Cold and Flu

Assuming you are using it for obstructive sleep apnea, yes, and it may help by allowing deep breathing during sleep to aerate your lower lung lobes to make clearing the sputum easier. Use of guaifenesin (it is in Robitussin brand and generic versions of over the counter expectorant cough medicines and Mucinex) will help loosen secretions, too. Ask your pharmacist for recommendations.

If it is uncomfortable to use the CPAP machine, ask your health care professional if you should temporarily change the settings to make it still effective but more comfortable while your lungs and bronchial tubes are inflamed and irritated from the virus. Also contact them if your delivery system (full mask or nasal only) makes cough, sneezes, or runny nose a problem, there may be another delivery method that you could use during the worst of these symptoms. Keep the unit clean as you have been instructed for regular use.

If you are using the CPAP for reasons other than OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) then get advice from the ordering physician about its use during the flu in your individual situation.

[CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.]

Well, for starters, hay fever is basically an overabundance of mucus excretion due to some form of inflammation of the sinus membrane by an allergen, or a bacteria, or a viral infection. The flu is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses), that affects birds and mammals. Its highly contaigious whilst hay fever is localized to the host (your sinuses).

I had too much mucus and literally went to Thailand to change climate because of it. There they had this medicine called N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine in many different forms right behind the counter. It was sold to smokers to relieve phlegm and this saved my life. The recommended dosage is 1000 milligrams daily. It is priced low at $8 for 100 capsules. See the link in the related links section for a link to a place I've ordered it from before.

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In the US, you can buy Mucinex over the counter which works well for post nasal drip and to thin thick mucus so you can cough it up. There are many over the counter products for stuffy nose that may work for you. Ask your pharmacist for suggestions for products that will work best for your symptoms. If none of the over the counter products work for you, then see your health care professional to see if there is a prescription medicine or procedure that could be done to help your problem.

I can only tell you what happened to me. In May of 2009 I had an upper respiratory infection including severe laryngitis. My Dr prescribed Tamiflu. Note that at this point in time the world was going through the Asian Swine flu scare. I took it for 3 or 4 days without incident. After this initial period, I called my Dr to tell him that I was coughing up green phlegm. I had always been under the assumption that green phlegm was a sign of a bacterial infection. My Dr apparently agreed with that assessment, because he ADDED Augmentin 875 mg to my medications. Please note, I had taken Augmentin many times over many years with no problem.

Within a day, I experienced a SEVERE reaction. Both of my hands swelled up, and were rendered unusable. The pain was excruciating. The first thumb joint where the thumb connects to the hand was the center of the pain. I could not button my shirt, hold a pen, turn a key, open a door, etc. The pharmacist wisely advised me to stop taking both medications immediately, which I did. The pain lasted for over a week. Actually as I recall, the pain took almost a month to entirely go away.

After the the first 4 days I did go toI went to another Dr- an ENT specialist who prescribed a cortisone type drug in a gradually descending dose pack that I don't recall the name of- something like methyl- pred- something or other, but it cured me in short order. In short, Tamiflu plus Augmentin was NOT ok for me.

Vaccines are usually small amount of the disease you are trying to prevent. Introducing small amounts of the virus or bacteria, whether it is live or inactive, stimulate your immune system to strengthen its defenses against that germ.

Usually, yes. However, if you have a fever with the cough, you should wait until the fever is over before getting the flu vaccination. They recommend waiting 48 hours after a fever before getting the shot/jab.

Something to consider, though, is whether you may be spreading something with your cough to others when you go out in public with it. If you can wait until the active symptoms are gone, stay home and rest and drink plenty of fluids, you will be being a good neighbor and probably feel better sooner, too.

The injected vaccinations approved for use in the US for H1N1/09 can be given to babies as young as 6 months. Vaccinations are not given to younger babies because their immune systems are not mature enough to deal with the immune response needed for vaccinations to work. It is important that all those in contact with infants under 6 months get their vaccinations so they do not bring home the flu to babies at high risk due to their immature immune systems.

The nasal mist vaccines can be given to children 2 and older.

Check with your pediatrician for the best information on the appropriateness of the vaccinations for your children.

If you are asking (trip as in get high) we do not provide that information on Wikianswers. It is not allowed.

no 98.6 is normal

a few, namely colds and flu. Maby tonsillitis i suppose

It depends on what kind of bacteria you are referring too? I really don't think so. When we are sick and have a cold and you are in bed, at that time we wash our sheets because it's viral but bacteria not quite sure...

avoid cold drinks and drink hot stuff and do not eat sweets.

and don't talk to much, that can exhaust your vocal cords.

make sure you brush your teeth atleast two to three times a day, i get sour throats almost every other month, and this relly helps, also try drinking lots and lots of water, nothing beats water!

