Flu Vaccine for the Elderly

by Mercola.com

For most people, the flu shot does not prevent illness, but actually does the polar opposite--it weakens your immune system and makes you more predisposed to the illness. In light of the flu-related death toll, many people have been fooled into believing the only way to prevent death from the flu is to get a dose of the vaccine. However, the significant number of deaths associated with the flu is outrageously exaggerated!

As a surprising confirmation of this, one critic determined to expose the CDC and vaccine manufacturers for falsely instilling fear into people has found the truth behind the "statistics." According to the CDC's most recent death statistics located on their Web site, influenza and pneumonia killed 62,034 people in 2001. That means, in light of the current statistic, that just over half of those deaths resulted from the flu. However, upon further investigation, the actual number of deaths caused by the flu came to 257, with pneumonia accounting for the remaining number of deaths. What is helpful to understand is that the people who are really dying from the flu do so because they are already sick and have compromised immune systems.

So How Can You Strengthen Your Immune System And Prevent The Flu?

A key factor to preventing the flu is to start focusing on eating properly. That means avoiding:

*#Fast foods
*#Sugars
*#Grains
*#Trans-fats

Additionally you can increase the healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 fats found in fish and cod liver oil: Those of you who read the newsletter regularly know I'm a fan of the Carlson's brand of fish oil and cod liver oil, as I have seen clear and often substantial improvements in my patients who use it. Plus, Carlson's fish and cod liver oil is one of the few brands that put the extra vitamin E in it for you straight from the get-go, so you don't have to take extra vitamin E if you don't want to. You can find Carlson's fish or cod liver oil at your local health food store, or, for your convenience, on Dr. Mercola's Recommended Products page section - http://shop.mercola.com Also, be sure to increase the good carbohydrates like those in vegetables, and the healthy proteins like those in clean, naturally raised meats (i.e., NOT the kind you typically find in grocery stores).

That means learn your metabolic type as soon as possible so you know what proportion of fats, carbs and proteins are ideal to build your immune system.
Additionally, if you are to successfully prevent the flu, it is also important to:

*#Exercise regularly,
*#Get enough sleep,
*#Address stressors,
*#Wash your hands regularly.

You can read more about flu shot by visiting Flu Shot . Learn more about it before its's too late.


About the Author
Dr. Joseph Mercola is the founder of Mercola.com , one of the world's most visited and trusted health websites, and publisher of the FREE Mercola.com e-newsletter , -- your source of natural health information. Chicago, Illinois 8879852685

Tamiflu and Amantadine - medicines against Flu

by Vlad Kott

Tamiflu is used to treat some types of influenza (flu) in patients who have had symptoms of the flu for 2 days or less. This drug works by stopping the growth and spread of the flu virus in your body. Tamiflu helps shorten the time you have flu symptoms such as nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, muscle aches, tiredness, headache, fever, and chills.

As the flu virus takes hold in the body, it forms new copies of itself and spreads from cell to cell. Tamiflu fights the virus by preventing the release of new copies from infected cells. Tamiflu is taken in liquid or capsule form.

Tamiflu can prevent the flu as long as you continue taking this medication, but getting a yearly flu shot is still the best way of avoiding the disease entirely. For older adults, those in high-risk situations such as health-care work, and people with an immune deficiency or respiratory disease, vaccination remains a must.

If you have the flu, continue taking it twice daily for 5 days, even if you start to feel better. To prevent the flu, take it once a day for at least 7 days. Protection lasts as long as you take the drug.

If Tamiflu upsets your stomach, try taking it with food. Shake the liquid suspension before each use. If you have kidney disease, cut your daily dose of Tamiflu in half. High doses of Tamiflu can cause nausea and vomiting.

Tamiflu works only on the flu virus. It won't stop bacterial infections that may have flu-like symptoms or bacterial infections that may develop while you have the flu.

Most problems noted during tests of Tamiflu were indistinguishable from the symptoms of flu. Here are the reactions that showed up more frequently in patients taking the drug.

* Side effects of Tamiflu may include:

Abdominal pain, asthma, bronchitis, cough, diarrhea, ear infection, fatigue, headache, insomnia, nausea, nosebleed, vertigo, vomiting.

If Tamiflu gives you an allergic reaction, avoid it in the future.

It is not known whether Tamiflu is completely safe during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, inform your doctor before taking Tamiflu. Tamiflu may appear in breast milk and could affect a nursing infant. Taking it while breastfeeding is usually not recommended.

Tamiflu will not stop you from giving the flu to others. You should maintain proper hygiene, wash your hands frequently, and avoid situations such as sharing cups and utensils that can spread the virus to others.

Tamiflu does not replace the flu vaccine. You should continue to receive a flu shot each year if your doctor recommends it.

***Amantadine***

Amantadine is an antiviral. It is used to prevent or treat certain influenza infections (type A). It may be given alone or along with flu shots. Amantadine will not work for colds, other types of flu, or other virus infections.

