I received this great article that illustrates the importance of dental hygiene to prevent the flu and the spread of disease. We all know that brushing your teeth is important for your teeth but in fact good dental hygiene is important to your health, especially now that it is flu season.

Of the hundreds of stories that were written last year offering counsel on how to avoid illness, how many did you read that suggested taking plenty of Vitamin C, washing your hands regularly and getting plenty of rest? How many stories told you that proper diet and exercise could boost your immunity? Finally, how many stories told you that your bleeding gums and spotty brushing habits could be making you sick? If the mouth is the gateway to the body, why does no one remind you to increase security? Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Tags: American Academy of Periodontology, Gingivitis, inflammation, offering counsel, periodontal disease, pneumonia, respiratory infection, tartar

I have always fought with the idea of weather to stay home from work when sick. Some companies are very progressive with this and others not so much. In my workplace it is expected that if you are sick you stay home and if you are well enough to work but nervous about getting people sick then you just telecommute (freedom of being an IT guy)

To help you decide, Sharon Horesh, MD, instructor of clinical medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, gives her advice.

Just keep this in mind: “There’s no antibiotic that can get rid of the common cold or flu or stomach virus,” says Horesh . “That’s my pet peeve … antibiotics only work with a bacterial infection … bacterial bronchitis, pneumonia, strep throat, earache, pink eye.”

Also, be careful about which medications you take for the common cold, says Nathan Segall, MD, a private practice allergy specialist in Atlanta. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: allergy, antibiotics, Atlanta, bacterial infection, bronchitis, common cold, earache, Emory University School of Medicine, instructor, instructor of clinical medicine, Nathan Segall, pneumonia, private practice allergy specialist, Sharon Horesh

Well I am not sure how big a sample group they had but it seems that the survivors of the Spanish flu of 1918 are immune to this years Swine Flu Pandemic.

University of Wisconsin researcher Yoshihiro Kawaok has discovered that survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic are immune to the current swine flu pandemic, although they are not necessarily immune to seasonal flu (Associated Press).

This seems to confirm further that the 1918 pandemic and the current swine flu are both anomalies; they are more similar in presentation to each other than either one is to seasonal flu. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: antibodies, healthiest immune systems, initial illness, New York Times, pneumonia, researcher, secondary infection, Swine Flu, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Yoshihiro Kawaok

I have gotten a flu shot every year for the last 6 years or so to protect myself from getting the flu. Now a study has been released saying that the chance of dying from the flu is not reduced by getting the shot. I for one do not get the shot to save myself from death but instead to just not have that few weeks of possible downtime from getting a bad flu.

Still this is interesting, if people get vaccinated against the flu then why does in not lower fly deaths? Is this becasue the worst of the strains are not protected against?

The flu shot does help protect against specific strains of influenza but its ability to help prevent deaths among the elderly may have been exaggerated, a new study suggests.

Over the last 20 years in the U.S., vaccination rates among the elderly have increased from 15 to 65 per cent, but hospital admissions and death rates from all causes have not declined proportionately, said Dean Eurich, a clinical epidemiologist and professor at the school of public health at the University of Alberta. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Alberta, Dean Eurich, flu season, flu shots, immunizations, influenza, mortality rates, pneumonia, principal investigator and a medical professor, professor, Sumit Majumdar, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, United States, University of Alberta, vaccination, vaccination rates

Childhood Immunization or vaccinations as they are also called is one of the best ways to protect your children from many serious diseases. Some parents are afraid that vaccines can be dangerous and think that it might be better to let their children gain immunity by getting the disease. This is a serious mistake!

While it would be wrong to say that vaccines are completely free of side effects, they are much safer than the diseases they protect against. The vaccines that are available in Canada have undergone rigorous testing to ensure their safety and effectiveness. However, as with anything in life, there is always a risk. Here are some cautions parents should be aware of:

� If your child has ever had an allergic reaction to a vaccine, talk with your doctor before the child gets another shot. Allergic reactions include breathing problems and severe swelling of the skin or mouth.

� There may be some redness, swelling, or pain at the place where the needle entered the skin.

� Some children may develop a fever after getting a vaccination. Your doctor or pharmacist can advise you on how to relieve these symptoms.

� If your child is very sick when it is time for a vaccination, ask your doctor if it would be better to reschedule the shot.

Diseases that Can Be Prevented

Not all diseases can be prevented, but vaccines can provide protection against the following diseases.

� Diphtheria is an infection that can damage the heart or paralyze the breathing muscles and cause death.

� Tetanus (lockjaw) causes muscles to become tight and go into spasms, which can severely affect breathing and cause death.

� Pertussis (whooping cough) can cause such severe coughing spells that an infected baby or child may not be able to eat, drink, or breathe. The infection can also cause brain damage and death.

� Poliomyelitis (polio) is a viral infection that attacks the spinal cord and brain and may cause life-long physical disability, paralysis, or death.

� Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) is a bacterial infection that can cause blood poisoning or bacterial meningitis, an infection of the brain and spinal cord coverings that can lead to mental retardation, deafness, and death.

� Measles (rubeola) is a serious illness that causes high fever and skin rash. It can lead to serious complications that can be fatal.

