specialist knowledge of public health care. Earlier this year we made this recommendation in a posting entitled ‘Swine flu: to be or not to be?’ Those of you who read it, and it’s still in the archive, will probably remember that we accused successive British governments of showing a total inability to comprehend and manage outbreaks of infectious diseases, as witness their handling of the vCJD ‘mad cow’ disease and the SARS coronavirus outbreak. ‘Now we’re faced with the threat of a pandemic of H1N1 swine flu, and the government is reacting once again with the mindless frenzy of a headless chicken,’ we wrote. We looked back to the US outbreak in 1976, which ended several years later when the US Secretary of Health was forced to make a public apology, admitting that as a layman he’d found enormous difficulty in making ‘sound, balanced judgments about complex, scientifically-based public health issues.’ This in future should never be part of the government remit.

As a result of this bungling the UK government is now left with enormous stock piles of swine flu vaccines, and anti-viral agents like Tamiflu and Pandemrix, to tackle a disease which has virtually burnt itself out. It’s also set aside a vast advertising budget to encourage us to stand in line to take our jabs. Whether or not we accept this treatment is a matter of personal choice. In my case, I’ll be following the advice of the president of the German College of General Practitioners and Family Physicians, who thinks that these pharmaceutical products have not been adequately tested. As a result he’ll not be taking the vaccine and anti-viral agents himself, and has advised German doctors not to give them to their patients, on the grounds that the potential risks outweigh the benefits. So let’s have a care-free Christmas, but learn from our mistakes, take steps to strengthen our immune systems, and put pressure on the government to stop meddling in public health affairs.

(c) http://www.donaldnorfolk.co.uk

 
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Witches, Saints and the Flu

13 Oct



It is human nature to seek explanations for the things that happen to us. When the event defies a quick, easy answer, we turn to the supernatural. It must have been the will of God, the Universe or we simply weren’t keeping our thinking positive. While any of these may be true, it also reflects our need to have something, or someone, responsible when we face difficult times.
One of the situations that most perplexes us as humans is our struggle with illness. Billions of dollars are spent yearly in research trying to eradicate disease. Yet, with every disease we do manage to banish there seems to be another one either becoming more prevalent or a new one popping up. There is more incidence of Parkinson’s, ALS and other autoimmune diseases today. Polio, once almost totally eradicated is starting to appear again in certain populations where the vaccine is not automatically provided young children.

One of the most terrifying illnesses is the common flu. Although it has been around for centuries, it appears impossible to tame. Every year a new strain appears to replace the one covered by the past years’ flu shot. Despite drugs that will ease symptoms if taken within 48 hours, the flu has no effective treatment and no cure is in sight.

Our ancestors faced these same issues, but without the advantages of scientific knowledge. Since they did not have the microscopes that reveal bacteria or the tests that illuminate tumors, they could only go by what they knew of the world. Since they had only what they could see, they tended to rely even more upon faith and certain assumptions. Often, if a series of events fell into place in a certain manner, they deduced that the first event caused the second and so on. With this “domino reasoning” they came up with witches, the Evil Eye and cures that defy modern logic.
It is this mindset that gave birth to the folklore, superstitions and traditions that entered America with the various cultures. Oral history, handed down from generation to generation, dictated almost everything a person thought about the world. And, especially about illness.
In the mid-1800′s it was not uncommon for people to die of diseases we consider minor today. Often women would give birth to several children and only one or two would make it to adulthood. With death hanging over constantly, it was completely natural for mothers to grasp at straws in an effort to help a family member who was ill. One of the more common beliefs was that if you tied a rag to a bush near the grave of a saint, the illness would disappear. Another called for putting an egg in the shallow part of a stream. If someone happened to pick the egg up, the disease would pass on to them. The evidence that this was true was obvious to the community that believed it. Many eggs were place in a stream and still a disease could wipe out an entire village.

The most troubling of old traditions is that of witches and the belief that certain people were able to make others sick through casting spells. This belief gave rise to the Salem witch hunts and similar atrocities across the colonies.

Despite the seeming ignorance of the early settlers, they also provided us with the natural herbs and plant derivatives we use today in medications and in supplements. While some have proven to be dangerous under certain circumstances, others have proven to provide relief for the sick and improved health for everyone.