Gnu: noun: large African antelope having a head with horns like an ox and a long tufted tail

No.

Sometimes.

I believe there are some situations in which specific jobs requiring interaction with the segment of the public who have a high risk for serious complications or even death from the flu may need to have requirements for vaccination of those employees who work with those at risk to prevent the staff from infecting the high risk population with their diseases and to protect the staff. This would most often be a need in health care service employment for certain positions. I believe that the employers in those areas should be responsible for protecting their employees and their patients.

However, that said, there are also people who, through no fault of their own, can not take vaccinations (e.g., allergies, their own health issues, etc.). Because of this, if there is to be a requirement for vaccination to do the job, there should also be a plan to reassign those employees who can not be vaccinated to other jobs without direct contact with the vulnerable, to protect the employees and to protect the patient population. This is best implemented as a volunteer program with proper education about the pros and cons of vaccination provided to all employees.

There are very many rumors, myths, and a lot of misinformation being passed around about the vaccines for the H1N1/09 flu, and people who listen to this non-scientific and incorrect information become afraid and don't want to get the shot. The risks of having the flu and getting very ill or even dying are low but they are still greater than any risks that might be associated with the vaccination. The vaccination is being made the exact same way and with the exact ingredients as the seasonal flu shots that have a very good safety record over a period of decades now. The only thing different are the pieces of the dead or weak viruses that are used to make it work for swine flu, instead of the same kinds of dead or weak viruses that can't make you sick that are put in the seasonal flu shots to protect from them. People who listen to the misinformation and don't get the shots are putting themselves and others unnecessarily at risk.

Beware of lies around: religious, lies of Churches, of science, political, international, of tradition, lies of all sort. Lev Tolstoy The Law of Love and the Law of Violence

Did you know 9/11 was just a controlled demolition of crumbling buildings, used as a chance to spread fear - to exalt the role of the government in the eyes of tax PAYERS?

They usually don't, but they can. Typically only a few drops on a band aid. They are usually given IM (intramuscularly) and so there is a possibility that the needle will go through and break a small blood vessel as it moves through the skin and subcutaneous tissue into the muscle. That blood can move out to the surface of the skin through the needle track. They almost always stop bleeding in a matter of a few seconds to a few minutes. If they do not, try holding pressure on the spot until the bleeding does stop. If it continues for more than a half hour or if it bleeds briskly or large amounts, then you should contact your health care professional or the person who gave the injection to report it and get instructions.

There are many drug manufacturers world wide who are competing for the flu vaccine business. Each makes their own version. For example, some contain different preservatives and some are made with "live" virus particles (in the US, the nasal sprays) and others with "dead" virus particles (the types for injection).

Each manufacturer also may make different formulations of the vaccine to be administered in different ways and to different people. Those who have suppression of the immune system can not take the live virus vaccines, for example. Some have contraindications for people of different ages or medical history or for those with allergy to the specific preservatives used.

Each flu season in the US we have a new recommendation from epidemiologists for what virus particles are expected to be causing the flu in our location in that season which determines which virus subtypes and strains will be included as the antigen in the vaccine. There are three of these selected each year to be put into the one annual vaccine. This is why there is a new vaccine formulation each season adjusted to include the appropriate types of flu viruses that we need to be protected from that year.

If by alcohol you are referring to rubbing alcohol, yes it can render the H1N1 virus inactive ("killed") IF used properly. That means washing a surface area (or your hands) with soap and water or other cleaning solution FIRST. Then briskly wipe down the area with the rubbing alcohol. Keep in mind alcohol works better on bacteria than viruses, and that you must wait until the alcohol has evaporated before an area can be considered "germ free". Also, the recommended waterless gel hand sanitizers contain about 60-65% alcohol. It is best to wash your hands FIRST, but if unable to, the hand sanitizers are effective, but be sure to use a good glob of it, really COAT your hands, paying attention to the tops as well as the nail beds, and not consider your hands "safe" until it has evaporated from the friction of rubbing your hands together briskly long enough for them to feel dry. Friction and the rubbing action are important to physically remove the virus, it is not simply a chemical action that works to remove or render the virus inactive.

First, get a time machine... just kidding...

How they did cure a cold back then was to treat the symptoms, the same as we do today, since there still is no cure for the common cold.

