Testing It Up

Swine flu can strike at anyone, regardless of age, sex or race. Thousands of cases of swine flu virus infection have been reported across the world, with a few hundred dying of it in 2009. And yet, it is possible to minimize your risk of being infected with the virus and prevent yourself or any family member from becoming sick.

How can you minimize your risk of becoming sick with the swine flu? The first thing you need to do is to stay healthy and manage your stress levels. A healthy and well-rested body is more than capable of fighting off any illness. You should also keep your hands clean and avoid touching public surfaces. These public surfaces may be contaminated with the swine flu virus. Lastly, you should avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose because touching these parts of the body is the fastest way the virus can infect us.

For full version of this article, please visit “Five Tips to Minimize the Risk of Getting Infected with Swine Flu“.

According to new research by John Hopkins University, sleep apnea may put sufferers at a greater risk for chronic disease and death. During the study, which followed 6,400 men and women between the ages of 40 and 70 with the disorder for eight years, those with sever sleep apnea were 46% more likely to die earlier than  those without the condition. Men with sleep apnea saw the risk of death nearly double and faced a much higher rate of cardiovascular disease. Those who had only mild apnea were not at greater risk of dying according to the research. These findings underline the need for treatment and prevention for the disorder which already places it’s sufferers at a greater risk for developing health problems. If you suspect you may have apnea you should discuss your symptoms with your doctor and seek treatment for the disorder.

Researchers have found a compound which destroys certain stem cells that are thought to cause recurrence in cancer after treatment. There is already a large collection of research which proves these stem cells play a part in rebuilding cancer after treatment is thought to have killed the initial tumor.  The stronger tumors associated with these stem cells include those caused by cancers such as breast, lung and prostate cancers among others.

Studying these cells has been a problem however, because they don’t grow as well outside of the human body.  Through a process called epithelial-to-mesynchymal transition researchers of this study were able to produce and test stem cells against thousands of chemical compounds that have been effective against breast cancer. Salinomycin, the compound in question, destroyed lab generated and naturally occurring cancer stem cells, reducing them by a 100 fold and breast tumor re-growth in the mice tested. More research will need to be done before the effects of the compound can be confirmed as effective for humans as they have been for the mice. It’s also hoped that the reason why the chemical is effective can be resolved during further study.

Anyone can get sick of the swine flu. There are already thousands of reported cases of swine flu all over the world, with a few hundreds of people dying from it. It does not matter what age, sex or race you are. The weaker your immune system is, the more susceptible you are to the swine flu virus.

How do you know that you are sick of the swine flu? The symptoms of the swine flu are not that much different from the symptoms of seasonal flu and they include fever, chills, sneezing and coughing, muscle pains and a runny nose. You can recover with enough rest even if you stay at home.

You do need to visit a doctor to get prescription for the right medication. There are also instances where you may need to be rushed to the emergency room, such as difficulty breathing, pain in the chest and abdomen, and incessant vomiting.

For full version of this article, please visit “Am I Sick of Swine Flu? When to See the Doctor for Swine Flu“.