Recognizing the Symptoms
Almost Always - Sudden onset of Cough & Fever
Common - Fatigue, Muscle Ache, Sore Throat, Headache, Runny Nose, Decreased Appetite
Sometimes - Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea
Severity Indicators
Shortness of Breath
Chest Pain
Rapid, or difficulty breathing
Bluish/greyish skin colour
Bloody/Coloured mucus/spit
Dizziness & Confusion
Severe/Persistent vomiting
High Fever lasting more than 3 days
Low Blood Pressure
Those with Higher Risks of catching/or having the flu develop into something more serious.
1) Children under the age of 5
2) Women who are Pregnant
3 People with chronic conditions such as :
Heart Disease
Kidney Disease
Diabetes
Asthma/Chronic Lung Disease
Liver Disease
Blood Disorders
Obesity
Immunosuppressed - people taking cancer drugs or those living with HIV/AIDS
Neurological Disorders
Protect Yourself
Wash your hands frequently, with soap under warm water for 20 seconds
Use an alcohol based hand sanitizer
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth
Cough/Sneeze into your arm, NOT YOUR HAND
Keep common surface area clean & disinfected
If you're sick, STAY HOME!
CONTACT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER RIGHT AWAY if you develop severe symptoms, or if you have flu symptoms and are at risk of complications
Plan Ahead
Speak to your family/friends about how you can help one another during flu season
Stock up on essentials such as pain/fever medication and easy meals(that way you won't have to leave the house)
Have important telephone numbers on hand ex) Doctor, local public health clinics, information lines
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Pharmacology Corner
Pharmacology Corner will be a new addition to 'THE HUMAN BODY PROJECT" websites. It will be a blog that will inform readers on everything there is to Pharmacology. Please check it out and support the site by signing up. Its a great educational website designed to help promote health and healthy living styles.
http://pharmacologycorner.blogspot.com/
http://pharmacologycorner.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Controlling Nervousness
We've all heard of the Flight or Fight response. All living creatures experience this survival mechanism when confronted with perceived danger. We can either defend ourselves or run away from this danger. Fear is a natural feeling everyone encounters. EVERYONE!
Flight or Fight symptoms.
* Acceleration of heart and lung action
* Paling or flushing, or alternating between both
* Inhibition of stomach and upper-intestinal action (digestion slows down or stops)
* General effect on the sphincters of the body
* Constriction of blood vessels in many parts of the body
* Liberation of nutrients (particularly fat and glucose) for muscular action
* Dilation of blood vessels for muscles
* Inhibition of the lacrimal gland (responsible for tear production) and salivation
* Dilation of pupil (mydriasis)
* Relaxation of bladder
* Evacuation of colon
* Inhibition of erection
* Auditory exclusion (loss of hearing)
* Tunnel vision (loss of peripheral vision)
* Acceleration of instantaneous reflexes
* Shaking
The Physiology of Fear
When dealing with a form of danger, the body enters a state of physiological arousal due to the release of Adrenaline hormone. Some common feels as a result of fear caused by adrenalin are:
Increase Breathing & Heart Rate
An increase in breathing and heart rate allows the body to exchange oxygen in certain areas, specifically large muscles and major organs.
'Butterflies in my stomach'
This feeling of 'butterflies in your stomach' actually is caused by blood flowing away from the digestive system. As a result, the stomach is slightly deprived of oxygen.
Upset Stomach
As mentioned above, blood flow is diverted from the digestive system, and the elimination of wastes helps lighten the body so that it can run faster from the danger
Dizziness
Occurs because of an increase of OXYGEN in the body due to increase RESPIRATION
Dry Mouth
Increase breathing and sweating causes dehydration
Sweating
Increase blood flow to large muscles creates heat in your body and you begin to sweat
Tremmors/Shakes
Blood flow is diverted away from the fine motor muscles and are sent to the large muscles and major organs. Lack of oxygen to the motor muscles causes the shakes as those muscles are deprived.
Dilated Pupils
Your pupils enlarge to allow more light to enter the eye
Slurred Speech
Blood is diverted away from certain brain areas - specifically the section that controls speech
Monday, October 5, 2009
Article by Dr. Ni
Here's an article by Dr. Maoshing Ni
Dr. Mao is an anti-aging expert, doctor of Chinese medicine and the author of the best-selling book, "Secrets of Longevity." Merging the ancient wisdom of Eastern medicine with the modern advances of Western medicine, Dr. Mao has spent years studying centenarians in China and combing through archives of Taoist longevity classics. He is also a Tai Chi master.
Here's a link to his book, check it out its pretty good read for those who may feel stress pouring onto them like rain due to these troubled times.
Lifestyle habits that age you most quickly
The culprits that will most quickly age you and negatively affect your health are:
1. Poor diet
2. Lack of exercise
3. Stress and worry
4. Exhaustion
5. Unhappiness
6. Lack of love
7. Toxic overload
8. Blockages and congestion of the transportation highways within our bodies.
Healthy habits to live long
It takes 14 to 21 days of repetitive behavior to form a new pattern in your brain. Once the pattern is formed, it becomes an automatic behavioral response. As you develop new healthy habits, they will begin to replace bad habits. Here are some of the most transformative longevity habits:
1. Drink more water
Drink 8 glasses of fresh, filtered water every day. Water is very important for proper lymphatic drainage and hydrating the cells to prevent buildup of toxic waste products. Your safest bet is filtered water. The best kind of filtration processes for removing contaminants use activated charcoal, which removes the impurities but leaves the water-soluble minerals. Avoid water softeners, which take away essential minerals. To learn about a high-performance filtration system that I recommend, click here.
