H1N1
The H1N1 flu virus is a new strain of pandemic influenza which is different than the seasonal flu. People have no natural immunity to protect against this virus. The H1N1 flu virus emerged in April 2009 and surveillance of its spread shows that it is affecting more young and healthy people than the regular seasonal flu, which normally affects seniors and young children. People with underlying medical conditions and pregnant women may be at a greater risk for severe illness.
The H1N1 flu virus – also known as human swine influenza – is a respiratory illness that affects the nose, throat and lungs. The H1N1 flu virus has caused primarily mild illness in Canada, but Canadians need to be prepared to respond to a potentially more severe form of the virus that may emerge this fall.
The H1N1 flu virus is contagious and is spread the same way as regular seasonal influenza. This happens when an infected person coughs or sneezes and their virus enters the nose, eyes, or throat of another person. The virus can also rest on hard surfaces like counters and doorknobs, and can be picked up on hands and transmitted to the respiratory system when someone touches their mouth and/or nose. It is not possible to catch it by eating pork or pork products or through blood transfusions.
More research is being done on how long a person can be infectious (be able to spread the virus to others), but it is believed that this period is for one day before the onset of symptoms and continues for approximately seven days after symptoms have started.The time it takes between being infected and experiencing symptoms is between two and seven days.
SYMPTOMS
Almost always:
Cough and fever
Common:
Fatigue
Muscle aches
Sore throat
Headache
Decreased appetite
Runny nose
Sometimes:
Nausea
Vomitting
Diarrhea
Prevention:
wash hands often
Keep common surfaces disinfected
Cough and sneeze into your arm, instead of your hand
If you are sick, stay home until your symptoms are gone and you feel well enough to participate in all activities
If you get flu-like symptoms and are pregnant, have underlying health problems or if your symptoms get worse, contact your health care provider.
If you get flu-like symptoms and are pregnant or have underlying health problems contact your healthcare provider.
If you get flu-like symptoms and are otherwise healthy, you should stay home to recover. If your symptoms worsen or you experience difficulty breathing or serious shortness of breath, it is important to seek medical attention.
Antivirals are drugs used for the early treatment of influenza. If taken shortly after getting sick (within 48 hours), they can reduce influenza symptoms, shorten the length of illness and potentially reduce the serious complications of influenza. Antivirals do not prevent you from getting sick.
Canada has a National Antiviral Stockpile of 55 million doses of two antiviral drugs – Tamiflu and Relenza. Both are effective in treating H1N1 flu virus. This stockpile is enough for all Canadians who will need and want treatment.
Antivirals are recommended for the treatment of moderate to severe illness, and for people at risk of severe disease. Your doctor will decide if treatment is right for you.
Influenza vaccines (also called flu shots) help you to prevent getting sick by introducing your body to a weakened or dead version of the virus to teach your body to build immunity to it.
This year, there will be vaccines for both types of flu – one for the regular seasonal influenza, and one for the H1N1 flu virus.
Canada has a contract in place with GlaxoSmithKline to produce 50.4 million doses of H1N1 flu virus vaccine. This is enough vaccine for all Canadians who need and want protection.
The vaccine is expected to be available in November 2009. Once the vaccine is approved for use, the Government of Canada will make recommendations on how many doses will be required.
Call the H1N1 flu hotline at 1 800 O-Canada for more information.
Naturopathic Medicine and You
It's that time of year again...cold and flu season...
As always, this is the time of year that people start to worry about colds and flues. Nursing sick children, having to take time from school and work, aches and pains, fevers, sniffles...not something to look forward to! Added to this worry is the arrival of the H1N1 virus and it's continual presence in media coverage which has more people worrying this year.
Regardless of weather or not you get a vaccine this year everyone can benefit from looking at their overall health and working towards a stronger immune system. There are over 500 types of viruses that can cause flu like symptoms, a flu vaccine is effective against the same strain of influenza virus used to develop the vaccine. Each year scientists formulate a flu vaccine to protect against three viruses thought to be most problematic that year. The H1N1 vaccine will be designed to protect against that specific virus. Getting a vaccine may help protect against these viruses but they don't always work 100% of the time, however, having a strong immune system will always be of benefit!
With that in mind here is a list of things you can do to help keep you healthy this year:
Lifestyle...
- Get enough rest to meet your body’s needs: Never underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep. When you’re run down and over tired your body’s immune system is compromised, making you more susceptible to illness.
- Maintain a moderate exercise schedule: Our bodies were designed to move. A regular exercise schedule is crucial for many reasons, and immune function is definitely one of them. There are so many fun ways to get your exercise, don’t settle for something that you don’t enjoy.
