What is H1N1 & What Are the Swine Flu Symptoms? Are You and Your Family at Significant Risk?

An outbreak of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) has recently caused concerns of a worldwide pandemic. As of this writing, the World Health Organization (also known as WHO) reports that thirty-nine countries have documented cases of the disease.



So, what is H1N1? The H1N1 virus, frequently called the swine flu is a virus that causes influenza in humans. The virus has gone through a recent mutation into its current form. Due to this mutation, humans have no protection from the disease. This is why authorities are worried about the chance of a pandemic.



The virus contains 2 genes from a typical pig virus, 1 gene from the avian flu virus, and 1 gene from human influenza virus. So now that we've responded to the query of what is H1N1, what about the symptoms? The symptoms of the H1N1 swine flu virus in people are similar to the those of the typical seasonal influenza virus. They include: fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A number of people have also reported diarrhea and nausea.



And, like the seasonal flu, severe illnesses and death has happened as a result of illness associated with this serious disease. In the U. S. alone, about 36,000 people die each year from flu related issues.



Now that we've covered what is H1N1 and its symptoms, how about H1N1 complications and special risk factors? Typically the following people are at a major risk for complications: people 65 years of age and older, youngsters below the age of five, pregnant individuals, and those with certain chronic conditions. problems. These chronic conditions consist of people with asthma, diabetes, COPD, and people with compromised immune systems. This includes those taking immunosuppressant drugs. People with any of the risk factors above should consult with their physician even before a flu onset occurs.



Medical professionals are worried that a worldwide pandemic could occur at any time. Pandemics seem to spread in waves and frequently pass around the planet 2 or 3 times. The 2nd or third wave is frequently more serious than the 1st. This is how it happened in the 1918 flu pandemic which is thought to have killed at least 50 million people. It is possible a more significant outbreak of the disease will occur during the normal flu season.



If you are worried about the safety your family, or know someone that has some of the special risk factors stated above, do some swine flu preparation. Take steps today to protect yourself and your loved ones from the swine flu. Once a pandemic strikes, it could be too late to do anything.

Type 1 Diabetes Causes and Symptoms - Are You at Risk?

Juvenile Diabetes



For many years, Type 1 Diabetes has been referred to as Juvenile Diabetes. Most often, the people who are diagnosed with this type of diabetes are children and young adults. Insulin is a natural hormone found in your body that helps the body to convert sugar, starches, and other foods into the energy that is needed to sustain life. People are diagnosed with diabetes type I when their body fails to produce enough insulin to properly convert the intake of sugars and starches into energy.



Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease - a disease that results in the body's failure to fight infections naturally. Autoimmune diseases cause the body to begin attacking its own cells. In this type of the disease, the cells that are attacked are the beta cells in the pancreas that produce the insulin that turns sugars and starches into the energy needed for your body to function properly.



Cause and Length of Illness



Though the cause of this type of diabetes is unclear, there are several things that we do know about this disease. It is a lifelong, yet often manageable disease. Lifestyle and genetics play a large role in the onset and diagnosis of this diabetes type. It is not contagious like a cold; therefore it cannot be passed from one person to another. Diabetes is not caused from eating sweets. One symptom is that the body fails to produce the hormone that turns sugars and starches into energy - but consuming sugars and starches do not cause the disease.



What To Do if You Are Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes



If you are diagnosed with this Diabetes type, the first thing that you should do is to avoid panicking. This is a serious and lifelong illness, though in many cases it can be successfully managed with the proper care and diet. Maintaining your overall health is the first step to successfully managing diabetes.



Type 1 Diabetes can sometimes lead to other, more serious health conditions - such as heart attack and stroke. While maintaining a healthy lifestyle may not prevent the onset of these other illnesses, it may increase the onset of the illnesses and can help to lessen the effects of these illnesses dramatically. Skin disorders can also be caused by diabetes; therefore, it is important to maintain a routine regimen of skin care that may help to delay or even avoid the onset of skin diseases associated with diabetes.



Diabetes Type I could place you at a higher risk for contracting gum diseases and other mouth-related problems. It is important to maintain a proper oral hygiene regimen in order to reduce the risks of illnesses associated with the mouth. Proper eye care and early detection of problems can contribute to saving your sight. Blindness is often associated with diabetes. Nerve damage or poor blood flow associated with this type of diabetes can cause a diabetic to develop many different types of foot problems. It is important that you follow some basic guidelines that will help you protect your feet and avoid the onset of foot-related problems.



Lifestyle choices can help or hinder your management of Type 1 Diabetes. It is very important that you maintain a healthy lifestyle, complete with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and proper hygiene. In that fashion, there are some things that you should completely avoid or limit.



