Influenza ...

Influenza ...

Influenza ...

Influenza has a number of unique features that include:

1-Seasonal Seasonality: The influenza
virus causes influenza in winter in the northern hemisphere, in summer in the southern hemisphere and in rainy seasons in the tropics.
2-The ability to change: Influenza virus changes, at a high rate, the structure of the proteins on its surface, so that it deceives the immune system, which produced antibodies against the previous version of it. Thus, influenza can infect the same person more than once.
 3-The spread of the disease on a large scale: When the flu is spread it affects a very large number of children and adults (about one third of children and 10% of adults), resulting in frequent absences from work and school, and creates great pressure on hospitals and clinics.
Incubation period is shorter than (1-4 days). After the incubation period, the following symptoms appear: headache, chills, cough, and later: elevated temperature, mucus and muscle aches. The high temperature lasts between 3-6 days, but coughing with sputum can last up to two weeks. An infected person can transmit the infection for a period of one to two days before the fever rises up to 5 days after rising.

Signs of influenza illness and symptoms that accompany it cause distress and discomfort, but disappear  on their own after a few days. However, the problem of influenza is mainly related to its potential complications, which include: pneumonia , bronchitis , ear infections and complications in the nervous system.

Specific population groups are more likely to have complications from influenza. They include: elderly, patients with chronic respiratory diseases (including Asthma), heart patients, kidney patients, diabetics, patients with congenital or acquired immunodeficiency, who are treated with steroid ) Or chemotherapy , pregnant women and newborns. These groups suffer from a significant increase in the rate of complications of influenza and from high rates of hospitalization and death from the disease and its complications. It is therefore necessary to prevent or minimize the effects of influenza in these groups, to the extent possible.

Common symptoms of influenza include:

Symptoms of flu-flu Influenza disease appears, In its beginnings, colds, nasal congestion, sneezing and sore throat. But colds usually develop slowly, while the flu virus suddenly appears. While colds can be just a transient disturbance, flu is a very bad public feeling.

• Body temperature above 38 degrees in adults and between 39.5 - 40 degrees in children and boys
• Chills and sweating
• a headache
• dry cough
• Muscle pain, especially in the back, arms and legs
• Feeling general weakness and fatigue
• Clogged nose
• Anorexia
• Diarrhea and vomiting in children

Causes and risk factors of influenza-flu

Influenza viruses circulate in the air in very small droplets, from coughing, sneezing or even talking to someone who is sick with flu. These droplets can be inhaled directly from the air, or can be touched by a purpose, such as a telephone device, a computer keyboard, the computer itself or others, and then transferred to the eyes, nose or mouth.
Influenza is divided into three groups of viruses: A, B and C:
Influenza A - can be the leading cause of deadly outbreaks on a global scale, hitting every 10 to 40 years.
Influenza B - causes a more moderate and limited outbreak. Influenza A and B influenza viruses can be, together or separately, the cause of the spread of influenza that appears every winter. However, no correlation was found between the C-type influenza virus and the influenza pandemic.
Influenza C is a relatively stable virus, while viruses of A and B are constantly changing, with new varieties emerging.

The body produces antibodies against the type of flu that has been infected, but these antibodies do not prevent the infection of influenza virus of another kind. Therefore, doctors recommend vaccination against influenza, annually.

The most vulnerable groups are:

• Infants and young children
• Persons over the age of 50 years
• Persons living in shelters for the elderly or in long-term care homes
• People with chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease, kidneys, or lungs
• People who suffer from impaired immune system, due to taking medications or because of HIV
• Pregnant women during the flu season
• Workers in medical and therapeutic institutions or elsewhere likely to be exposed to the influenza virus
• People who are in close and constant contact with infants or children
• Children who have long-term treatment with aspirin may be more susceptible to the flu virus.

Influenza complications

If you are healthy in general, flu will not be a serious risk to your health. Although you are likely to feel very upset , influenza usually disappears without long-term effects.
 But children and the elderly, who are at relatively high risk, may suffer complications, such as:

•  Ear infections
• Acute sinus infections
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Meningitis

Among these complications, Pneumococci, a serious bacterial infection in the lungs, is the most common and dangerous complication, to the extent that it may be fatal for the elderly and chronically ill. Therefore, vaccination against pneumonia and influenza virus provides optimal protection.