- Consume a varied diet of fresh whole foods: Consume lots of vegetables include garlic, onions, ginger and cayenne. Vegetables contain the vitamins and minerals you need to support your immune system.
- Handle stress effectively: Emotional stress, fear and worry can depress the immune system. Keeping your stress levels under control is essential for a healthy immune system. It is important to have some regular activity that you can use to help you relax and let go the tensions of the day.
Protect yourself and others...
- Hand washing: influenza is primarily spread through person-to-person contact, wash your hands frequently with hot soapy water.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue in the trash after using it.
- If you are sick, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Research of note...
Here is some interesting research that I came across recently that I thought I'd share.
- Beneficial bacteria in your gut do more than just help you digest your food! A recent study in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics noted that probiotics may be useful as prophylaxis against cold and influenza-like symptoms in children. Probiotics are benificial bacteria that live in our digestive system, they perform a host of tasks for us, including boosting our immune system. The authors concluded that "Daily probiotic dietary supplementation during the winter months was a safe effective way to reduce episodes of fever, rhinorrhea [runny nose], and cough, the cumulative duration of those symptoms, the incidence of antibiotic prescriptions, and the number of missed school days attributable to illness".
- Vitamin D has a role in our immune health! A study in the journal Age and Aging in 2007 supported the idea that supplemental vitamin D may help to prevent infections. In this research 5,292 elderly British individuals were given supplemental vitamin D or not for 24 – 62 months, at the end of the study those who had taken the vitamin D had lower incidence of infections. To me this makes logical sense given the seasonal nature of cold a flu season.
See your naturopathic doctor for the tools to keep you healthy this year!
Every spring I hear the same things...”I was constantly sick this year, it seemed like I caught every cold that was going around”... “I was sick so long that my doctor finally recommended antibiotics”...We all get sick once in a while, but this year lets make that the exception, not the rule. Naturopathic doctors work with individuals to identify areas of weakness that may compromise our immune system. We have a whole host of tools that we may use to help strengthen our defenses against colds and flu's. For an individualized approach to strengthening your immune system this winter I invite you to come in and find out what naturopathic medicine is all about! If you're reading this too late and you're already sick, naturopathic medicine has tools to offer to help your body heal itself as quickly as possible and prevent recurrences.
Athletic
Therapy
 “I’m not an athlete, so I can’t go see Cara for my injured knee”. As an athletic therapist, I commonly hear those words and shudder. Whether you’re a professional athlete, weekend warrior or a member of the general public and are injured the approach taken by athletic therapist results in rapid return to work and play.
Athletic Therapists are professionals dedicated to helping people who are injured, have muscular imbalances, poor posture or a desire to prevent future injuries, return to their activities as fast as possible, feeling stronger and with the tools to maintain an optimal level of performance.
The field of athletic therapy encompasses the assessment, prevention, immediate care and rehabilitation of all types of musculoskeletal injuries. As an athletic therapy client you will go through a full functional and postural assessment identifying the source of the problem. Based on your lifestyle, goals and physical needs an individualized rehabilitation plan will be set up that includes hands on soft tissue work, joint mobilizations, therapeutic modalities, goal specific exercises and education on what you can do to decrease the risk of re-injury.
Everyone can be an ‘athlete’ in their own mind, whether your goal is to climb a set of stairs without knee pain, build a stronger core or complete a marathon. If you are ready to reach your goals, an athletic therapist will spend the time with you to help you reach and perform at your full potential. For more information visit the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association’s webpage (www.athletictherapy.org) or www.cookstreetvillagehealthcentre.com.
TCM Diet Therapy
 One of the fundamental principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine is to seek a balance between ones internal and external environments. To maintain this balance one must modify certain things, such as diet, as the seasons change.
Both Chinese medicinal herbs, as well as the things we eat, are said to possess specific energetic properties, such warming, cooling, drying, and moistening. This means that you can consume or avoid certain foods to compliment the climate and season you are living in.
As we observe the leaves turning colour, and feel the temperature dropping as the wind and rain pick up, there are changes we can make to ensure that we feel good physically and mentally over the winter.
Salads and other raw or cooling foods are fine for the hot days of summer, but as we move into fall and winter we need to eat more warming foods. Eating cooling and damp forming foods such as dairy, wheat, tropical fruits, and soy can lead to the formation of ‘Dampness’ in the body. Sensations associated with dampness include heavy limbs, achy joints, mental fogginess, difficulty concentrating, depression, and retention of fluid.
Cooking herbs and spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and curries can be added to food to reduce the formation of dampness. Eating vegetables cooked, even lightly steamed will reduce their cooling effect.
For more information on TCM diet therapy talk to Ian Abbott, RMT, R.Ac. or Brett Studer R.Ac.
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