What is Influenza?

Influenza usually called flu, is a respiratory infection caused by a virus, which is a tiny germ that cannot be seen even under an ordinary microscope. There are several kinds of influenza virus, and they seem to keep changing just when we seem to be immune to them. However, they all produce a similar illness.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF INFLUENZA?

The main flu symptoms are:

1.      Fever

2.      Headache

3.      Muscle aches and pains

These may be followed by a sore throat, a cough and a running nose.

HOW IS FLU CAUGHT?

Influenza usually comes in epidemics, when it spreads from person to another in the spray from coughs and sneezes, called droplet infection. The virus enters the nose or throat and may spread to the lungs. It is extremely infectious.

HOW IS FLU DIFFERENT FROM THE COMMON COLD?

Many people refer to the common cold, which is more common, as the flu, but influenza is a more serious respiratory infection that usually makes the victim sick enough to go to bed. Flu tends to go to the chest and makes the whole body ache; the common cold usually only affects the upper respiratory passages, causing a runny nose, sneezing and a sore throat.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF INFLUENZA?

The main risk of influenza is that the infection may spread to the lungs, causing bronchitis or, worse still, pneumonia. Such complications are rare, and are more likely to occur in people with poor health, especially those with a chest complaint, in the elderly and in heavy smokers.

Although influenza makes people quite ill, it is usually not dangerous. Feeling depressed after the flu is a common problem.

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR INFLUENZA?

Like any viral infection, influenza must run its course. Symptoms can be eased and complications prevented by proper care and common sense.

SELF- HELP
  • Rest- just as a broken leg needs rest, so does the body overcome by flu. Go to bed as soon as the symptoms begin and stay there until you feel better and the fever goes away.
  • Analgesic- pain killers such as codeine compound tablets are more effective than aspirin at relieving symptoms, especially cough and aching. However, the choice is an individual preference as some people respond well to aspirin, adults only, or paracetamol alone. Make sure you are not allergic to the particular analgesic.
  • Fluids- you lose a lot of body fluid, especially with a fever, so drink as much water and fruit juice as possible, at least 8 glasses a day.
  • Special remedies- any remedy that makes you feel comfortable is good. Freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with honey is very good. Some people find a nip of brandy or whisky with fruit juice is soothing.

The flu will lasts usually 3-4 days, sometimes longer. Consult your doctor only if you are concerned about complications. There is not specific treatment for flu, and routine antibiotics are not helpful. They are reserve for complications. Some people find that taking 1-2 grams of vitamin C each day helps recovery.

WHAT ABOUT FLU PREVENTION?

The influenza vaccine appears to help some people, but vaccinations cannot guarantee total immunity as the strain that sets off the epidemic may be new. Vaccination is worthwhile for patients at risk: diabetics, those over 65 years, and those whose occupation, working with crowds or sick patients, puts them at risk in an epidemic.

Laurie Garrett: What can we learn from the 1918 flu?

In 2007, as the world worried about a possible avian flu epidemic, Laurie Garrett, author of "The Coming Plague," gave this powerful talk to a small TED University audience. Her insights from past pandemics are suddenly more relevant than ever.

These other webpages below may also interest you, click to learn more about your health condition.

Healthy Diets for Optimal Health

Eye & Ear Problems

How your Diet can Help you Achieve Optimal Health

Can a Wheat-free Diet help you to lose weight and reduce Obesity, Heart disease, Auto-immune diseases & Cancer, even Alzheimer's disease & Schizophrenia or reverse Diabetes & pre-Diabetes? Recent research has also shown promising results that a Gluten-free diet showed a reduction in the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Heartburn/GERD, ADHD, Asthma & allergies, even acne.

Watch the following videos by several doctors (Dr William Davies, Dr Sarah Hallberg, Dr Alessio Fasano, Dr David Perlmutter & Dr Rodney Ford) and decide for yourself whether you should adopt a Gluten-free diet if you are suffering from the above-listed medical conditions. Even unexplained diarrhea, headaches/migraines or chronic fatigue has been alleviated by going Gluten-free.

