swine flu

In a world where a global economy is a given, where worldwide travel is routine, and borders are increasingly less defined, the recipe for a global pandemic is just right. All that is needed to bring humanity to its knees is the perfect disease. Historically, this "perfect disease" has been a particularly deadly version of the common flu. In 1918, a version of swine flu threatened to decimate humanity, killing somewhere between 50 and 100 million people, approximately one-third of our species. Today, fear of a similar global outbreak of swine flu is high; in order to sort everything out, here is a good introduction to the symptoms and possible aid of persons infected with swine flu.

As seen today, the dangerous variant of Influenza A Type-H1N1 swine flu is really not much different than any other flu that you may have had in the past. The big game changer is how our bodies react to the disease once it infects us: It is simply unable to deal with the symptoms. Our bodies generally have some resistance to the flu from infections that we have dealt with in the past or that our ancestors survived. This level of immunity helps our body to work against the symptoms that could kill us and helps fight off the flu. What results is a relatively mild flu that keeps us home sick for a few days. However, the H1N1 swine flu virus seen today is really a mix of swine, bird, and human influenza.

Swine flu is believed to be contracted through contact with an infected person. This type of influenza has been observed to readily spread from person to person. A person infected with H1N1 swine flu will not immediately notice any changes. Depending on the person's immune system, it could take 24 hours or more for him or her to start feeling the effects of the infection. These symptoms mirror the effects of the common flu, but are much more severe: body aches, headaches, fever, sore throats, coughing, chills, and fatigue are often present. Infected people with H1N1 flu are also highly likely to suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, and the associated dehydration. Although these effects are severe enough, the real killer comes from pulmonary edema, which is the filling of the lungs with fluid, which causes coughing. In the 1918 flu pandemic, victims literally drowned in their own body fluids. These symptoms take a toll on the body and can also aggravate existing conditions or allow new ones, such as tuberculosis or pneumonia, to take hold.

Luckily for us, it appears that swine flu may not be as deadly as originally believed. Modern medicine has played a key factor in the ability of most infected people in developed countries to make complete recoveries. Ensuring that an infected person is identified early and receives the proper care also seems to be important in ensuring survival. Anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza are currently highly effective at fighting off the H1N1 swine flu. It is also important to keep an infected person warm and well-hydrated, ensuring that they receive plenty of rest and are not stressed needlessly, as this helps his or her body to work against the infection and avoid complications such as dehydration. A full recovery is possible with proper treatment.

It is important for us to remember that we can take steps to prevent the spread of swine flu. Simple steps such as washing your hands and covering your mouth while coughing or sneezing do have a big effect on controlling the spread.