Perfect Health Tips » Colds and Flu

Should you give your children cold medicine? Why doctors are saying no

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:00:25 +0000

Do you know someone who is sick? Maybe you are sick yourself. When cold and flu season is here it seems like everyone is sick. It is a rippling effect that goes from person to person. And in the process of everyone getting sick, the sales of cold medicine rise substantially. But is this really the right thing to do when you get sick? Should you go to the local market and get the best over the counter drug to treat your symptoms? Maybe. But what about when it comes to your child?

The American Academy of Pediatrics claims that giving children cold medicine is not the right thing to do. A claim that definitely makes you wonder, do they just want our patient fees so that they can prescribe us a prescription? Or, are they genuinely concerned about our children. When you read why Doctors are saying no to cough medicine for kids it makes sense. Apparently, they contain dextromethorpan and diphenhyddramine, as well as antihistamine, suppressants and decongestants. Several studies indicate these are ineffective on children and can cause serious side effects. Instead, parents should avoid all medications and make sure their child drinks lots of fluids. Other alternatives are vaporizers and salt water nose drops. Most importantly, try to prevent the illness by getting them vaccinated.

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Allergies or something more – how to tell

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:00:59 +0000

Do you get annoyed when people sneeze and cough a lot? It really can be annoying. And, more than that, when others sneeze and cough they pass along their germs. The worst is when they say to you that they just have allergies and they do nothing about it. So their sneezing persists for 2 months at your expense. Sometimes you wonder if they really have allergies or if they just have not treated that cold that everyone else went to the doctor for a month ago.

Allergies, like a cold are something that you should see the doctor for. However they differ from a cold. Here are some basic facts that will help you to better understand if you or someone you know is suffering from allergies.

• The symptoms occur at the same time every year or last throughout the year.
• The symptoms last as long as you are exposed to a particular substance.
• Your respiratory illness lasts longer than one or two weeks

It is extremely important that you treat your allergies if you do have them. They will not go away left untreated. Consult with a doctor regarding your symptoms and he or she will help you best determine whether you are suffering from a cold or allergies.

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Cold and flu season is near. What are some ways to prepare yourself and to strengthen your immune system?

admin — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:34:19 +0000

I always seem to be the one to get sick every winter. I was curious as to what are some various things you can do for yourself in order to prepare for the upcoming cold and flu season. Also, what foods or vitamins are key to strengthening your immune system?

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What if you took a Flu Shot when you had a Cold and a Sinus Infection and were going to start anti-biotics?

admin — Sun, 10 May 2009 04:50:34 +0000

I had a cold for 10 days, as of yesterday. I was out of town and went to see an internist that a friend recommended. Doc thought that I may also have a sinus infection. He prescribed anti-biotics and gave me a flu shot at the same time. I told him that I'd heard that you can't do that, get a flu shot while sick. He said it was not really true, and that I may feel more sick for a couple of days, but both the anti-biotics for my infection and the flu shot for future flu prevention would be effective, nonetheless. Can anyone, with knowledge to that, confirm or deny?

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What is the difference between a flu and the swine flu?

admin — Sun, 10 May 2009 04:32:11 +0000

The symptoms are basically the same, right? How can someone tell if they have the swine flu rather than just a normal flu?

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Sensible Methods To Shed Pounds

admin — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:07:42 +0000

Eight Sensible Methods to Shed Off Those Pounds

Losing weight is really not as mind-boggling as you think. Here are eight simple and very easy ways on how you can shed off those unwanted pounds without going overdrive on the latest diet and exercise trends.

Learn about the Food Pyramid.

The food pyramid is a graphic representation of the food groups and the quantity or percentage of which that is needed by our body on a daily basis. If you are confused on how to balance your meals, you can always look at the food pyramid as your guide to healthy eating and living.

Go for grains!

Carbohydrates are the bodyGÇÖs main source of energy since they are the easiest to metabolize, making them readily available for the cells of the body. Instead of going zero on carbs, how about if you take in whole grain bread that is not only high in fiber, but is also a rich source of vitamins and minerals?

Glow your way back to health.

Did you know that there are essential vitamins and minerals that can only be made available for the body by taking in certain fruits and vegetables? Apart from the vitamins and minerals, this food group also has numerous antioxidant qualities that actually help the body fight aging and even certain cancers!

Be fat-choosy.

Not all fat is bad for the health. In fact, there is one type of cholesterol, called the HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) that actually does more good than harm to the body. This type of cholesterol actually carries cholesterol away from the bodyGÇÖs blood vessels to the liver where it is passed from the body.

Learn how to get the good fat going.

Believe it or not, these ways can actually boost your bodyGÇÖs HDL level: aerobic exercise, smoking cessation, cutting back on prepared foods that have partially hydrogenated oil on its label, lots of soluble fiber, and one to two drinks of alcohol per day even!