Amantadine also is an antidyskinetic. It is used to treat Parkinson's disease, sometimes called paralysis agitans or shaking palsy. It may be given alone or with other medicines for Parkinson's disease. By improving muscle control and reducing stiffness, this medicine allows more normal movements of the body as the disease symptoms are reduced.

Amantadine is also used to treat stiffness and shaking caused by certain medicines used to treat nervous, mental, and emotional conditions.

* Side effects

- Less common

Blurred vision; confusion (especially in elderly patients); difficult urination (especially in elderly patients); fainting; hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there); swelling of hands, feet, or lower legs

- Rare Convulsions (seizures); decreased vision or any change in vision; difficulty in coordination ; fever, chills, or sore throat; increased blood pressure; increase in body movements ; irritation and swelling of the eye; loss of memory; mental depression; severe mood or mental changes; skin rash; slurred speech; thoughts of suicide or attempts at suicide; unexplained shortness of breath.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The more detailed information is available here =>Tamiflu and here Amantadine

Facts About Influenza Flu Medications

by Olivia Andrews

Influenza, also known as flu is an infectious disease that spreads through upper airways and lungs in mammals. Common symptoms of influenza found are fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness, and fatigue.

The best way to protect against the flu is to get proper medication during each flu season. Relenza is a medical prescription that works effectively for the treatment of seasonal flu. It works by reducing the spread of the influenza virus inside the body.

1. Use Relenza medication same as it is being prescribed for you and never try to use exceeded amounts.

2. This medicine is packed in disk shaped packs containing 4 blisters each placed between a device called Diskhaler so as to inhale the medicine. The device opens and loads a blister of the medicine each time one uses the inhaler but caution has to be taken that the device is not used with a spacer.

3. It is advisable not to use any other medicines in the diskhaler and put the cover back on the device when it is not being used.

4. In order to treat flu infections, use 2 inhalations every 12 hours for a period of 5 days but according to the prescription of a doctor.

5. For preventing flu symptoms, use two inhalations in every 24 hours for a period of 10 to 28 days.

6. If you suffer from chronic respiratory disease such as asthma and you are scheduled to use an inhaled bronchodilator along with relenza, then you should prefer using the bronchodilator before using relenza.

7. You should use this medication for entire length of time prescribed by your doctor and the symptoms may get better before the infection spreads.

8. It should be remembered that relenza should not be taken while a yearly flu shot.

9. It should be stored at a room temperature away from moisture and heat and throw away the diskhaler after the treatment ends.

Please do visit our website http://www.benzer11.com/relenza.html for more information.

About the Author
Olivia Andrews, writing for http://www.benzer11.com/relenza.html is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels and mobile phones.

High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease and Influenza

By Stephen Morgan

Wow, the above title sounds a real mouthful but the reason for it is this. Apparently, (listen up at the back please) the yearly Winter Flu Jab can help reduce the number of fatal heart attacks, incidence of death and the number of unplanned emergency procedures that require work on the clogged arteries of patients with Coronary Artery Disease,

“Way to go, lets all pile down the Doc’s and get jabbed”

Without being accused of making too much of a joke about the above topic there is growing evidence apparently suggesting that people with Heart Disease or Heart Trouble generally should get a shot of the flu vaccination every year.

If you think about it the underlying logic behind it all is extremely sound. It is a common fact that people with Cardiovascular problems die of influenza every year, in fact in greater proportions that the norm. Therefore if you can prevent them getting influenza in the first place then you are a major step forward to preventing these deaths.

The key is that with patients already at high risk of deterioration in their condition could really be either put at the edge or over it health wise without this vaccination.

The latest study that has all the medical community talking was presented at the recent American Heart Association meeting in Chicago by a Research Group presenting its findings from their studies in Poland.

The problem with replicating the study in America was that in Poland the research involved 658 patients who had Coronary Heart Disease and the methodology of the survey would be deemed unethical in the US. They took 325 of them and gave them an active Influenza Vaccine and with the other 333, they gave them a placebo.

The problem with doing this in the US is that guidelines prevent them from doing it recommending that Heart Patients get the flu shots.

The real problem that this whole exercise has highlighted is this. The findings were extremely useful because of the parallel groupings etc in that their base terms of reference were almost identical i.e. they all had Heart Disease. This gave the research an extra form of validation but the reliance on the guidelines in the US against replicating this survey there has highlighted another major inconsistency.

According to the American College of Cardiology, only one out of every three Adults in the US with Heart Disease actually received the Influenza jab last year.

So much for adhering to guidelines preventing further research and a recommendation that every heart patient should get a flu vaccination. It would appear to be a case of “do what I say and not what I do!”

Stephen Morgan is principle Editor at Living with High Blood Pressure and also writes for High Blood Pressure and Heart Attacks