Treatment of flu

Flu is treated with drugs to relieve symptoms, such as: medicines to reduce body temperature and to reduce nasal mucus and cough. Recently, two drugs have been introduced into the market to curb the spread of the influenza virus in the body. These drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, are effective only if taken in the first two days of influenza, or as a post-exposure protection.

The drugs used to treat Influenza A and B viruses work by neutralizing the enzyme needed by the virus so that it can grow and spread. If the medication is taken immediately after the onset of the first symptoms of influenza, this will help shorten the duration of the disease by one to two days.
These drugs may cause side effects, such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and breathing problems. It can also lead to the development of antiviral-resistant viruses.
In November 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called on Tamiflu to add a warning label for patients with influenza, especially children, to the risk of self-confounding and tampering with Tamiflu.

The US Food and Drug Administration advises people with influenza who take tamiflu to stay under constant surveillance to detect signs of unusual behavior. In any case, it is recommended that you consult your doctor always before starting any medication, in general, or antiviral medicine in particular.

Prevention of Influenza

The best way to treat the damage and complications of influenza is to prevent disease. However, influenza can not be prevented by a one-time vaccination, but vaccine should be obtained annually to suit new types of influenza viruses.
It is important to vaccinate people at risk before the winter (in September-October). It is also recommended to vaccinate both: healthy adults over the age of 50 years, women who are expected to enter the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the influenza season, and health workers. There is no objection. On the contrary, immunization should be encouraged for children and people not belonging to the most vulnerable groups, especially young children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years, as they may also be exposed to influenza complications.

There are two types of vaccines: the killed virus vaccine, which contains the same influenza virus, the most widely accepted vaccine today, and the live attenuated virus that contains the virus itself is alive, A vaccine is in the process of final certification and licensing, and its advantage is that it is given as a nasal spray to avoid the narrowness of the injection.

Vaccine efficacy: vaccine efficacy is very high (70% - 100%), and there is a correlation between vaccine varieties and disease varieties in the season.
(40% -60%) in the absence of such a match, or when vaccination is given to the elderly and infants, although efficacy against complications of the disease remains high, even in these cases.

The vaccine does not cause the flu. Its side effects are simple and ephemeral, but it is not suitable for people who are allergic to eggs.

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What Are The Benefits Of Laughter

What Are The Benefits Of Laughter  

What Are The Benefits Of Laughter  

Laughter is a form of expression of joy or happiness, and its effects appear externally on the human,
It is part of the human behavior organized by the brain, and laughter helps to clarify one's intentions, increase social interaction and share with others; it is a sign of human acceptance of positive interaction with others. Laughter may sometimes be a contagious phenomenon, which means that laughing at someone may motivate others to laugh at it.

Protect the heart

It turns out that laughter indirectly protects the heart, because mental stress causes a malfunction of the lining that protects the blood vessels, once affected by the lining, it results in some of the reactions that cause the accumulation of cholesterol on the wall of the coronary arteries, which leads to the end of the crisis in the heart, when a person laughs from his heart, the hormone cortisol (the hormone produced when the person is under pressure) is released slightly; so when a person is under pressure and laughs, it reduces the body's secretion rate of cortisol, It also strengthens the body through the secretion of antibodies that fight infection, which prevent atherosclerosis, and then the injury of human angina or heart attacks.

Increase activity in the morning and sleep in the evening

Researchers said that laughing a hundred times has the same effect as exercising on a wheel for 15 minutes; laughter works to activate the respiratory system, diaphragm, abdominal area, facial muscles, legs and back.

It has been shown that people with spinal pain and can not sleep, if they laughed for ten minutes can sleep for about two hours without pain.

Increase the efficiency of the immune system

Stress limits the efficiency of the immune system. A sense of humor increases the body's ability to fight infection by secreting antibodies and enhances the presence of immune cells. When we laugh, natural cells that destroy tumors and viruses increase, and the body excites proteins that fight the enemy.