2. Eat like a centenarian
The rural community of Rugao, four hours north of Shanghai, enjoys the reputation as the "longevity county of China" because there are over 200 centenarians in the small region -- the highest number per 1,000 residents anywhere in China. Rugao residents eat mostly fish, vegetables, mushrooms, seaweed, corn and buckwheat. There was virtually no meat or poultry present in the majority of their diet. Scientists have confirmed the health benefits of a diet high in fish and vegetables and low in animal products.
Know what foods to enjoy and what to avoid:
• The very best thing you can do for your health is to eat a wide array of colorful fruits and vegetables every day.
• Eat fish and cut back on meat and poultry.
• Choose the right fats. Cut back on saturated fats like butter and avoid all trans fats. Instead, choose mono-saturated fats: olive, sesame, canola, flax, and fish oils.
• Avoid all refined sugars.
3. Restore with regular rest
Get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep every night.
4. Take the stairs!
Take a walk. Go for a swim. Join the gym. Find an exercise activity that works for you and stick to it, practicing at least four times a week for thirty minutes a session. Regular exercise can strengthen your immune system, uplift your mood, maintain joint mobility, increase energy - the list goes on and on!
5. Manage your stress.
Stress is the root cause of most of the diseases that shorten our life span. Meditation is a powerful way to manage your stress level. For the best results, meditate every day. Start with five minutes and work your way up to fifteen or twenty minutes. (See 3 Easy Beginner Mediation Techniques.) For a guided CD that is filled with meditations for living to 100, click here. Another option? Get your exercise and stress-management all in one by beginning a tai chi practice.
6. Detoxify your surroundings.
With environmental factors causing ever more damage to our well-being, it is important to know what to look out for and avoid. For starters, you can avoid many dangerous chemical compounds if you buy organic foods and use glass and recycled paper products. In addition, it is beneficial to undergo periodic detoxification treatments with special dietary and herbal regimens to lower your body's toxic load. An herbal blend that is specially formulated for helping your body detoxify is Internal Cleanse. Also learn how to eliminate the toxins with this 5-Step Detox to Revitalize You.
I hope you found the answers to get you started on your own longevity quest! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
Dr. Mao is an anti-aging expert, doctor of Chinese medicine and the author of the best-selling book, "Secrets of Longevity." Merging the ancient wisdom of Eastern medicine with the modern advances of Western medicine, Dr. Mao has spent years studying centenarians in China and combing through archives of Taoist longevity classics. He is also a Tai Chi master.
Here's a link to his book, check it out its pretty good read for those who may feel stress pouring onto them like rain due to these troubled times.
Lifestyle habits that age you most quickly
The culprits that will most quickly age you and negatively affect your health are:
1. Poor diet
2. Lack of exercise
3. Stress and worry
4. Exhaustion
5. Unhappiness
6. Lack of love
7. Toxic overload
8. Blockages and congestion of the transportation highways within our bodies.
Healthy habits to live long
It takes 14 to 21 days of repetitive behavior to form a new pattern in your brain. Once the pattern is formed, it becomes an automatic behavioral response. As you develop new healthy habits, they will begin to replace bad habits. Here are some of the most transformative longevity habits:
1. Drink more water
Drink 8 glasses of fresh, filtered water every day. Water is very important for proper lymphatic drainage and hydrating the cells to prevent buildup of toxic waste products. Your safest bet is filtered water. The best kind of filtration processes for removing contaminants use activated charcoal, which removes the impurities but leaves the water-soluble minerals. Avoid water softeners, which take away essential minerals. To learn about a high-performance filtration system that I recommend, click here.
2. Eat like a centenarian
The rural community of Rugao, four hours north of Shanghai, enjoys the reputation as the "longevity county of China" because there are over 200 centenarians in the small region -- the highest number per 1,000 residents anywhere in China. Rugao residents eat mostly fish, vegetables, mushrooms, seaweed, corn and buckwheat. There was virtually no meat or poultry present in the majority of their diet. Scientists have confirmed the health benefits of a diet high in fish and vegetables and low in animal products.
Know what foods to enjoy and what to avoid:
• The very best thing you can do for your health is to eat a wide array of colorful fruits and vegetables every day.
• Eat fish and cut back on meat and poultry.
• Choose the right fats. Cut back on saturated fats like butter and avoid all trans fats. Instead, choose mono-saturated fats: olive, sesame, canola, flax, and fish oils.
• Avoid all refined sugars.
3. Restore with regular rest
Get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep every night.
4. Take the stairs!
Take a walk. Go for a swim. Join the gym. Find an exercise activity that works for you and stick to it, practicing at least four times a week for thirty minutes a session. Regular exercise can strengthen your immune system, uplift your mood, maintain joint mobility, increase energy - the list goes on and on!
5. Manage your stress.
Stress is the root cause of most of the diseases that shorten our life span. Meditation is a powerful way to manage your stress level. For the best results, meditate every day. Start with five minutes and work your way up to fifteen or twenty minutes. (See 3 Easy Beginner Mediation Techniques.) For a guided CD that is filled with meditations for living to 100, click here. Another option? Get your exercise and stress-management all in one by beginning a tai chi practice.
6. Detoxify your surroundings.
With environmental factors causing ever more damage to our well-being, it is important to know what to look out for and avoid. For starters, you can avoid many dangerous chemical compounds if you buy organic foods and use glass and recycled paper products. In addition, it is beneficial to undergo periodic detoxification treatments with special dietary and herbal regimens to lower your body's toxic load. An herbal blend that is specially formulated for helping your body detoxify is Internal Cleanse. Also learn how to eliminate the toxins with this 5-Step Detox to Revitalize You.
I hope you found the answers to get you started on your own longevity quest! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!