Is Gas a Major Concern for You?

Imagine this… you lay out an elaborate dinner or lunch spread, and invite over dozens of people and you hear someone who says that her husband has gas and can’t stomach even a salad. You hear the pain in to voice and can imagine the expression on his face and have a great well of sympathy for them. This person is not alone. He is just one, one in the large company of people who suffer the same problem of “GAS”.

What exactly is gas and why do some people have it and other doesn’t? Gas is slang for flatulent dyspepsia. The most common source of gas formation in the human stomach is when gas is swallowed because of faulty eating habits like keeping irregular eating habits. Then there’s this valve between the stomach and the esophagus, which if lax allows the air to enter the canal. This is another source of gas buildup.

Thirdly, when pancreatic bicarbonate neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in the stomach and carbon dioxide is released, gas is caused. Finally a fourth source is when gas enters the bloodstream and diffuses into the stomach and intestine. Also, if some eatable cannot be digested, they get fermented by the colonic bacteria and get passed out as carbon dioxide.
In Asians, there is a tendency for gas formation from eating certain vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage and beans, besides certain foods that contain carbohydrates. Though cauliflower is a rich source of vitamins such as A,B and C and iron and other minerals, it is otherwise not so useful and should be taken in limited quantities to avoid gas.

Doctors have said that the very act of chewing could get gas to enter the GI tract. Sipping water in between bites is another way for gas to make an entrance. Fizzy drinks are also not the best option as they also cause gas. We are at particular risk from milk products because they generally lack in the enzyme lactose. Too much of any dairy product can cause gas to build up in the stomach.

What exactly happens from gas build up? Well, it actually differs from person to person depending on each individual’s accommodation reflex- the stomach wall tension as also the intestines. IN some people with wall tensions, their stomach will not be able to contain more than a certain amount of food. People who suffer from hypertension also find that they cannot stomach too much food. When such thing happens, that causes the buildup of gas.

The symptoms of gas and heart attack are very common and are often mistaken by people. Beware of vegetables and drinks which are mentioned above and should be taken in moderation as they cause gas and also other problems.

The Latest Swine Flu Medical Treatments

As the swine flu, also known as H1N1, continues to sweep its way across the world, people are developing new and unique medications to prevent sickness. While there may not be many scientific and overly-complicated medications like we’re used to, there are simple herbal remedies that a person can find instead.

First off, to know if you have even the slightest sign of the swine flu, you’ll need to know what the symptoms are. Some of the symptoms include: fever, cough, headache, sore throat, runny nose, muscle pains and, occasionally, vomiting and diarrhea. For some most people, the symptoms are mild and self-limited. If a person has these symptoms, they are highly advised to visit their doctor where they can easily be tested with a nasal swap.

For people who are more accustomed to medications prescribed by the doctor, they can use Tamiflu and Relenza. Tamiflu is a pill that is taken twice per day for 5 days and Relenza is an inhaled medication. However, for people who like to use more natural remedies, they can eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and consume high protein foods. The herbs and foods that a person could also use are: lomatium, reishi mushrooms, garlic, pau d’arco, beta glucan and colloidal silver.

Whichever form of medication that you choose to use, the best way to prevent the slightest form of sickness is to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water daily. Keeping yourself away from others who may be infected with swine flu and maintaining the cleanliness of the home are also effective methods in preventing yourself from becoming sick.

Death Toll of Swine Flu

Since the first outbreak of swine flu in Mexico, the sickness has spread to many places in both North America and Central America. However, the flu is gradually making its way to many other countries around the world. Countries, such as Spain, Austria, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Ireland, Israel, Germany, Italy Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Luckily, those countries have not reported any deaths, only causes of the person being infected.

Out of all the countries reported having swine flu, there has been one major country that has, obviously, been the most affected: Mexico. From what has been reported, Mexico has suffered 506 infections and 19 deaths. The second most affected country is America. The United States has recorded 226 laboratory confirmed infections and one death. Third is Canada and Spain is forth, neither of which have death counts. These statistics are valid as of May 3, 2009 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO has officials stress that there is no risk of infection from this virus from utilization of well-cooked pork and other pork products. However, people are asked to rinse their hands carefully with soap and water on a regular basis. If a person begins to develop symptoms of influenza-like illnesses, they should seek medical attention. Also, if you wish to keep track of the latest on the swine flu pandemic, you can visit the WHO website. WHO updates their information daily.

Can We Prevent Swine Flu Outbreaks In Future?

What is the best way to prevent the swine flu from becoming the serious pandemic that the world was fearing? Some say that it is important to develop a vaccine for this particular strain of influenza NOW, rather than waiting to see if it becomes a problem. However, if the threat really never does materialize, then those vaccine resources for development and implementation will be wasted while other more serious vaccines could have and should have been developed.