There are other benefits to laughter, including:

Laughter brings happiness and psychological peace, gives you regenerating and increases your ability to meditate and relax.
Beneficiaries of bronchitis and asthma crises by raising the proportion of oxygen in the blood entering the lung.
When you laugh you strain everyone who causes you distress makes you laugh look more youthful, and develops the spirit of participation, the spirit of teamwork.
Laughter renews energy, makes you more and more pleasant and brightens your eyes.
The laughter gives you self-confidence and develops your creative ability.
Laughter makes you think transparently, breaks your conservative nature and reduces snoring; it helps to relax your larynx muscles, elevates your mental performance, keeps your information as long as possible, and strengthens your memory.

Types of treatment

Laugh with humor treatment
He relies on humor in self-therapy, using methods of books, entertainment programs, movies, and novels that encourage patient laughter.

It can be done individually or in the form of therapeutic groups, but the second does not come to the desired result, especially if the doctor is the person who provides the treatment and not the patient himself; because it is difficult for all patients involved in the joke to see the material presented to them as a "joke" to help them raise their spirits, may not find some of the thing in question.

Treatment with the clown

In the hospital and specialized treatment centers, the "clown", which is part of the treatment, is located by passing through the rooms and performing many tasks that help the treatment, especially for children: magic, play, music, fun, or tenderness for the child.

One of the benefits of this treatment is that it strengthens the spirit of cooperation in children, reduces anxiety in the child who wants to have a permanent presence with him, reduces the need to use sedatives in some, reduces the pain, and stimulates the efficiency of the functions of the immune system.

We find that this type of treatment is not limited to hospitals only, but can be employed in shelters for children, nurseries, places of war and prisons.

Treatment with laughter stimuli

Here, the doctor prepares a "laugh stimuli file" for the patient, by collecting information from the person who wants this type of treatment about the things that motivate him to laugh since childhood from the positions and jokes he prefers.

Through this information, the doctor trains the individual on some exercises that he exercises to stimulate laughter, and reminds him of the importance of social relations as part of the treatment.

The doctor has a great responsibility: how to differentiate between what the patient interprets as a teaser from his point of view, and what is not a joke, which is not easy.

The treatment of yoga 

This yoga is similar to traditional yoga and can be practiced in a group or club.

The yoga is either for supplementary or preventive treatment, and is a 30-45 minute exercise led by a trainee. The following steps include breathing exercises, yoga, and lengthening with laughter.

In this type we do not need to use or resort to laughing materials.

Laughter Meditation 

This type of person can be performed alone without resorting to medical advice or specialized assistance.

Laughter Meditation is  an exercise that lasts for about 15 minutes and is more useful with people who find it difficult to laugh. The laughter exercise consists of three stages:

Prolonged phase: A person directs all his energies to lengthen every muscle of his body without laughter.

Laughter stage: the person begins to laugh gradually with a smile until it reaches deep laughter from the stomach or acute.

Meditation stage: The person stops laughing and closes his eyes and breathes without a sound with a sharp focus.

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Five Health Goals For The New Year

Five Health Goals For The New Year

Five Health Goals For The New Year

Before the start of the new year, many of us set goals to be achieved during the coming year. These goals vary according to different interests and priorities, with goals related to career advancement, saving a certain amount of money, consolidating family and family relationships or other religious and spiritual goals. Think about these goals and how to achieve them. Some of them forget to set health-related goals, so in this article we try to help put five health goals for the new year.

There are many health goals that can be chosen to achieve during the new year in order to achieve a healthier life. However, the major problem lies in achieving these goals.  Research indicates that only 46% of people who make a specific decision to change one of their habits continue to implement it for more than six months, while 25% of them stop implementing that decision after only one week of taking it, for this, we have chosen five health goals this year that are simple goals that can be easily achieved to ensure their implementation, but they have a great impact on changing our health for the better.

1. Change the sizes and colors of dishes

The size and color of the dishes we eat greatly affect the amount of food we eat and therefore our weight. Research suggests that using large-sized dishes leads us to fill up with a large amount of food, so using smaller sized dishes reduces the amount of food we eat. Healthy food is also recommended for larger dishes and other foods in smaller dishes. In addition, the color of the dishes in which we eat our food plays a role in quantity. A contrast between the color of the dish and the color of food leads us to fill it in a smaller amount according to one study. So be sure to have smaller dishes in a good year, and carefully choose their colors.

