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Protect Yourself From Swine Flu (H1N1) More
H1N1 Tips here!
What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against
H1N1 flu, but here are some everyday actions that can help prevent
the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza:
- Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep,
be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids
and eat nutritious food.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or
sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after
you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the
flu virus. Germs can be spread when a person touches something
that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes,
nose or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected
person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person
touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface
like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before
washing their hands.
- If you get sick with influenza, stay home from work or school
and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Symptoms of Swine Flu
Symptoms are also similar to a typical flu infection and include
fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated
with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory
failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection
in people, according to the CDC.
Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying
chronic medical conditions.
Swine Flu Treatment
There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed
for use in the US for the treatment of influenza: amantadine,
rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir, according to the CDC.
The most recent swine flu viruses in humans are resistant
to amantadine and rimantadine. At this time, CDC recommends the
use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention
of infection with swine influenza viruses.
There is a vaccine to protect pigs from swine flu, however,
there is currently no vaccine for humans.
More information: www.CDC.gov
* YES YOU CAN!
Great news for all Americans! The U.S. has approved to allow
imported drugs from Canada.
LA Times
The federal government plans to halt a controversial crackdown
on discount drugs mailed from Canadian pharmacies to U.S. customers,
removing a significant hurdle to Americans buying cheaper medications
from abroad.
The Department of Homeland Security, which operates the Customs
and Border Protection agency, disclosed this week that it would
halt confiscation of Canadian drugs Monday and instead conduct
random sampling ...
| Feds: Canadian Drugs Allowed Into U.S.
CBS News WASHINGTON, July 11, 2006 Read Article |
Senate Approves Rx Drug Import Plan CBS News ORLANDO, Fla.,
Oct. 4, 2006 Read Article |
Prescription Drugs Affect Unborn Babies
As reported in USA Today.
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women who use a serotonin reuptake
inhibitor (SSRI) to treat depression or other psychiatric problems
during pregnancy may be putting their infants at risk for neurobehavioral
problems, report investigators publishing in this month's Pediatrics.
The lifetime risk for depression in women ranges from 10 percent
to 25 percent, with the peak prevalence occurring during the
childbearing years. Some reports suggest as many as 14 percent
of pregnant women suffer from depression and up to 35 percent
of women use antidepressants during pregnancy. Studies involving
infants exposed to SSRIs in the womb have shown few ill effects,
so most doctors believe these drugs can be safely prescribed
for pregnant women. However, most of these studies have only
compared major outcomes, such as physical growth and complications
evident on the medical record.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill studied 17 full-term newborns whose mothers had taken an
SSRI during pregnancy and 17 similar infants whose mothers had
not taken one of the drugs, assessing them for more subtle neurobehavioral
differences. They found infants exposed to SSRIs in the womb
were more likely to have had a shorter gestational age, and were
also more likely to suffer from a range of neurobehavioral problems,
including nervousness, startles, and sleep disturbances. After
adjusting the findings for gestational age, differences in nervousness
and sleep disturbances remained significant.
Researchers conclude, "Results of the present study call
into question the conclusion that SSRI use during pregnancy has
little impact on the developing fetus and infant outcome."
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical
Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to:
http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Pediatrics, 2004:113:368-375
Internet pharmacies applaud U.S.
Fri, 18 Jun 2004 WINNIPEG -CBC INDEPTH: Cross-border Rx
Canada's internet pharmacies are welcoming a new American report
that they say vindicates their industry. A report by the American
General Accounting Office – the equivalent of Canada's auditor
general – found prescription drugs from Canadian websites
pose fewer risks than medications purchased from online pharmacies
in other countries. In fact, some Canadian internet pharmacies
had stricter standards even than those in the United States,
said David MacKay, director of the Canadian International Pharmacy
Association. MacKay expects the report to soften Washington's
stance. "It should block some of the criticisms coming from
the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration]. It will allow certain
senators who might have been on the bubble to vote for a piece
of legislation that will legalize importation." The safety
of drugs ordered online from Canada has been a major issue as
the American Senate holds hearings to decide whether to legalize
importation.
Washingtonians find Canada the prescription for savings.
By Ross McLaughlin
KIRO 7 EYEWITNESS NEWS
SEATTLE -- Americans spend $120 billion a year on prescription
medications, more per person than consumers anywhere else in
the world. And the cost keeps going up. KIRO-7 Eyewitness News
Consumer Investigator Ross McLaughlin discovered what some Washington
state residents are doing about it.
For Frank and Betty Montgomery, pills are a part of their
daily diet. They take medications for diabetes, blood pressure
and cancer. Last year, the couple spent nearly $6,000 on prescriptions.
That's more than 30 percent of their income.
"It doesn't come cheap," said Frank Montgomery.
"We're living on Social Security, that's all." The
Montgomerys have had to take out a second mortgage on their house
to stay out of the red. And prescription drug prices keep going
up.
"Every time we get them, they go up four dollars more,
eight dollars more for a prescription," said Montgomery.
KIRO-7 went searching for a better price. We found a place
where consumers can save hundreds of dollars.
Take Frank Montgomery's diabetes medication, Glynase, for
example. He's been paying $105 a month. We found it for a fraction
of the price -- about $14, or a difference of more than $90.
Or how about Betty Montgomery's Tamoxifen to help fight breast
cancer? It costs her more than $91, but we found it at just $11
-- an $80 difference.
Where did KIRO-7 find these cheap prices? In Canada.
We persuaded Frank Montgomery to drive from his Bothell home
to a walk-in clinic in Surrey, just across the Canadian border.
The visit
cost just $28, and the Canadian doctor reviewed and phoned in
Montgomery's prescriptions. By the time Montgomery arrived at
the drug store, the prescriptions were ready. When he heard the
total, $121 U.S., he was speechless. His savings? About $547,
or 80 percent. How can this be? The Canadian government limits
the cost of prescription drugs. Drug companies are not allowed
to advertise, and no markup on drugs is allowed at pharmacies.They
make their money by charging a small dispensing fee.
Also, there is a huge generic drug industry in Canada. There
are even generics for drugs like Prozac, which have no generics
in the United States. And some drugs, like Claritin, that require
prescriptions in the United States are sold over the counter
at a much lower cost in Canada.
As word gets around, more and more Washington residents are
making the trip north and cashing in on the savings.
"Boy, now I can afford to buy meat," said Montgomery.
"I'm going to come up here every time my prescriptions need
filling."
There have been no problems in crossing the border, said KIRO-7
reporter McLaughlin. Just make sure you have documentation proving
the medications are for personal use.
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