Swine Flu(H1N1 Flu Virus)

Latest News about the spread of Swine flu in India:

The sudden surge in the number of swine flu cases across the country seems to be posing a serious challenge to health authorities. In Gujarat alone, 62 people have died since January 1, with almost 500 cases reported during this period.

Amongst the several patients undergoing treatment at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital is a 12-year-old boy. His grandmother, Alifa Begum, is worried not just about her grandson's health, but also the growing number of swine flu cases in her home district, Kutch.

In Gujarat, Kutch and Ahmedabad are the worst-affected, with almost 70 per cent of the cases reported from there.

Across the nation, the deadly H1N1 virus has claimed over 200 lives since the beginning of this year. Rajasthan is the worst-affected with 72 deaths, followed by Gujarat. 41 swine flu patients have died in Telangana.

Source:(NDTV News dt 6.2.15)

In view of the spread of the deadly disease, let us see the causes,symptoms and the treatment of Swine flu.

What is Swine Flu?

H1N1 flu is also known as swine flu. It's called swine flu because in the past, the people who caught it had direct contact with pigs. That changed several years ago, when a new virus emerged that spread among people who hadn't been near pigs.

In 2009, H1N1 was spreading fast around the world, so the World Health Organization called it a pandemic. Since then, people have continued to get sick from swine flu, but not as many.

While swine flu isn't as scary as it seemed a few years ago, it's still important to protect yourself from getting it. Like seasonal flu, it can cause more serious health problems for some people. The best protection is to get a flu vaccine, or flu shot, every year. Swine flu is one of the viruses included in the vaccine.

Causes of Swine Flu

Swine flu is contagious, and it spreads in the same way as the seasonal flu. When people who have it cough or sneeze, they spray tiny drops of the virus into the air. If you come in contact with these drops or touch a surface (such as a doorknob or sink) that an infected person has recently touched, you can catch H1N1 swine flu.

Despite the name, you can't catch swine flu from eating bacon, ham, or any other pork product.

Swine Flu Symptoms

People who have swine flu can be contagious one day before they have any symptoms, and as many as 7 days after they get sick. Kids can be contagious for as long as 10 days.

Most symptoms are the same as seasonal flu. They can include:

• cough
• fever
• sore throat
• stuffy or runny nose
• body aches
• headache
• chills
• fatigue

Like seasonal flu, swine flu can lead to more serious complications, including pneumonia and respiratory failure. And it can make conditions like diabetes or asthma worse. If you have symptoms like shortness of breath, severe vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, or confusion, call your doctor or 911 right away.

Tests for Swine Flu

It's hard to tell whether you have swine flu or seasonal flu, because most symptoms are the same. People with swine flu may be more likely to feel nauseous and throw up than people who have seasonal flu. But a lab test is the only way to know for sure. Even a rapid flu test you can get in your doctor's office won't tell you for sure.

To test for swine flu, your doctor takes a sample from your nose or throat. You may not need to be tested. The CDC says the people who need to be tested are those in the hospital or those at high risk for getting life-threatening problems from the flu, such as:

• Children under 5 years old
• People 65 or older
• Children and teens (under age 18) who are getting long-term aspirin therapy, and who might be at risk for Reye's syndrome after being infected with swine flu. Reye's syndrome is a life-threatening illness linked to aspirin use in children.
• Pregnant women
• Adults and children who have chronic lung, heart, liver, blood, nervous system, neuromuscular, or metabolic problems
• Adults and children who have suppressed immune systems (including those who take medications to suppress their immune systems or who have HIV)
• People in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities

How Is Swine Flu Treated?

Some of the same antiviral drugs that are used to treat seasonal flu also work against H1N1 swine flu. 

Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir(Relenza) seem to work best, although some kinds of swine flu are resistant to Tamiflu.

These drugs can help you get over swine flu faster. They can also help keep it from being too severe. They work best when taken within 48 hours of the first flu symptoms, but they can help when taken later.

Antibiotics won't help, because flu is caused by a virus, not bacteria.

Over-the-counter pain remedies and cold and flu medications can help relieve aches, pains, and fever. Don't give aspirin to children under age 18 because of the risk for Reye’s syndrome. Check to make sure that over-the-counter cold medications do not have aspirin before giving them to children.

Vaccine for Swine Flu

 The same flu vaccine that protects against seasonal flu also protects against the H1N1 swine flu strain. You can get it as a shot or as a nasal spray. Either way, it "teaches" your immune system to attack the real virus.

