THURSDAY, Nov. 5, 2009 (Health.com) — A preliminary report suggesting that N95 respirators—filtering devices worn over the mouth and nose—protect against swine flu better than surgical face masks seems to be incorrect, researchers revealed during a meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
In fact, surgical face masks, which are cheaper and easier to [...]
MONDAY, Oct. 12, 2009 (Health.com) — An analysis of the sickest swine flu patients in Australia, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand suggests that relatively healthy adolescents and young adults are among the most likely to get very sick after an H1N1 infection, a pattern similar to that seen in the 1918 influenza pandemic.
Almost all critically [...]
Swine flu vaccines are rolling out this month—finally. Health-care workers in Indiana and Tennessee were the first to get the nose-spray version, while New Yorkers clamoring for the H1N1 vaccine finally had their chance too.
However, the onslaught of information about H1N1—be it playground rumors, employer signs telling you to cover your cough, memos from your [...]
No one wants the aches, fever, and nausea associated with influenza—especially not fibromyalgia patients who already deal with chronic pain and discomfort on a daily basis. But is a shot the best option for people with potentially compromised immune systems?
Jessica Capelle, a 35-year-old part-time lawyer from Houston, wants to get a flu shot this year. [...]
Flu season is here, and this year, people are actually taking notice. The outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, commonly known as swine flu, has people reevaluating the way they live, travel, interact with each other, and even how they eat.
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the virus a pandemic in June, and [...]
Pseudoephedrine
(SOO-doh-eff-ed-rin)
What is it? Commonly found in nonprescription cold and allergy medications like Sudafed and Advil Cold & Sinus, pseudoephedrine eases stuffy noses by shrinking swollen blood vessels in your nasal passages, says John Sundy, MD, an asthma and allergy specialist at Duke University Medical Center.
The buzz: Meds with pseudoephedrine were moved behind the pharmacy counter [...]
MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2009 (Health.com) — The cold, dry air of winter can give you chapped lips, cracked hands, and now, a study suggests, a better chance of getting the flu. A new analysis of previous data shows that in low-humidity conditions, the influenza virus is more likely survive, possibly giving it a better shot [...]
Are you sniffling, sneezing, and coughing? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t relish the thought of lacing up your sneakers and hitting the road (or the gym) when you have a cold or flu. But those who persevere when they’re sick and don’t break their exercise routine may be on to something. Some [...]
Think antibiotics are a quick fix for a stuffy nose, cough, and sore throat? You’re not alone. Tom Campbell, MD, a family physician from Rochester, N.Y., says that patients often plead for antibiotics for garden-variety cold symptoms, saying everything from “The last time it helped me completely” to “I have to go to my daughter’s [...]
No matter where you go in life, somebody’s sneezing, and possibly spreading colds, the flu, or other infections. Strangers on the elevator, kids at day care, even those self-important colleagues who refuse to take sick days—they all pose a risk. Avoiding germy people is your best defense, but boosting your immunity is just as important [...]
