Influenza A (H1N1) : What you need to know

More than 50,000 people are infected worldwide. It is interesting to note that the 20-30's are more susceptible, suggesting some form of immunity in the older population. However, if you fall under the high-risk groups; pregnant women, age older than 65, infants and children younger than 2 years old, people with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, lung disease, heart disease and asthma and people with a compromised immune system, H1N1 may cause complications leading to death.

Same as seasonal flu, symptoms of H1N1 are:

• Fever
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Headache
• Muscle and joint pain
• Malaise
• Vomiting and diarrhoea in some cases

Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (originally referred to as 'swine flu') is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease. The virus can spread from person to person, through exposure to infected droplets expelled by cough or sneeze, or contact with contaminated hands or surfaces.

The mortality rate for H1N1 is not alarming, less than 0.5% and is not any higher compared to ordinary flu. On the contrary to the H1N1 flu, the SARS virus which affected the ASEAN countries back in 2003 saw a mortality rate of 10-20%. As for the Avian flu, the mortality rate is higher, 262 people died from a total of 429 people infected worldwide.

Some of the precautions one should adopt include improving personal hygiene like washing your hands with soap and water, especially after a cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleansers are also effective. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue away after use. Wear a facemask to prevent spreading the virus to others, especially when sharing common spaces with household members who are at high risk of complications from influenza. Stay home if you are sick until at least 24 hours after you no longer have fever. Visit the doctor if you suspect that you have come in contact with persons suffering from H1N1 flu.

As all flu are caused by viruses, doctors may give you anti-viral jabs but most of the time, you need to rely on your body's immune system to do the job. Hence, prepping your immune system with immuno-boosting nutrients may be beneficial.

Up your intake of vitamin C. You can obtain this either from foods or supplements. Bear in mind that you would need to take more fruits (5 servings) to get enough vitamin C and also go for freshly-cut fruits rather than buying from fruit vendors (as the Vitamin C content may be lost due to exposure to sunlight and air). I would suggest a combination of vitamin C, A, E, Zinc in tablet form as you are assured that you are getting enough and it is convenient. Vitamin C is water-soluble and may stay in your body for a short while before your body get rid of it via urination. Therefore, combining with fat-soluble vitamins such as A and E may also give extra protection to the immune system as they are stored in the fatty region of the cells.

As for herbs, you may try garlic, echinacea and horseradish which people use to treat upper respiratory tract infections such as sinus and colds (should be taken at first onset of symptoms).

3yr old who smokes and drinks

3yr old who smokes and drinks

This gotta be paranormal...........

5 mins in the outdoors can boost your self-esteem

Just spending 5 mins outdoors a day can help improve mental health, said a recent study published in the The Journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Researchers from the University of Essex found that 'green activities' such as gardening, farming, boating, walking and cycling can boost mood and self-esteem. They found that the greatest health improvement occurred in the young and the mentally ill, although people from all age groups benefited. The researchers further recommend that all natural environments were beneficial, including parks in towns and cities, but green areas with water features appeared to have more positive effects.

Read the full article here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36899017/ns/health-behavior/

Earth Hour - join the movement

On March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time, Earth Hour will cascade around the globe—from time zone to time zone—uniting the planet under a single, simple, call to action.

Earth Hour Malaysia

Since its inception three years ago, Earth Hour’s non-partisan approach has captured the world’s imagination and became a global phenomenon. Nearly one billion people turned out for Earth Hour 2009 – involving 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents.

2009 was the first time Malaysia officially participated in Earth Hour bringing Malaysians to turn off their lights for one hour to show their support towards climate change. Many prominent landmarks such as KLCC, Bintang Walk and almost all major city buildings also switched off their lights for an hour. Its estimated that more than 5 million Malaysians participated in Earth Hour.

Do your part, spread the words around, send e-mails to your associates and friends and get them to switch off the lights this coming Saturday, 27th March, 8:30pm for at least an hour. Together, we can all make a difference!

Diva - Female anatomy? It's a grey area

Diva - Female anatomy? It's a grey area

Applying the blood from your first period to your face will prevent pimples?.....C'mon....24 per cent of Indian women believe you can tell if a woman is a virgin by the smile on her face??

The Kotex BodyLife IQ Study involved 1,800 women in Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Malaysia in April last year. These women are required to answer 10 questions about their anatomy, pregnancy, myths and facts.

One of the questions which most women polled are clueless about is the number of openings they have down south.......

Answer: 3

1. Urethra 2. Vagina 3. Anus

David's version

1. pee hole 2. fuck hole 3. asshole

Overall, 82 per cent of all the women surveyed answered this question wrongly......OMG, they seriously need to go back to Biology class