Flu this time dangerous -- take these actions!....

Today's Post:  Friday, 1-11-2013

Breaking News!

Get a flu shot immediately – today, or tomorrow -- Saturday, or Sunday over this weekend – if you haven’t already gotten one!

And, read the other steps to consider in the rest of this post.

1.  The flu now here across the country is nastier than usual and dangerous!

Flu in the United States right now is sending people to emergency rooms which are too slammed to deal with it well because so many people with this flu are going!

People don’t inconvenience themselves or pay to go to the ER if they aren’t dreadfully sick or scared witless.  So this is significant news.

And, news today said the flu now here has killed some people.  Not complications from the flu  but the flu itself!

2.  The flu strains in this year’s shot are thought to fit the flu viruses expected to show up unusually well.

Public health people across the country are saying to get the flu shot NOW! -- if you haven’t gotten one already.

So there’s a chance getting a flu shot immediately even this late might protect you from this round of flu.

Apparently, since the shot this year is on target, even if you are exposed before your shot takes full effect, your immune system may have enough of head start to keep you out of the ER and the morgue.

The more likely outcome is that you’ll miss less work and feel dreadful a shorter time.  But even that smaller outcome is well worth the effort to get the shot.

Walgreens and many local grocery store chains offer the flu shot for only $25 and the drop in is easy!  (If you even miss one less day of work, you more than repay $25!)

And, your local city or county likely also has free flu shots too.

3.  Did you know that taking 3,000 to 5,000 iu a day of vitamin D3 gives you some protection from the flu whether or not you got your flu shot?

Did you know that taking that much vitamin D3 when you get the flu shot and for the couple of weeks while it takes effect makes the flu shot more likely to protect you and increases the protection it gives you?

Taking that much vitamin D3 does both because recent studies found that taking that much vitamin D3 dramatically strengthens your immune system.  The studies found that Vitamin D3 apparently is to your immune system what bullets are to a foot soldier.  A soldier can use a bayonet or use his or her rifle as a club or their bare hands.  But with enough bullets, they can be a lot more effective!

(Even in winter, when virtually everyone spent hours a day outside most people got that much vitamin D3 from sun exposure, so  taking 3,000 to 5,000 iu a day of vitamin D3 is actually taking the amount our bodies evolved to expect.  It should be considered what once was listed on vitamin bottles as the RDA, recommended dietary allowance, based on the that and the recent research.

Does that sound too high?  It isn’t.  Lifeguards routinely get 10,000 to 20,000 iu or more a day of vitamin D3 in the summer with no ill effects!)

Best of all, taking 3,000 to 5,000 iu a day of vitamin D3 is not that expensive.  You can easily get that much for $25 a month or less.  But buy it from a recognized brand like Carlson from a health food store or perhaps the Whole Foods brand at the Whole Foods store.

Those are the most important steps to take right away!

4.  Is there anything else that might help?  This post does say this year’s flu is dangerous!

Yes.

a)  Taking the herb astragalus from the health food store has been found to boost your immune system significantly according the survey of research I read on www.wholefoodsmd.com . They rate various supplements as to how likely they are to be helpful and astragalus had their highest rating.

b)  Taking a probiotic supplement both boosts your immune system AND occupies your body first and directly fights back if harmful bacteria show up.  So taking a probiotic helps you fight off the flu AND helps you fight secondary bacterial infections too including pneumonia.

c)  Is there an inexpensive super probiotic?  Yes! 

I just recently found out that eating a single Tablespoon of Greek yogurt or nonfat Greek yogurt last thing before you go to bed and after your last glass of water for the day is just precisely that!

I found out that the yogurt has as many probiotic bacteria in that one spoonful as a week or more of taking the probiotic supplement.

(I do both because I get more strains of probiotic bacteria that way.)

d)  Did you know one of the ways flu kills people is not directly itself but by setting you up to get pneumonia which you well may have when your body is weakened from the flu?

And, did you know that getting most of the most likely strains of pneumonia is now optional!?

That’s quite true because you can get a pneumonia vaccine now that does just that.  The even better news that you only need to get a pneumonia vaccine every 7 to 10 years.

Does taking 3,000 to 5,000 iu a day of vitamin D3 help prevent such pneumonia and make the pneumonia vaccine more likely to work when you get that vaccine?

The research suggests very strongly that it does.

5.  Is there anything else you can do that might help --  IF YOU GET THE FLU anyway?! 

This post does say this year’s flu is dangerous!

Yes again, fortunately.

a)  If you have the flu you can be too unsteady on your feet to avoid falling or be in a traffic accident because the flu affects your driving like you were badly drunk.  If you go to work anyway you can hardly function even if not going in to work may cause you problems.

You can be more likely to be so weakened by the flu you catch or even succumb to a secondary bacterial infection.

If there was something easy you could do to avoid these two things – and there is – would you do it?!

Doctors say  “Drink extra fluids or drink plenty of water.”  Most know to say that.

But very few know to tell you about these two reasons why to do it or how to do it!

Here’s why it happens.

When you feel horrible and extra tired you only do things if you have to.  And, when you have a high fever you lose extra water but often may NOT feel more thirsty!

Guess what that does?  You are then at extremely high risk of becoming dehydrated which has the two nasty or horrible effects above.

If you drink enough extra water because you know why to do it and how, you DO still feel almost as sick but you will be far more safely functional and dramatically safer!

Here’s how to do it.

When you first get up have a large extra glass of water.  Then, in addition to all the coffee, soup, juice, tea etc you normally drink, EVERY time you have to go urinate, the minute you are done, drink an extra, large glass of water.  I call this “rotating water.” 

It gives you back your supply of water you just lost by urinating.  But of most importance, it’s a cue you notice even when you are very sick!

b)  Only take fever reducing over the counter drugs like aspirin, or ibuprofen such as Advil, or Tylenol if your fever goes above 104 or 105 or you feel lightheaded or you get shaky or a bit delirious.

Yes, the fever makes you feel sick and you have some aches and pains. 

BUT, that fever is attacking the flu virus for you two ways. 

The higher temperature is harder on the viruses than it is on you. 

But of even more importance, the having the fever is like calling your immune system with 911!

So, your ability to kill off the viruses directly is then MUCH better.  Why turn your fever off if you don’t absolutely have to?!