What is Swine Flu?
Swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by viruses that infect pigs and result in nasal secretions, a barking-like cough, decreased appetite, and listless behavior.
General Precautions
1. Wash hands with soap often
2. Use a general purpose soap since antibacterial soap may not be enough to fight the flu virus
3. Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands
4. Cough or sneeze on your shirt sleeve
5. Take the flu shots/vaccine when it becomes available in the next few months
6. Avoid touching things in public places
7. Keep your distance and avoid contact with someone who is coughing or sneezing
8. Avoid humidity and humid places
9. Wear a doctor recommended face mask
10. Use hand wipes while traveling by public transportation
11. Observe personal hygiene and wear laundered clothes everyday
Before you leave the house
12. Take a pack of hand wipes and hand sanitizer
13. Make sure you dress according to the weather and avoid catching a cold, which will bring your immunity down
At home and in the workplace
14. Open windows to let fresh air in the house and the workplace if possible
15. If you are a health care worker, use hand sanitizer often after seeing clients
16. Wipe your hands before cooking or using food items
When in the car
17. Wipe your hands with a hand wipe and use a hand sanitizer after you get in your car but before you touch the steering wheel
18. Drop the windows open for a few minutes before you drive to aerate the car
Watch for the warning signs
19. Watch for potential symptoms like fever, body ache, sore throat, runny nose, vomiting or diarrhea
20. If you are pregnant, be extra careful since pregnant women are 4 times more likely to be hospitalized with the flu than the general population
If you feel like you may have the flu
21. Stay at home if you feel ill
22. Rest, stay hydrated, take medicine to reduce the fever, and keep your distance from others for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone
23. Get tested if you notice symptoms like fever, cold, cough etc. (Rapid flu tests are not reliable, you need to request a lab test)
24. Shield others from your coughs and sneezes by using a tissue paper
25. If you have severe symptoms of the flu then ask your doctor about Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir)
26. Tell your doctor if you have other diseases/symptoms like asthma, diabetes etc, which may worsen the flu
Protect children
27. Keep children at home if they feel ill
28. Give kids paper tissues and hand wipes to carry
29. Ask kids to wash hands often and to report if paper towel dispensers at school are empty
30. Suggest to school authorities to move desks farther apart in the classroom
Build immunity to the disease
31. Eat a full breakfast
32. Get at least 8 hours of sleep
33. Exercise often, or at least have a brisk walk for 30 minutes every day
34. Do yoga and breathing exercises to build strength and immunity
35. Obesity has not been conclusively proven as a risk factor to the disease, but losing a little extra weight may help
36. Drink 8 glasses (64oz) of water everyday
37. Swine flu targets the respiratory system, so give up (or at least cut down) on smoking
Other
38. Stay tuned to government and health agency advisories
39. Watch for flu symptoms in you and your family
40. Rest and exercise
41. Most importantly, don’t panic! Health agencies around the world are on top of this disease and help may be just a phone call away
Please note that: any information presented in these blog articles or any other information presented on this page are general in nature and provided for leisurely informational purposes only. The blog writer is not a physician or health care worker. The information on swine flu prevention is general in nature and may be partly or wholly incorrect, and should be used with caution. Talk to your doctor and follow his/her advice to protect against the disease. MyMarriageList.com or its affiliates do not guarantee that the information provided above is correct or substantiated by actual occurrences. MyMarriageList.com, its officers or its affiliates provide no guarantee to the correctness of the information provided here. Use this information at your own risk. By reading this information, you are accepting that you will not hold MyMarriageList.com, its officers, or its affiliates liable for the information presented in this blog.
Article presented by marriage experts at MyMarriageList.com Indian Matrimonial website.
Article presented by marriage experts at MyMarriageList.com Indian Matrimonial website.