The case these doctors put forward based on research and empirical evidence from thousands of patients is that Wheat and Gluten contributes to this shocking host of diseases and chronic medical problems, and increasing the incidence of celiac disease and Autism.

What does Wheat & Gluten do to your body?

Foods containing wheat have an extremely high glycemic index (70+ out of a possible 100), that is the body suffers a sudden spike in blood glucose after a meal of food containing wheat. Add to that the fact that the wheat we are eating is completely dissimilar genetically to the wheat of the 1950's, after all the genetic modifications and mutations the plant has undergone.

The doctors also point out that Gluten causes prolonged periods of inflammation in the body, leading to many of the diseases most prevalent today. Ironically, foods containing wheat are actually appetite-enhancing and can cause sugar cravings.

William Davis MD - Wheat: The UNhealthy Whole Grain

The wheat of today is not the wheat of our mothers or grandmothers. Modern wheat is the product of genetic manipulations that have transformed its properties. Modern wheat is now a 2-foot tall, high-yield semi-dwarf strain, different in both appearance and multiple biochemical features from traditional wheat. Introduction of this new strain of wheat was associated with the appearance of a long list of health problems, along with weight gain and diabetes.

According to Dr. Davis, saying goodbye to all things wheat provides outsized and unexpected health benefits, from weight loss, to relief from acid reflux and bowel urgency, to reversal of diabetes, migraine headaches, and learning disabilities in children.

Dr. William Davis is author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book, Wheat Belly: Lose the wheat, lose the weight and find your path back to health (Rodale, 2011), now debuting internationally in over ten foreign languages. Wheat belly has helped spark a nationwide reconsideration of the conventional advice to "eat more healthy whole grains."

Formerly an interventional cardiologist, he now confines his practice to prevention and reversal of coronary disease in his practice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Davis is a graduate of the St. Louis University School of Medicine, followed by training in internal medicine and cardiology at the Ohio State University Hospitals, and training in interventional cardiology at the Case--Western Reserve Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also founder of the online heart disease prevention educational program, Track your Plaque.

Reversing Type 2 diabetes starts with ignoring the guidelines - Dr Sarah Hallberg | TEDxPurdueU

Can a person be "cured" of Type 2 Diabetes? Dr. Sarah Hallberg provides compelling evidence that it can, and the solution is simpler than you might think.

Dr. Sarah Hallberg is the Medical Director of the Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program at IU Health Arnett, a program she created. She is board certified in both obesity medicine and internal medicine and has a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology. She has recently created what is only the second non-surgical weight loss rotation in the country for medical students. Her program has consistently exceeded national benchmarks for weight loss, and has been highly successful in reversing diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Dr. Hallberg is also the co-author of www.fitteru.us, a blog about health and wellness.

Alessio Fasano MD - Spectrum of Gluten-Related Disorders: People Shall Not Live by Bread Alone

The cultivation of gluten-containing grains that were the backbone of the agricultural revolution have also brought with them the manifestation of conditions related to negative reactions to gluten. These include celiac disease, wheat allergy and the "new kid on the block" of the spectrum of gluten-related disorders—gluten sensitivity. The autoimmune disorder of celiac disease is the most widely studied condition on the spectrum. It affects approximately 1 in 133 people, a rate that has doubled in the U.S. every 15 years over the past 35 years. An estimate from the Center for Celiac Research puts gluten sensitivity at 6% of the U.S. population. With current interest in the human genome and microbiome, research is leading scientists to examine the relationship between the intestinal microbiome and gluten-related disorders. Currently the gluten-free diet is the only available treatment for gluten-related disorders.