Each year, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) analyzes flu patterns to see which vaccines they will develop. They have to consider the severity of the flu symptoms as well as the nature of the flu strain and how quickly it spreads from person to person. Considering the statistics so far, possibly we were overly concerned about the swine flu and what it could do. Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to look into the future and see how damaging it can become in the months head—and specifically, next winter.

For now, it seems that what countries are doing is working:

Warning against unnecessary travel to areas where the flu is spreading
Watching for those who are sick at the border and airports—and turning them away
Closing schools when flu cases break out
Using filter masks
Quarantining those who are confirmed to be sick with the swine flu
Discouraging physical contact in public such as in churches
In severe cases, closing or limiting businesses where people congregate (restaurants, night clubs, sport centers, etc.) and public transportation

Latest Information on People Leaving Mexico

Since the swine flu has become such a pandemic, people have been evacuating Mexico like they were going to be the next victim. Citizens from countries all around the school have fled from Mexico wearing protective face masks and, most possibly, aren’t going to go back until the swine flu is strictly under control.

Colleges that were holding educational programs in Mexico have quickly brought their students back. Dartmouth, the college that has done such, evacuated eleven undergraduates, a faculty member and a teaching assistant back to the United States soon after April 29, 2009. Not only that but celebrities, who were on vacation at the time, hurriedly fled back to their American, or other country homes. However, the swine flu is also in the US. There has only be one reported death, thus far, but the numbers are rapidly climbing.

When the death toll reached about 150 people, worried Australians, and many other foreigners, practically took the first flight out of Mexico. The Australians became exceptionally worried because the amount of deaths was just one step away from signaling the World Health Organizations’ (WHO) alert status. With the death toll climbing the WHO would authorize that the international borders of Mexico be shut down, making it so everyone inside the country was trapped. This is the exact reason as to why so many tourists are fleeing from Mexico.

However, even with the number of death, people should indeed remember that the swine flu is, most times, no more hazardous than the average seasonal flu.

Did We Beat Swine Flu or Is Just the First Phase Over?

Confirmed reports of the swine flu continue to rise. In the United States, the number of confirmed cases rose slowly from late April to the first week in May. However, the turning point came during the second week in May when the numbers increased significantly each day. The largest one-day increases occurred from May 7th to May 9th. On May 7th, 896 cases had been reported to date, which increased to 1639 cases on May 8th—a 83% increase in one day. The next day was another large jump—although not quite as dramatic: 1639 cases to 2254 cases on May 9th—a 37% increase.

However, the following days’ increases significantly dropped off: 12% increase on May 10 and 3% increase on May 11. Hopefully, this rate will continue to drop and we can see the end of this current pandemic of swine flu. Of course, only time will tell whether we have truly beaten the swine flu and we can go back to business as usual. Unfortunately, previous pandemics have shown similar patterns where the first phase is quite mild and then once the following fall and winter seasons cycle through, a more devastating crop of the same influenza hits.

The 1918 Spanish Flu began with mild cases in June and July of that year, and then the worst hit in the fall and winter, killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide and infecting one third of the world’s population. Considering how much more mobile our current society is, it would be in our best interest to heed the warnings of the past and remain vigilant to stop the spread of the swine flu. However, it is also true that our health care, antiviral medications, general living conditions, and understanding of viruses are much improved over the last 100 years, so hopefully, that will weigh heavily in our favor.

Is Swine Flu Vanishing?

Around 2618 cases of the swine flu (H1N1) have been confirmed in the U.S. in 44 states. Three U.S. deaths have occurred stemming from the swine flu. Mexico remains fairly constant with 1626 cases and 48 deaths. After Mexico and the U.S., Canada is the next country to be hardest hit with 284 cases and 1 death. Worldwide, 4694 cases of swine flu have been reported in 30 countries. So although the flu is still spreading, the number of cases and deaths are very slow to rise—at least slow from what was feared.

So what does this mean? Is the worst over? What can we expect from here? One thing that has kept the numbers down is the incredible vigilance that schools, governments, employers, and other public arenas have taken to discourage those who are sick from continuing with their normal routine. School closures for a single outbreak of anything is practically unheard of—and yet, this strategy undoubtedly helped to keep the spread of the virus to a minimum. So as long as we don’t get complacent and think we don’t have to worry anymore, it seems reasonable to think that the swine flu will begin its decline over the next few weeks.

Remain vigilant, however, and continue good practices of washing your hands frequently throughout the day, being more aware of those around you in public places, and limiting your possible exposure by refraining from shaking hands.

Be even more diligent if you or a family member is one who is considered a “high risk” individual for swine flu:

Children under 5 years old—and especially those under 2
Adults over 65
Individuals with health conditions that are:
Chronic pulmonary (including asthma)
Cardiovascular (except hypertension)
Hepati, renal, hematological (including sickle cell disease)
Neuromuscular ,neurologic, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus)
Immunosuppression, including that caused by medications or by HIV
Pregnant women
Persons receiving long-term aspirin therapy who are under 19
Individuals who live in nursing homes or other care facilities