No Need to Panic from Swine Flu

In today’s contemporary world, swine flu has become the major challenge for the human health. It all started in Mexico in the month of March this year and is gradually engulfing the entire world, because of which World Health Organization has declared it as a pandemic recently. Panic has spread across all continents but instead of fearing this contagious flu, the need of the hour is to recognize its symptoms and take necessary precautions. Swine Flu is also known by the name of H1N1 Influenza.

What is H1N1 Swine Flu Influenza?

Swine Flu is a disease related to respiratory system which arises due to influenza virus of A type. This type of virus can also get activated in case of seasonal flu. However, there is one difference between the virus of normal flu and swine flu. The swine flu virus contains genetic material found in birds, pigs and human beings. Presently, the virus being spread by swine flu has completely developed in human beings.

How Swine Flu is spread?

Whenever a person coughs or sneezes then on whatever surface the saliva or the particles from mouth or nose settles down comes in contact with the virus. Such contagious particles spread through air or by coming in contact with the infected person. For instance, this virus can also spread through door, phone, key board or remote control if it has been used by an infected person. The H1N1 virus remains active on steel & plastic from 24 to 48 hours, on clothes and paper from 8 to 12 hours, on tissue paper for 15 minutes and on hands fro at least half an hour. To eradicate the virus, use detergent, alcohol, bleach or soap. In an affected person, the symptoms of swine flu develop in seven days from getting infection. The danger of transmission persists from twenty four hours before and eight days after diagnosing the symptoms.

The most important thing in fighting this disease is not to panic out of fear. In most of the cases, the signs of virus are weak. People infected with swine flu get completely cured in seven days. Some people don’t even have to be admitted in hospital and can also be treated at home by administering medicines generally prescribed for common fever. Death due to swine flu occurs in those cases where the patient is already suffering from some heart related ailment or some other health problem or also in cases where the patient has been brought for the treatment after a long delay.

What Category of People needs to be more careful?

Kids who are less than five years and individuals above the age of sixty five years as well as pregnant women need to be extra cautious as they are more prone to infections due to weak immune system. In pregnant ladies, the immune system becomes weak due to harmone related changes. Apart from that people suffering from lungs, kidney or hear related diseases must be take appropriate precautions.

If a child is experiencing difficulty in breathing or are breathing very fast or the colour of the skin is turning blue and is not taking appropriate amount of liquid, doesn’t get up from bed and remains withdrawn from rest of the people in the house, get him or her tested for swine flu as these are only the initial symptoms of H1N1 virus. In adults also, some of symptoms of swine flu are pain and pressure in chest and stomach, severe headache, increase in the frequency of vomiting and feeling of nausea.

As soon as signs of swine flu are detected in people who have or are suffering from the problem of Asthma in the last three years, precautions and treatment must be started immediately.