Two of the most common illnesses yet to be conquered by modern medicine are the flu and cold. While more common in the winter, these are especially miserable when they hit during the warm weather months.

If you are hit with a miserable cold or fever this year there are a few options for you. Upon the first signs of illness drink a tea of elderberry blossoms and peppermint. You should feel better within 24hours. If it happens to be more serious than the sniffles, you can try taking baking soda and mixing it in a glass of cold water. Take this 15 minutes before meals for the next five meals. This works by stopping acid formation in the intestines. It is then absorbed into the blood and filters out through the membranes of the nose, throat, eyes and lungs. Cream of tartar would also work.

For the simple cold or flu, you might also try teas with cayenne or eyebright. If it’s definitely the flu, try the herb called Yarrow or milfoil. Naturally, if you are deathly ill, you need to see a doctor. You also need to let your health professional know if you have taken any of these treatments. If you already suffer from a health problem, you should consult the doctor before taking any of the natural treatments. As someone who deals with autoimmune diseases, I can personally testify to the importance of doing this. I took an herbal mixture for a cold at one point and ended up in Intensive Care. This is not what you want.

If these treatments fail to work and you still feel miserable, I suppose the next step is to go out to a cold stream, tie a rag on the nearest bush and take a bath. I can’t promise it will work, but it might feel good on a hot day.

 
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Pharmaceuticals And Your Longevity

08 Oct



A long life is usually a drug-free life. Pharmaceuticals may not be conducive to your longevity health.

Most recently, three of the top executives of Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to criminal charges of misleading the public on the risk of addiction and abuse associated with the painkiller drug OxyContin. That was yet another scandal of pharmaceutical companies doctoring research findings of the safety of drugs and masking their undesirable side effects.

Are you surprised? I am not. For decades, unreliable drug tests have abounded in the medical and pharmaceutical research community.

It is rather common for pharmaceutical companies to “influence” researchers through coercion, incentive, and even threat, to produce the desired results in clinical trials. Fabricating data, such as in the case of OxyContin, is no surprise to the industry.

Clinical trials, usually involving a small number of people, may not truly reflect the outcome of those who will ultimately be using those drugs after their approval.

Drugs tested on animal models may be biased and even irrelevant. An artificially induced disease in non-human animal models may yield results incompatible to a spontaneous, naturally occurring human disease. In short, there is no absolute safety or reliability of pharmaceutical drugs. If you wish to live a long life, your life should be drug-free as much as possible. Taking pharmaceuticals too many and too frequently means that your body is already stressed by physical ailments ‘ and that is not a healthy sign. Ironically, these drugs may do a further disservice by infusing more toxins into an already toxic body. Remember, all pharmaceuticals are chemicals, and therefore are acidic and toxic by nature. However, it does not imply that you must desist from taking your medications prescribed by your doctor. Rather, it suggests that you should be more alert to the side effects of the drugs you are currently taking, and that you should not readily reach out for pharmaceutical drugs without second thoughts as if they were coupons or gift certificates.

More importantly, you should be more aware of your body’s own self-healing power. Your body is very forgiving. Even after years of abuse, your body is still capable of recovering from any disease, only if you would give it the opportunity.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, once said: “Healing is a matter of time, but it is also a matter of opportunity.” Give your body that opportunity to heal by itself, instead of using a pharmaceutical drug aimed at removing symptoms right away, thereby interfering with the self-healing mechanism in your body.

Western medicine does not take into consideration the basic concept that your body is designed to regulate and repair itself, and therefore does not address self-healing, which is always made in deference to more invasive procedures, such as administering a drug.

When you give your body a drug that replaces a substance your body is capable of making itself, you body then becomes weaker, not stronger, and begins not only to manufacture less of that substance, but also to become more dependent on the outside source, which is usually the drug.

Unfortunately, no drug can give you insight into the circumstance that created your problems. At best, it can only temporarily assuage the physical pain created by your situation. A drug “cures” your symptoms at the expense of creating more potential symptoms down the road. For a while, you may be symptom-free, but soon enough new symptoms may emerge, requiring yet a more potent drug to deal with them. So stop ingesting your body with drugs, flu shots, vaccinations, and other antibiotics, which are toxic by nature.

