Swine Flu: What Can You Do?

It's not real estate related, but whenever anything of this possible magnitude is in the news and you, our reader, could be affected… we find it necessary to divert our complete attention to real estate and bring you news that is current to the situation.

Swine Flu news is everywhere, and we want to spend this issue helping you understand what it is, and what you need to do about it to keep you and your family safe.

Whether or not swine flu will become a full-blown pandemic remains unclear — but there’s absolutely no question that everyone would benefit from measures to strengthen their immune systems to minimize the likelihood of infection.

According to Daily Health News contributing editor Andrew Rubman, ND, there are a number of particular strategies that are helpful in boosting your immune system in order to be strong enough to fight off the assault of germs. The real danger with a disease like Swine Flu has less to do with exposure than with the state of your health at the moment. Being exposed to a virus doesn't mean you absolutely will get it. Organisms are able to cause disease only when they can get past the body's natural defenses. A strong immune system will help limit the duration and intensity of symptoms.

Dr. Rubman's favorite immune boosters to fight viral infections are:

Selenium - A powerful antioxident. Dr. Rubman recommends a dose of 400 micrograms (mcg) a day divided into three parts – which is about 4 times the usual amount.

Lomatium - This herb was traditionally used by Native Americans to treat upper respiratory infections and is thought to possess antimicrbial properties. Consumers can purchase Lomatium – Osha throat spray. It is most effective if used as soon as possible after a known exposure (such as someone you have been exposed to at work or school who has the flu).

Supplemental vitamin C and D are both very helpful — C in improving mucous membrane resistance, which is how the virus is most commonly transmitted, and D in reducing risk of infection (and if you do get sick, severity).

U.S. scientists hope to have a key ingredient for a swine flu vaccine ready in early May, but caution needs to be understood, even with an approved vaccine, it will take months to get it to market.

If you DO get sick…

In the devastating 1918-1919 flu pandemic, which claimed more US lives than World War I, only 1.05% of those who used homeopathic remedies perished… in contrast to a 28.2% death rate in those who used conventional treatment. That’s a compelling reason to turn to homeopathy.

Homeopathic treatments encourage the body to marshal its own healing resources to fight disease. A particular advantage: Because they are so highly diluted, homeopathic preparations are not associated with the adverse effects of conventional medicines.

Homeopathic medicines come as small pills or drops to be taken under the tongue. Carefully follow instructions on the label for administration and dosage. Always use a spoon (even for pills) because contact with dirt or oil on the skin can potentially inactivate these substances.

When self-treating flu with homeopathic medicine, you should stop taking it once you begin to feel better.

Side effects of these and other homeopathic remedies are rare, but always be on the lookout for unusual symptoms when you take any new medication or supplement. If you already take medication, consult your health care practitioner before taking any remedy.

To find a homeopathic practitioner in your area, visit the Web site of the National Center for Homeopathy at http://www.homeopathic.org  or the American Institute of Homeopathy at http://www.homeopathyusa.org . You also can consult the site of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at http://www.naturopathic.org, because naturopathic physicians are trained in homeopathy.

Last but not least!

Wash your hands often!  It’s age-old advice that remains critical. Wash hands before eating… before leaving the bathroom… and indeed, anytime they are dirty. Wash them anytime you have been in public places and touched things like hand-rails, door knobs, and any other surface where someone else may have touched.

Flu viruses can live on inanimate surfaces. So theoretically, you could get swine flu from touching a doorknob that was just touched by an infected person. However, that's pretty unlikely, according to Dr. Arthur Reingold, head of epidemiology in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley.

"I personally would not have a major fear of environmental contamination," he said. "Virtually all influenza is transmitted from sneezing and coughing" adding that "flu viruses don't survive in large numbers on surfaces.  A doorknob isn't a warm, nourishing environment for a virus."

Nevertheless, it is a good idea to carry a bottle of antibiotic waterless handwash with you and use it often. 

Some common questions people have been asking everywhere about Swine Flu include:

Q. Should we all be panicking?

A. "Absolutely not," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Swine flu, he said, "is not spreading all that rapidly. 

But, Schaffner added, this doesn't mean we shouldn't pay attention to swine flu. "We should be alert, keep up with the information coming out daily, and take control by being attentive to your hygiene. Wash your hands very, very frequently and avoid people who are coughing and sneezing."

Q. How close do you have to be to a sick person to get swine flu?

"You can acquire this infection if you're within the 'breathing zone' of a sick person, which is about three to six feet," Schaffner said. "And we usually mean being this close to someone in a confined space. We're not talking about fleeting contact. We're not talking about walking past someone in the street. You need sustained contact."

"If you're standing next to someone on a bus, or sitting next to someone or in front of someone in a theater, you could acquire the infection in that fashion," Schaffner said. That's why people with the symptoms of any kind of flu — fever, diarrhea, body aches, vomiting, etc. — are urged to stay home and away from groups of people.

Q. Doesn't Swine Flu come from contact with pigs?

A. U.S. officials say they may abandon the term swine flu, for fear it's confusing people into thinking they could catch it from pork, which is flat-out wrong.

 Q. Could this new Swine Flu virus have been manufactured by bioterrorists?

A. That's the theory on some conspiracy theorists' Web sites. But experts don't believe it.

"If you were a bioterrorist you'd want to create something that's a lot more deadly than this," said Dr. Gerald Evans, an associate professor of microbiology at Queen's University in Canada. "The problem with influenza is that the second you put it into people, it replicates and mutates very quickly. Even if you created the perfect bioweapon, within a few generations of transmissions, it wouldn't do what you planned for it to do."

Q. What should I do if I develop symptoms of Swine Flu?

A. Call your doctor. Don't just drive there and show up. Follow your doctor's instructions. He/She may not want you in teh waiting room spreading germs to others.

Obama's Foreclosure Plan Killed

The Obama administration lost a bid to add a powerful weapon in its fight against foreclosure after the Senate voted down a proposal to allow bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages.

The defeat left many housing advocates questioning the effectiveness of the president's loan modification plan. The so-called cramdown provision, which would have allowed judges to reduce mortgage principal, would have put pressure on servicers to modify loans before borrowers file for bankruptcy.

The vote comes on the heels of a new report that showed foreclosure starts spiking to a record high in March.  Servicers initiated foreclosure proceedings against 290,000 borrowers, according to Hope Now, a coalition of lenders, servicers, investors and housing counselors. That's the highest monthly total since the group began tracking data in mid-2007.