Smoking is a habit that contributes to the deterioration of your health, especially if you have been diagnosed with a disease that already affects your health, Smoking is definitely something that should be avoided - and is a good idea even if you have not been diagnosed with diabetes. While alcohol consumption should be limited, it is not completely necessary to avoid all consumption of alcohol. If your diabetes is under control and if you are free of any of the health problems associated with diabetes that can be made worse by alcohol consumption, such as nerve damage or high blood pressure, it is often okay to have the occasional social drink. Stress is also something that can contribute to increasing the affects of Type 1 Diabetes. While stress cannot always be avoided, it is essential to both your physical and your mental health to learn how to handle stress in a healthy manner.

Warning Signs of Diabetes - Are You at Risk?

Only a doctor can tell you if you have diabetes or not, but if you're worried for yourself or a loved one, and would like to know some of the more common warning signs of diabetes, I invite you to read.



Frequent urination is one of the big warning signs of diabetes, due to the fact that the kidneys try to get extra water from the blood in order to dilute the glucose. This means that your bladder will be kept full, causing you to go to the bathroom fairly often.



Feeling thirsty all the time is another one of the warning signs of diabetes. If you notice that you just feel like you can't get the right amount of water, and you know that you're drinking more than usual, it's a red flag for diabetes. This is exceptionally true if you find yourself going to the bathroom more often. The frequent urination will dehydrate you, causing you to need more water.



Unexplained weight loss can be another sign. This is more prominent with type1, though it happens with type2 at a much more gradual pace. This is a result of your cells running without glucose. It will in stead draw energy from muscle tissue and fatty cells, causing the person to lose weight.



Fatigue and weakness is yet again due to your body's glucose level. What we eat usually get transferred into energy for our body, but when our insulin goes missing, this doesn't happen. It results, needless to say, in us feeling sleepy and weak.



Though there are still many other warning signs of diabetes, the last big sign is tingling and/or numbness in your extremities. It's called neuropathy, and it happens over time as constantly high blood sugar damages a person's nervous system. This has a huge impact especially on hands, legs, and feet. Because it happens gradually, some people do not notice.

Symptoms Of Diabetes In Children - Could Your Child Be At Risk?

When you look at a person with diabetes, you'd never know it, they look healthy on the outside.



But it's what you don't see that is so bad.



The disease elevates the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. As blood sugars remain high, over time, complications such as blindness, kidney failure, amputations, heart disease, and severe nerve damage can occur.



The quality of your child's life may depend on being able to recognize the symptoms of diabetes in children.



Diabetes in children has reached almost epidemic proportions. The incidence of this chronic and sometimes deadly disease is predicted to continue to rise.



Unfortunately for parents, sometimes it can be hard to identify the symptoms of diabetes in children. Read the list below and you'll understand why often symptoms of diabetes aren't recognized early.



When they are, doctors can help immediately with treatment and help you to maintain and control the diabetes.



Symptoms of diabetes in children and adults are:



o Frequent thirst - You may just be thinking your child drinks a lot.



o Frequent infections - Many consider this just a part of childhood.



o Blurred Vision - Your child may not tell you as the blurred vision can come and go. It's not always constant.



o Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal - It's easy to think the injury was just a "bad one" and it's taking longer to heal.



o Tingling/numbness in hands or feet - Again you child may not notice or tell you about it as it's not usually constant.



o Frequent urination - Many just think it comes from drinking more.



o Extreme hunger - Often parents think their child is going through a "growth spurt" and just requires more food.



o Unusual weight loss - This symptom does normally make parents concerned. If the child has bee overweight, parents sometimes think .....Great, the weight is finally coming off.



o Irritability - Can often be labeled as parent/child confrontations. Also many parents of teens just think it's a normal part of the teenage years.



You won't see all of this at once. You will notice one of them, then a month or two latter something else...



What To Do If You See Symptoms Of Diabetes In Children



Get your child tested for diabetes IMMEDIATELY. Don't wait. The test is simple and painless. The longer you wait the more difficult the disease can be to control.



These symptoms may not even be noticed until the disease in is full force. It's important to learn to recognize these symptoms. With early detection children with type 2 diabetes can learn to control the disease with diet and exercise.



Left untreated the symptoms of diabetes in children results in more defined and difficult treatment. Medications and insulin must often be used to control diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that should not be taken lightly.



There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2.



Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body no longer produces insulin.



Type 2, the most common type of diabetes occurs when the body develops a resistance to insulin, or does not produce enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes, once labeled adult onset diabetes, has become more and more prevalent in children.



Research has documented two primary factors contributing to the rise in type 2 diabetes in children. The factors are: 1) children today are more inactive, and 2) unhealthy diets in children. Today's lifestyle of fast-food meals, TV, computers, and hand-held games has put many at risk of developing symptoms of diabetes in children.



Diabetes in children is a serious threat. Take control of your child's future today. Make sure they have a healthy diet including fresh fruits and vegetables. Keep your children active. They won't be deprived if they don't spend hours a day watching TV or playing computerized games. You could be saving their life.



You may get a few weird looks and complaints, but what's that compared to the health of your child?