Protecting Yourself from Swine Influenza

Protecting Yourself from Swine Influenza

By: Anna Williams

Many people are afraid of contracting swine influenza, but there
are several ways to prevent yourself from becoming one of its
victims.

Cases show that the swine flu symptoms are much like the
seasonal flu; only this type of influenza is said to be
deadlier. There have been casualties in Mexico and one reported
death of an infant on U.S. soil. Medical experts are still
baffled as to why the virus seems to be more potent in Mexico
than anywhere else in the world.

The CDC has already stated that there's no effective vaccine
against this swine flu virus. Plus, vaccinations can have
harmful side effects on our bodies.

The best thing one can do during a pandemic outbreak is to avoid
crowded places when possible. The best preventive measure is to
avoid places where you'll be in direct contact of a lot of
people.

Unnecessary travel should be avoided as well. The air on a plane
might be filtered, but if you're sitting next to an infected
person, you'll be at a higher risk of getting the swine flu.
Once that person sneezes or coughs, transmission of the virus
could occur. If you really need to travel on a plane, and are
worried about contracting the illness, you can wear a facemask.

In any infected area it is best not to kiss, or even shake
someone's hand. This helps prevent the transmission of any
contagious illness, whether it be swine flu, bird flu, or the
common cold. It may seem paranoid, but it is one way to protect
yourself. Another way of preventing yourself from getting a
contagious illness is by not sharing your food, glasses, or
silverware (cutlery) with anyone.

If you yourself are infected with the swine flu virus, you can
help by not spreading it around. As much as possible, you might
want to stay at home. Don't go roaming around, spreading the
virus. Also, be sure to cover your nose and mouth with tissue
when sneezing or coughing. Then throw the tissue away
immediately. It's also general proper practice to wash your
hands, with soap and water, after sneezing or coughing. You can
use alcohol-based hand sanitizers if you don't want to wash your
hands. In this case, using pure grain alcohol (such as the
strongest alcohol you could get at a liquor store) is healthier
than using isopropyl alcohol (such as the rubbing alcohol you
would get at a drug store.)

Swine flu symptoms include sudden high fever, headache, cough,
aching joints, general fatigue, and nasal congestion. You will
also probably experience diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. When you
have these symptoms it is best to consult a doctor right away.
Unless you're really seriously ill, don't go straight to
hospital ER or the doctor's office, as you could spread the
virus to others in the area.

About the author:
Anna is a writer and a webmaster who educates others on clean
living, alternative health, and natural remedies. To learn more
basic, practical information on the subject of Swine Flu, please
view her next follow-up article,
http://livingclean.com/natural-treatments-for-swine-flu/ . To
learn more about how you can protect yourself from viruses and
illness, please visit http://livingclean.com/homeremedies