Besides a flu shot, there are other things you can do to stay healthy:

• Wash your hands throughout the day with soap and water. Sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice to make sure you've washed long enough. Or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Avoid people who are sick.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/

9 Most Important Career Planning Tips

1. Never Stop LearningLife-long learning is your keyword.

The world is constantly changing, and everybody is looking for new ways of doing business.

If you have decided that your current skills are good enough, you have also decided that your current job is good enough.

But if you want a career in the future, you should add regular updates to your skills and knowledge.
2. Ask, Listen And LearnA good listener can learn a lot.

Listen to your co-workers, your boss, and your superiors. You can learn a lot from their experience.

Ask about issues that interest you, and listen to what they say. Let them tell you about how things work, and what you could have done better.

Most people will love to be your free tutor.
3. Fulfill Your Current JobYour current job might be best place to start your career.

It is often very little that separates successful people from the average. But nothing comes free.

If you do your job well and fulfill your responsibilities, this is often the best way to start a new career.

Talk to your supervisor about things you can do. Suggest improvements. Offer your help when help is needed. In return ask for help to build a better career. It is often possible - right inside your own organization - especially if you have proved to be a valued employee.
4. Build Your NetworkYour next career step might arise from your contact network.

Did you know that more than 50% of all jobs are obtained from contact networks?

If you have a good contact network, it is also a good place to discover future careers, to explore new trends, and to learn about new opportunities.

Spend some time building new contacts, and don't forget to maintain the ones you already have.

One of the best ways to get serious information from your network is to regularly ask your contacts how they are, what they do, and what is new about their careers.

5. Identify Your Current JobYour current job should be identified, not assumed.

Make sure you don't work with tasks you assume are important. This is waste of time and talent.

When you start in a new job, talk to your superior about your priorities. If you are not sure about what is most important, then ask him. And ask him again. Often you will be surprised about the differences between what you assume, and what is really important.

6. Identify Your Next JobYour dream job must be identified.

Before you start planning your future career, be sure you have identified your dream job.

In your dream job, you will be doing all the things you enjoy, and none of the things you don't enjoy. What kind of job would that be?

Do you like or dislike having responsibility for other employees. Do you like to work with technology or with people? Do you want to run your own business? Do you want to be an artist, a designer or a skilled engineer? A manager?

Before building your future career your goal must be identified.
7. Prepare YourselfYour dream might show up tomorrow. Be prepared.

Don't wait a second. Update your CV now, and continue to update it regularly.

Tomorrow your dream job may show up right before your nose. Prepare for it with a professional CV and be ready to describe yourself as a valuable object to anyone that will try to recruit you.

If you don't know how to write a CV, or how to describe yourself, start learning it now.
8. Pick The Right Tools
You can build your future career using a lot of different tools. 

You can add a lot to your career by studying books and tutorials Doing short time courses with certification tests might add valuable weight to your CV. And don't forget: Your current job is often the most valuable source of building new skills.

Don't pick a tool that is too heavy for you to handle!
9. Realize Your DreamsPut your dreams into action.

Don't let a busy job kill your dreams. If you have higher goals, put them into action now.

If you have plans about taking more education, getting a better job, starting your own company or something else, you should not use your daily job as a "waiting station". Your daily job will get more and more busy, you will be caught up in the rat race, and you will burn up your energy.

If you have this energy, you should use it now, to realize your dreams.

Source : w3schools ListPost, management, Professional

Causes and Treatments For Insomnia

Insomnia is a common, devastating problem that can cost us our energy, our good mood, our ability to function and ultimately our health. If the situation becomes chronic, it can lead to more serious health problems and even a shortening of our life span, according to experts. 

We spend over a third of our time sleeping. But unfortunately for many of us, sleep isn't a simple ON/OFF switch we can just activate at a moment's notice.  Do you struggle to sleep even though you feel tired and sleepy? Do you wake up in the middle of the night anxiously watching the clock, calculating how much time you've got left to sleep?

 

If you've answered yes to any of these questions, you're not alone. About 2 out of 5 people share your problem. 

Acute vs. chronic insomnia

Insomnia also varies in how long it lasts and how often it occurs. It can be short-term (acute insomnia) or it can last a long time (chronic insomnia). It can also come and go, with periods of time when a person has no sleep problems. Acute insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. Insomnia is called “chronic” when a person has insomnia at least three nights a week for a month or longer.

 

Common Symptoms of Insomnia:

Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired

Waking up frequently during the night

Trouble getting back to sleep when awakened

Exhausting sleep

Relying on alcohol to fall asleep

Waking up too early in the morning

Daytime drowsiness, fatigue, or irritability

Difficulty concentrating during the day

 

Causes of Insomnia: Figuring out why you can’t sleep

Insomnia in itself is not the problem but is usually a symptom of a variety of other potential problems. The trick is identifying the underlying cause of our insomnia and finding the right treatment for that problem. Sometimes insomnia hides more serious medical or psychological issues, and sometimes there is no easy cure for it, and one must take special supplements or pills to sleep.