World-renowned pediatric gastroenterologist, research scientist, and entreprenuer Alessio Fasano, M.D., founded the Center for Celiac Research in 1996. The Center offers state-of-the art research, clinical expertise and teaching for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten sensitivity. Trained in Naples, Italy, as a pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr. Fasano was recruited to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1993 and founded its Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Puzzled by the absence of children exhibiting symptoms of celiac disease in the clinic, he resolved to uncover the mystery of missing American "celiacs." His perseverance in the face of skepticism about celiac disease in the U.S. eventually led to his publication of the groundbreaking study in 2003 that established the rate of the autoimmune disorder at one in 133 Americans.

In early 2013, Dr. Fasano was appointed Division Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. He brought the Center for Celiac Research to Boston, where he heads the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, based in Charlestown, and is Associate Chief for Basic, Clinical and Translational Research for the Department of Pediatrics at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. He is a Visiting Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Mercola Interviews Dr. David Perlmutter, Author of Grain Brain

Natural health expert and Mercola.com founder Dr. Joseph Mercola interviews Dr. David Perlmutter about the implications of diet to Alzheimer's risk.

Here is a list of the Best Antioxidants and Free Radical Scavengers that you should be taking as dietary supplements daily as recommended by Dr David Perlmutter, author of 'Grain Brain':

  • Tumeric
  • DHA Omega 3
  • B complex vitamins (including Vitamin B12)
  • Vitamin C & D
  • Bacopa
  • Brocolli
  • Alpha-Lipoic acid 300 (ALA)
  • Ashwagandha
  • Resveratrol
  • Milk Thistle
  • Green Tea
  • Probiotics
  • Coenzyme Q10 (coq10)

These nutritional supplements reduce oxidative stress on your brain and body, thus protecting your health.

These other webpages below may also interest you, click to learn more about your health condition.

Travel Health Guide, Gluten Intolerance Symptoms, Learn what is Autism and the Management of Asthma

AMDA International Singapore Home page, AMDA International Peace Clinic Services, How to Lose Weight Safely & Identifying Insect Bites

The information provided in this website is for knowledge purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice.

Should you encounter any medical problem that you are unsure of, always consult your doctor or health care provider for assistance and medical advice.

Dr Don V H LAU   Chairperson of AMDA Singapore

MBBS (Monash), B.Med.Sc.(Hons) (Monash), Grad.Dip.Derm.(Wales,UK)

AMDA International Peace Clinic is a part of AMDA (Association of Medical Doctors of Asia). We are part of the network of AMDA Peace Clinics & Friendship Hospitals around the world. We dedicate part of our profits to AMDA's worldwide Emergency Disaster Aid Relief missions, Social Development projects and Vaccination programmes.

AMDA, founded in 1984 has carried out more than 160 missions in 65 countries over the last 32 years. It has contributed medical expertise and supplies to every major natural disaster since 1984. AMDA holds General Consultative Status with the United Nations ECOSOC since 1995.

AMDA International Chapters   Afghanistan Albania Bosnia & Herzegovina Bangladesh Bolivia Cambodia Canada Colombia Guyana Haiti Honduras India Indonesia Kazakhstan Korea Kosovo Malaysia Mongolia Nepal New Zealand Pakistan Peru Philippines Sakha Republic Singapore Sri Lanka Sudan Taiwan Uganda Vietnam Zambia

AMDA International Peace Clinic dedicates part of our profits to AMDA's Worldwide Emergency Disaster Aid Relief missions, Social Development projects & Vaccination programmes.

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OUR DOCTORS

Dr Shigeru Suganami – Medical Director

Founder & President of AMDA - Association of Medical Doctors of Asia

Dr Don Lau – Resident Doctor

MBBS (Monash), B Med Sc (Hons) (Monash), Dip Pract Derm (Wales, UK)

Chairperson of AMDA Singapore

Dr Lee Sao Bing – Opthalmologist (in-house Specialist)

MBBS, MMed(Ophth), FRCSEd(Ophth), MD, FAMS

Dr Pang Yoke Teen – ENT (Visiting Consultant)

FRCS (ORL), FRCS(EDIN), (FRCSGLASG), FAMS, MBBS