Are flu shots safe?

In a February 2005 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases compared flu-related mortality among older people to rates of immunization. Their finding was surprising: during the past quarter century, immunization rates for the elderly have climbed substantially while the elderly flu-related mortality rate has stayed the same. In other words, the authorities have “overstated” the benefits of flu shots on the elderly population.

Are vaccines safe?

Vaccines contain killed or less-virulent viruses, bacteria and chemical extracts to stimulate your immune reaction against these organisms. Because more and more reports have cited vaccine failure, manufacturers have made vaccines more potent. The problem with this approach is that in the very young, the nutritionally deficient, and the aged, over-stimulating the immune system may have an opposite effect: it can “paralyze” the immune system. In addition, the brain may also become over-stimulated into producing free radicals in an effort to kill these make-believe invading organisms. You may have been indoctrinated with the concept of taking medications for prevention and treatment, instead of relying on your own immunity. The medical profession is forever promoting the positive attributes of flu shots and vaccinations, leaving the unaware patients no other option except to succumb to the pressure as long as their health care providers are willing to pay.

A case in point: According to Health Day News, June 29, 2006, a U.S. advisory panel recommended that 11- and 12-year-old girls be routinely vaccinated against the virus that may cause cervical cancer. Also, most recently, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also recommended that the vaccine, called Gardasil, be administered to girls as young as nine, at the health provider’s discretion, and for women up to age 26, who have not previously been vaccinated against the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV). These enthusiastic recommendations were hailed as “a breakthrough for women’s health.” You just wonder!

My point is: Don’t take pharmaceuticals unless you absolutely have to, and they are no miracle cures for your ailments! Let your body heal itself. Pharmaceuticals may shorten, instead of prolonging, your life.

 
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Anthem Blue Cross Lumenos HSA Health Plans

02 Oct



What you need to know about the Anthem Blue Cross Lumenos HSA plans, and Health Savings Accounts.

Anthem Blue Cross Lumenos HSA plans offer you a way to pay less for insurance, reduce taxes, access high quality health benefits, and save for future medical expenses with a Health Savings Account (HSA). HSA plans work with higher deductible health plans that reduce monthly insurance costs. Instead of paying insurance companies for benefits that often times aren’t used, you pay less each month and can make tax deductible contributions into an HSA that can be used for medical expenses or earn interest Tax-Free until you retire (2010 contribution maximums are $3,050 for individuals or $5,950 for families).

Increasingly, individuals and families are considering Lumenos health insurance policies with higher deductibles than traditional policies. Sometimes, employers are asking their employees to enroll in these plans, either as an option or the only health insurance plan available to employees.

In 2003, federal legislation removed the limitations on MSAs (Medical Savings Accounts),and re-named them “Health Savings Accounts.” HSAs are now available to any individual or family with HSA-qualified health insurance. There are no limitations on who may have an HSA based on income or employment status. However, dependent children may not have their own HSA accounts but may be covered by the HSA of their parents. In December, 2006, additional changes were made to the HSA program that allowed for increased account funding opportunities.

2010 HSA Limits: The Treasury Department and IRS issued new guidance on the maximum contribution levels for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and out-of-pocket spending limits for High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) that must be used with Health Savings Accounts (HSA). These amounts have been indexed for cost-of-living adjustments for 2010.

The new 2010 levels are as follows:

- Individual: $3,050
- Family: $5,950

Changes in Plan limits: The maximum annual out-of-pocket amount for Individual High Deductible Helath Plan (HDHP) coverage increases to $5,950 and the maximum annual out-of-pocket amount for HDHP family coverage is twice that, $11,900. Minimum Deductible Amounts for HSA-Compatible HDHPs for 2010 is $1,200 for Individual coverage and $2,400 for family coverage.

Additional Lumenos benefits:

- Allowing people to take their health savings accounts with them if they move from job to job.
- Raising contribution limits and allowing for a one time transfers from IRA accounts.
- Allowing a contribution up to an annual limit of $3,050, regardless of the deductible for their insurance plan.

Lumenos HSA plans have some of the industries most comprehensive preventive care services, which happen to be covered at 100% before your deductible.

Preventive Care covered at 100%

 
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