� German measles (rubella) causes a rash and a fever. Healthy children generally recover completely, but if a pregnant woman catches the infection, it can cause serious birth defects in her unborn baby. Vaccinating children will help prevent the spread of this disease to pregnant women.

� Mumps is a viral infection that settles in the saliva glands, causing fever, weakness, and facial swelling. A healthy young child will usually recover from mumps, but it can cause serious complications such as deafness and swollen testicles in older children.

� Chickenpox causes itchy, weeping blisters to form on the skin. Children generally recover from mild cases of chickenpox, but the disease may lead to serious complications. An adult who is not immune to chickenpox can easily catch the disease from an infected child, and one in five adults who gets chickenpox develops pneumonia, which can be deadly.

� Hepatitis B can be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby. Some children become infected when they have their ears pierced with a contaminated needle. It can also be picked up from a contaminated household object, such as using a toothbrush that was used by an infected family member. Once a person is infected, the hepatitis B virus attacks the liver and my cause liver disease or liver cancer.

Other Vaccinations

In addition to immunizing children against the diseases described above, the Canadian Pediatric Society and Health Canada recommend that children receive the following vaccines:

� Pneumococcal vaccine to protect against infections caused by a bacteria known as Streptococcus pneumoniae, which causes meningitis (a brain infection), pneumonia, and ear infections.

� Meningococcal vaccine to protect against diseases caused by the meningococcus bacteria, which is responsible for meningitis and septicemia (a serious blood infection).

� Flu shot to prevent influenza. This is especially important in children who have a high risk of developing serious complications from the flu. Children are considered to be at high risk if they have heart or lung problems, a chronic condition such as diabetes, or if they have been treated for long periods of time with ASA.

Timing Is Important
It is important for children to receive vaccines at the proper times. For the sake of convenience, some vaccinations are combined into a single shot. Check with your local health clinic or hospital to find out when you are expected to get these immunizations.

Tags: allergic reaction, allergic reactions, bacterial infection, bacterial meningitis, birth defects, blisters, blood infection, blood poisoning, brain infection, Canada, Canadian Pediatric Society, Chickenpox, deafness, diabetes, diphtheria, diseases, ear infections, fever, German measles, Hepatitis B, household object, immunizations, infected family member, influenza, liver cancer, liver disease, lockjaw, measles, meningitis, mental retardation, Mumps, needle, paralysis, Pertussis, pharmacist, pneumonia, polio, Poliomyelitis, rash, rubella, rubeola, septicemia, skin rash, Tetanus, vaccination, vaccinations, vaccines, viral infection, whooping cough

Michelle Kwon wrote this article about the history and benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar. I thought you may be interested in this as well.

In addition to being a tasty, low-calorie dressing, apple cider vinegar could be a miracle elixir for melting away fat, boosting the immune system and even restoring arthritic joints.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is an old folk remedy claimed to be beneficial in treating . a list of ailments. It’s thought to guard against osteoporosis, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, heal infection, assist in digestion, and relieve everything from headaches to heartburn and hay fever.

It is still not known why apple cider vinegar provides benefits. Some proponents say it is due to its enzymes, minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, fluorine, silicon, trace minerals and pectin. Yet research shows that it actually only contains very slight amounts of these. Others say its natural malic and tartaric acids help fight body toxins and inhibit unfriendly bacteria.

Though nothing has been clinically proven, researchers can’t discount the myriad of accounts of healing that have been collected throughout history. The qualities of apple cider vinegar have been known for thousands of years. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used it as an antibiotic and antiseptic in 400 BC. It was used in Biblical times as a healing agent and is mentioned in the Bible. In Paris in the Middle Ages it was sold from barrels by street vendors as a body deodorant and health drink.

Even Christopher Columbus had it on his voyage to discover America in 1492 in order to prevent scurvy. In 1820, poet Lord Byron made the vinegar and water diet popular. During the US Civil War, soldiers used it as a treatment for pneumonia and indigestion. It was also used to treat wounds during World War 1. For centuries in Japan, Samurai warriors drank it for strength. The vinegar is now officially recognized in Japan as functional food because it is said to stimulate bifidus bacteria in the bowel, contributing to gastrointestinal health.

This conclusion was also reached by popular 1950s author DC Jarvis, who advised those with GI problems to consume a tonic with each meal to destroy harmful bacteria in the gut. His book Folk Medicine praised apple cider vinegar as the solution for ailments including chronic fatigue and fat reduction. He declared that cider vinegar tonic would reduce body fat because it caused fat to be burned instead of stored.

But what about the Apple Cider Vinegar science?

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: acetic acid, America, apple cider vinegar, Arizona State University, Author, benefits of apple cider vinegar, body deodorant, body toxins, British Columbia, Byron, Carol Johnston, Christopher Columbus, digestive disorders, fatigue, Folk Medicine, folk remedy, food trends, functional food, Hay fever, headaches, health food pioneer, indigestion, Japan, Michelle Kwon, Newsweek, nutrition professor, obesity, osteoporosis, Paris, Patricia Bragg, pneumonia, poet, scurvy, treatment for pneumonia