Lean back on salt.

Too much salt causes the body to retain water. Adding one plus one, you might as well add those same figures to the scale.

Curb that urge for inebriety.

Contrary to the notion that calories only come from food, drinks do contain calories as well. Alcohol is one of those few drinks that would fall under the category of empty calories.

You are what you eat GÇô and drink.

Choose what you drink as well. Mellow down on beverages that are processed, such as soda and the like. Go for fresh fruit juices and low fat milk instead.

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No Cold Meds for Kids

admin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:49:13 +0000

In the past, we have always treated our children's cold symptoms with liquids and some good ole cough medications. Well, the old school of thought has been rejected in the new era of medicinal knowledge. A major drug manufacturer recently announced that they were pulling cold medications for kids under 4 years old. The reason? They felt it didn't have any significant benefits for young ones who caught the cold. This reasoning also has the FDA considering a ban on meds for children under the age of 6. This ban may take a year or so, but it poses a very serious question. Do our kids need cold meds? Experts agree the answer to that question is a wholehearted NO!

Learning from the past

When the manufacturers first made medication for children's cold symptoms, they did not run any clinical tests or trials. They assumed that the child's body was much like an adult's but just a smaller or GÇ£miniGÇ¥ version. This flawed thinking led them to believe that they could produce the same type of meds for children and adults alike. Decades later, they realize that children have different medicinal needs then full-grown adults (you would think that would be a no-brainer). It goes to show you how much the drug manufacturers really care about the consumer (but that is beyond the scope of this article).

Parents to blame?

Every year, thousands of children are rushed to the hospital due to overdoses from cold, flu or cough medication. This is mostly the parent's fault because they are the ones who give their kids the medication. Another mistake most parents make is giving their children more than one cough or cold medication at a time (a dosage their young and fragile bodies cannot tolerate). The reason most adults think it is ok to give their kids meds is that there is not enough public awareness of the dangers of cough and cold medications.

A happier & healthier child

So next time your little one gets sick, don't go reaching for the medicine cabinet. Instead, make sure your children recieve plenty of fluids, vitamins, a healthy diet, and (most importantly) much-needed rest. If they are still sick and their condition worsens, take them to the physician immediately for a thorough diagnosis. This will ensure that if there are other complications (such as Pneumonia or bacterial infection) they will be treated early and with greater effectiveness. It is better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to the kiddies.

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Pandemic Flu Threat

admin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:11:26 +0000

There are many threats out there in the world, but one very real and frightening virus known as the GÇ£Pandemic FluGÇ¥ has health officials concerned for the future. The reason it's such a concern for scientists is that the disease spreads very quickly and attacks on a global level. That means if a breakout occurred, the whole world would be affected.

Avian Flu (HSN1) aka GÇ£Bird FluGÇ¥

The biggest Pandemic Flu threat is known as the GÇ£HSN1GÇ¥ virus. This strain of virus is more generally referred to as the GÇ£Avian FluGÇ¥ and the GÇ£Bird FluGÇ¥. This is because this virus is spread by birds. The Avian Flu virus is spread by birds from Eastern Asia and neighboring countries. Although the Avian Flu is most commonly found in birds and mammals, there have been a few documented human victims as well. The human factor keeps scientists tracking this very real threat because it is extremely virulent and it continues to evolve rapidly.

GÇ£The PandemicGÇ¥

In 1918, there were 50 million plus deaths worldwide from a Pandemic Flu outbreak. This is the single greatest influenza outbreak in history! Back in those days, there simply wasn't enough public knowledge about treating influenza early and the great GÇ£PandemicGÇ¥ struck on a global level. Besides the millions of deaths, the economy had collapsed as well. The world was in turmoil. The following year, millions were poured into flu research to prevent this tragedy from ever happening again. Even though there were efforts made for flu relief, America soon forgot about the Pandemic and focused their attention on the current concern: WWI. Although the Pandemic had a greater body count than WWI, the war still made a bigger impact worldwide. Go figure.

The Present & The Future

Scientists now have acquired much more data & information on Influenza treatment. Although they have no idea how to predict the next Pandemic and how serious it could be. Health professionals do agree that more funding for research is always a helpful tool in fighting a possible outbreak.The Pandemic of 1918 was a wake up call for the nation. The fact that so many millions of people died from this outbreak is proof that we should not rest on our laurels when it comes to prevention. Prevention starts at the home and everyone should do their part in keeping themselves safe from an Influenza breakout although there is only so much we, as a society, can do. The rest is up to Mother Nature. Technology and modern Science have helped us to become a safer society in general, but the threat of a Pandemic is everGÇöpresent and one that should be taken very seriously.

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