2. More communication with family and friends

Staying in touch with family and friends will improve your health. Some studies suggest that strong social ties can give you a long healthy life. In fact, not communicating with parents and friends and engaging in isolationism and loneliness has serious health consequences. . According to many research, loneliness is more dangerous to health than obesity and lack of exercise,
Equilibrium and isolation of health are also equated with smoking and alcoholism. So be sure to communicate with family and friends and spend a lot of time with them in the new year, and not just communicate through the various means of communication and the Internet only.

3. Proper dental care

Everyone thinks that once they brush their teeth and putty once a day they have done what they need to take care of their teeth. In fact, this is not enough at all. Dental hygiene requires washing teeth, gums and tongue twice a day, as well as cleaning the teeth with a thread of cleaning the teeth at least once a day, in addition to visiting the dentist for periodic examination regularly. All of these habits will make your teeth free from cavities and protect you from periodontal disease, which means keeping your teeth in the new year and the years that follow it throughout your life.

4. Reduce the use of the smartphone

The use of the smartphone large periods may affect our health in a very negative way, and in many ways, using the smartphone to surf the Internet for long periods cause pain in the neck, back, elbow and thumb. In addition, the light from the mobile phone screens leads to eye fatigue and damage to the cornea, and it affects sleep and its quality very negatively.In addition, relying on mobile as a means of communication reduces physical activity and increases the chances of obesity with its various health hazards. Finally, the screens of smart phones are full of germs from bacteria and viruses. So be sure to reduce your usage of your smartphone over the next year.

5 - access to several first aid

Do you have several first aid kits in your home, car, and workplace? Often, the answer is no. Although buying a few first aid kits seems simple, it is very important and will keep you healthy if you have a common disease or a minor injury, and what happens most .. So go to the nearest pharmacy and buy Several first-aid kits by the New Year, learn about their different contents as well as when and how to use them, and make sure they are in a place that is easily accessible when needed but not accessible to children.

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8 mistakes you make every morning

8 mistakes you make every morning

8 mistakes you make every morning

You wake up in the morning to the sound of the alarm clock and press the snooze button, which in itself is wrong. Or wake up quickly from bed and this is another mistake. Know through the display the mistakes you make every morning:

1-Press the snooze button in the alarm clock
Do you think that putting off the alarm clock for an additional 5-10 minutes will help you enjoy the activity during the day, this is not true. You will feel comfortable if you get enough sleep, it is recommended that you sleep at the same time every day. You can use a device that tracks sleep. This device you can wear and wake you up at the right time after you get enough sleep.

2-Get out of bed quickly
Moving quickly from lying down to standing, can lead to sudden blood pressure lowering, which may make you feel a little confused. Sit a little on the edge of the bed to give your body a few seconds to get used to the idea, especially if your dizziness has appeared in the past.

3-Keep in the dark
Do not do it. Daylight helps your body identify the day, helping you sleep better and stimulating your body to fight infection and inflammation. Getting outdoors in sunlight may provide you with Vitamin D, and can make you feel more happy.

4-Forget to clean your teeth
The plaque is formed on your teeth every night. If you do not clean them in the morning, they can become more stiff and become so-called lime that you can get rid of only with the help of a dentist. The accumulation of lime for too long, can lead to swelling or bleeding gums, bad breath, gum disease and other problems Health.

5-Skip breakfast
People who eat breakfast regularly tend to have clearer thinking, lower body fat and less risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. They also usually exercise more regularly and eat a healthier diet. Enjoy a healthy breakfast - it's an easy and fun way to get a good start.

8 mistakes you make every morning

6-Skip the coffee
If you are accustomed to drinking two cups of coffee in the morning, skipping them can affect you, such as being more rude, lacking concentration, and you may feel tired, severe headaches, nausea and flu-like symptoms. If you are trying to reduce caffeine, do so gradually to avoid reactions.

8 mistakes you make every morning

7-Start your day without a plan
If you start your day without thinking about why you are doing what you do, you may overlook what you are trying to achieve and what gives meaning to your life. Whether it is at work, family or lifestyle, it is important to know what is most important to you and to make sure the things you do every day help you reach your goal. Set priorities, make a list, and make sure you've done even a few of them at the end of the day.

8-Do not exercise
Regular exercise helps to sleep, maintain weight, and benefit heart health and mood, adding to many benefits. You may commit to this more if you are doing the first thing in the morning. But can help you control what you eat throughout the day and maintain your weight. Plan it before and prepare your workout clothes the night before.

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