Mommy Goes Green

Here are some great swine flu prevention tips from Dr. Vinay Goyal.  

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps not fully highlighted in most official communications – can be practiced:

• “Hands-off-the-face” approach except to eat, bathe, etc.
• Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected person. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
• Clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
• Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C, or Vitamin C tablets that contain Zinc to boost absorption.
• Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive.

I’ve seen these tips posted in a few other places and there are often comments stating “my grandparents recommend the same thing”.  Sounds like these simple tips have been forgotten by younger generations.  I drink coffee everyday – hope that counts for warm beverages   I need to work on the gargling bit.  As for cleaning my nostrils ( a Neti pot does the same thing ) – I haven’t quite jumped on that bandwagon yet – have you?

Swine flu has kept my mind busy lately because I have a baby on the way in November and a little girl in preschool who brings germs home by the bucketful.  I’ve been washing my hands like crazy and am not sharing my pens at work.  I’ve even considered hibernating at home the last couple weeks of my pregnancy just to keep myself healthy.  I might just be on my way to a bit of an obsession with NOT getting swine flu.

However, I’m relaxing a little after reading an article on CNN by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, best known as CNN’s medical correspondent, but also a neurosurgeon and father of three girls.  He interviewed physicians in pediatric emergency rooms across the country and came away with some clear and concise advice for worried parents :

1. Most children who develop flu-like symptoms will have a few miserable days but that’s it.   Those days are best spent at home, not visiting the E.R.  If your child doesn’t have the swine flu before they come into the E.R., there’s a good chance they can pick it up while they are there.

2.  If you are at all concerned, call your pediatrician first.  Again, going into the E.R. may expose your child to more germs.

3.  ”Yes, hearing between 30,000 and 90,000 could die from H1N1 is scary, but keep in mind — around 40,000 people die from the regular or seasonal flu every year. The numbers may not be that much different, yet there is not panic about the regular flu. As things look now, H1N1 is causing only mild to moderate illness, not the widespread deaths people are worried about.” 

4.   Call your doctor if:

• a baby younger than 12 weeks has a fever greater than 100.4 deg
• a baby older than 12 weeks has a fever for 3 days
• a child’s fever returns after a 12-24 hour period
• a child is not passing urine or making tears for more than 6 hours
• a child does not smile or show interest in playing for several hours

5.  Call 911 if:

• a child cannot speak while trying to breathe
• a child has blue/dark purple color to the nail beds, lips or gums
• a child does not respond to you because he is too tired or weak

While I feel a little better about how to handle things if a member of my family gets the flu, it doesn’t totally ease my fears about ME getting swine flu while I’m pregnant as pregnant women are more likely to develop serious disease after swine flu virus infection.  I’ll keep up my heightened sense of hygiene and probably add a few more preventative measures.  I’m also making sure I take all my vitamins, drink extra water and trying to get in bed at a decent hour.  What are YOU doing to keep swine flu out of your home this winter?