Let's put on our detective hat and try to find the reasons for our insomnia. Sleep detectives like ourselves take note of factors such as stress, anxiety and depression, which are responsible for about half of all insomnia cases. In addition, they note the daytime habits, the sleep routine and the actual physical health of the person to understand their impact on the quality of their sleep.

 

Psychological issues that can cause insomnia:Depression, anxiety, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder.

People who suffer from these mental stresses have a hard time sleeping, not only because of their inner turmoil, but because the body is physically preventing sleep because of these issues. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep tends to make these problems worse, and thus a magic cycle is born, where we are constantly tired, cranky, anxious and depressed, and can't sleep to boot.

Medications that can cause insomnia:antidepressants; cold and flu medications that contain alcohol; pain relievers that contain caffeine (Midol, Excedrin); diuretics, corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, high blood pressure medications. Make sure to always check with your doctor, and research the medication you're taking to make sure that one of the side effects is not insomnia.

Medical problems that can cause insomnia: asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, kidney disease, cancer, chronic pain.

Sleep disorders that can cause insomnia:Sleep apnea (trouble breathing during the night that results in the person not breathing, then waking up many times in the night without knowing why), narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome.

How to Cure Your Insomnia: 

Some of the things we do to cope with our lack of sleep may actually do us harm, such as drinking a lot of coffee during the day to wake up or alcohol (red wine for example) at night to fall asleep. Often, changing the habits that are reinforcing sleeplessness is enough to overcome insomnia altogether. It may take a few days for your body to get used to the change, but once you do, you will sleep better.

 

That is the easy solution half the time. If a change of habits and relaxation really don't do the trick, there are remedies on the market that can help.

Adopting new habits to help you sleep

 

- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. Noise, light, and heat can interfere with sleep. Try using a sound machine or earplugs to hide outside noise, an open window or fan to keep the room cool, and blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block out light.

- Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Support your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends, even if you’re tired. This will help you get back in a regular sleep rhythm.

- Avoid naps. Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at night. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes before 3 p.m.

 

- Limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Stop drinking caffeinated beverages at least eight hours before bed. Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening; while alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it interferes with the quality of your sleep. Quit smoking or avoid it at night, as nicotine is a stimulant.

Preparing your brain for sleep

Your brain produces the hormone melatonin to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. As melatonin is controlled by light exposure, not enough natural light during the day can make your brain feel sleepy, while too much artificial light at night can suppress production of melatonin and make it harder to sleep.

To boost melatonin production, use low-wattage bulbs, cover windows and electrical displays in your bedroom, avoid bright light and turn off television, smartphone, and computer screens at least one hour before bed. 

 

 

Learning to associate your bed with sleeping, not sleeplessness

Use the bedroom only for sleeping (and sexual activity). Don’t work, watch TV, or use your computer or smartphone. The goal is to associate the bedroom with sleep, so that when you get in bed your brain and body get a strong signal that it’s time to nod off.
Get out of bed when you can’t sleep. Don’t try to force yourself to sleep. Tossing and turning only increases the anxiety. Get up, leave the bedroom, and do something relaxing, such as reading or listening to soothing music. When you’re sleepy, go back to bed.

Breathing from your belly. Most of us don’t breathe as deeply as we should. When we breathe deeply and fully, involving not only the chest, but also the belly, lower back, and rib cage, it can help relaxation. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Progressive muscle relaxation. Lie down or make yourself comfortable. Starting with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10, and then relax. Continue to do this for every muscle group in your body, working your way up from your feet to the top of your head.

 

The problem with sleeping pills and the new generation of sleep formulas

A new generation of sleep formulas is replacing the sleeping pills we've known so far. The problem with sleeping pills is that they usually work by lowering the activity of our nervous system. This presents 3 problems: The first is that they leave us drowsy in the morning. The second is that they contribute to our continued cycle of insomnia, and the third is that they are addictive.

The new formulas are a reaction to these problems, as we see today that medicine is turning more and more to natural ingredients. These include ingredients such as Longan fruit extract, Muceuna Pruriens herb extract and Valerian root extract,  and have the following advantages over the old sleeping pills:

 

- They are made from natural ingredients

- They don't leave you sleepy the next day

- Are non-addictive

- Preserve your focus 

- Are impossible to overdose on

Please also read my earlier post on Tips for better Sleep:

http://svsaibaba.blogspot.in/2013/01/tips-for-better-sleep.html