Viruses, like the Swine Flu Virus, are not really "alive", but in order for them to replicate, they need a compatible host (such as a person or animal like a pig) or other environmental conditions that enable them to not dry up or run out of fuel. Most viruses last about two hours on a non-animate surface, mostly depending on the humidity or other sources of moisture.

Since dollars are paper and fabric, they could hold some additional moisture, so they may remain dormant but viable on that surface a little longer than if they were on a metal doorknob, for instance. Money is a known location for microbes, including bacteria and viruses, to collect and even reproduce, so any time you handle money, it is wise to wash your hands as soon as possible after wards.

One of the often unknown methods of disease transmission is money handling by customers and servers in restaurants. Carrying waterless hand sanitizer with you to use in those circumstances before putting your hands to your mouth again, is a good practice. Responsible restaurants disallow servers from handling money and assign that responsibility to a different worker to avoid contamination to your food and utensils. For more information about common methods of microbe transmission and methods to avoid them, see the related question below.

H1N1 flu causes depend on perspective. Directly, it is the H1N1 swine flu virus that causes swine flu. The vast genetic variability of influenza viruses has made it difficult to give a name to this virus that is both scientifically correct and useful in general parlance. Both "h1n1" and "swine" describe a set of viruses which includes subsets. Neither is specific enough; neither is "h1n1 swine." In July of 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it would refer to the virus responsible for the current outbreak as "h1n1/09," a term that is scientifically and genetically valid, and uses the year of the outbreak to further specify.

Influenza viruses invade human cells, hijack their "machinery," and use the cells to reproduce. Infected cells produce large amounts of specific chemicals that stimulate body's immune response, which in turn causes many of the symptoms common to swine and other types of influenza.

Viruses are incredibly simple biological entities, so simple in fact that there is some debate as to whether or not they can be called "alive." Regardless, this simplicity allows for infinite genetic variation through a process called "reassortment." Through the shuffling of genetic materials, influenza viruses of all kinds (influenza and otherwise) rearrange their makeup as well as their characteristics: what type of species they infect, how they are transmitted, they area of the body (type of cell) they infect, etc. This endless variability forever keeps the body's immune system playing "catch up." Even though exposure to a type of influenza virus produces some degree of immunity, if the virus mutates slightly that immunity may be rendered completely ineffective.

Sometimes two different viruses may "reassort," taking on each other's characteristics. For example, a virus specific to swine may combine with one that can infect humans, creating a new virus that can spread from swine to humans. (The capability to move then from human to human may take an additional mutation.) This is a simplified version of the process that likely produced the h1n1/09 virus.

Additional causes of the h1n1/09 outbreak include the prevalence of global travel and the scale of the industrial meat industry. The state of travel in the modern world means that an infectious disease can easily traverse the world many times over, making containment extremely difficult. It is believed that the h1n1/09 outbreak involved both sides of the world: the virus reassorted and "jumped" from swine to human in Asia before traveling, via human host, to Mexico, where it began to spread and the pandemic began.

Industrial meat production includes keeping extremely large numbers of animals in very tight quarters, providing perfect conditions for the spread and reassortment (mutation) of viruses at an exponentially faster rate than would be found in the wild.

Yes. All the snot you produce with a cold is all the fluid in your body. Where normally without a cold it would just be dirty bacteria building up and so on. Blowing your nose constantly wouldn't blow the virus out, it would just end up making your nose really sore. Just rest and take as much med as you can to help you feel better. A cold isn't curable, but it's handable. Just allow your body to do what it has to do.

Maybe. In the US it has been being included in the annual flu vaccine since it was first developed in time for the 2009-2010 flu season, after the start of the swine flu pandemic in 2009. The annual seasonal flu vaccination includes vaccine for three different types of influenza. These three are chosen in advance by infectious disease doctors and scientists, virologists, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based upon the evidence of what types of flu are most prevalent in other areas of the word that year, and, therefore, are most likely to cause infections here, too. This is also done in coordination with the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations, which they base on reported information from many nations.

It does not hurt to get it each year when it is included in the trivalent (meaning it includes 3 types) vaccines, but it would not be necessary as a separate vaccination if it were not included in the seasonal vaccines. This is because the likelihood of your being exposed to and getting that specific type of flu would have been determined scientifically to be lower than the likelihood of getting others that are included in the trivalent vaccines that year. You would also still have protection from your prior vaccinations for the swine flu, anyway (if you have been properly getting inoculations each year).

Take acetomenophin (Tylenol), two tablets every four hours. You can also put the person in a tepid bath to help bring it down, since this will actually "cool" the body system. But if the fever goes over 102, then call the doctor. A sustained temperature over 102 can get quite serious rather quickly.