Helpful tips for caring for someone with flu

Now that one of the kids are sick, I've been using Wai Lana's daydream cd to keep them from feeling too sorry for themselves. I also found this article about how to take care of someone with flu very useful:

Red Cross Offers Important Tips for Caring for Someone With the Flu
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that the H1N1 (swine flu) virus has now
spread throughout the United States, the American Red Cross has a set of tips
for people who are sick or are taking care of someone who has the flu


Flu viruses spread from person to person in droplets of coughs or sneezes, and
can also spread if a person touches droplets on another person or object and
then touches their own mouth or nose before washing their hands. To prevent
the spread of the flu, it is important to remember to wash your hands and
cover your cough or sneeze.


"It's important to know what to do to protect yourself and others when you are
taking care of someone who has the flu," said Sharon Stanley, chief nurse and
director, Red Cross Disaster Health and Mental Health Services. Recent survey
results conducted by the Red Cross reveal that six in ten Americans feel that
they need more information about how to care for someone with the flu*. The
following tips can be helpful:


If you are ill:
-- Stay in a room separate from common areas of the home and avoid
contact with others as much as possible.
-- Stay at home for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone without
using medicine to reduce the fever.
-- Get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids.
-- Consider wearing a facemask, if available and tolerable, when sharing
common spaces with household members.
-- Check with your healthcare provider about whether to take antiviral
medication, or if fever persists, whether antibiotics are needed.

When caring for someone who has the flu:
-- Disinfect door knobs, switches, handles, toys and other surfaces that
everyone touches.
-- Use detergent and very hot water to do dishes and wash clothes. It's
okay to wash everyone's dishes and clothes together. Wash your hands
after handling dirty laundry.
-- Designate only one adult as the caregiver. People at increased risk of
severe illness from the flu should not be caregivers.
-- Deal with crisis situations calmly and confidently to give the best
support to the person being cared for.
-- Remember your own needs as well.
-- Practice healthy habits. Eat a balanced diet. Drink plenty of water.

Get regular exercise.

-- Get enough sleep and rest.



Caring for someone else can be stressful. Common symptoms of stress include
sleep disturbances, headaches, muscle tension or aches, a change in appetite,
skin problems, anxiety, depression, frustration and overreacting. If someone
is dealing with a lot of stress, it's important to ask for help. If a
caregiver is in a stressful situation, they should express their feelings to
people they trust, get into a regular schedule of seven to eight hours of
sleep, exercise, and take some time to relax.


According to the CDC, most people who have become ill with the H1N1 virus are
moderately ill, similar to the illness that occurs during the regular flu
season. H1N1 is affecting many young adults and children, people ages five to
24. The majority of people sick with H1N1 don't need testing or treatment.
However if someone is severely ill and is pregnant, and has trouble breathing
or has an underlying condition like heart disease, lung disease (such as
asthma) or diabetes, it is important to get treated promptly within the first
48 hours.

Thank the Lord for Wai Lana's Goji Juice.

Flu prevention tips

I've been getting the kids used to a less-hot version of the ginger tea recipe from Wai lana.

I like this little article from Sanjay Gupta to parents on the swine flu too:

Now, over the past eight years, I have grown accustomed to being engaged in these sort of discussions where I am asked about everything the "media" have reported over the past few months, and asked to defend things point by point. It can be a challenging task.

This time, however, the topic was H1N1, or swine flu.

I spent the weekend thinking about what I was being told, and realized there was a larger point here.

People were scared, more than I had seen in a long time. And, health care professionals were blaming the media -- accusing them of being alarmist.

So, I decided to get away from the studio, away from the talking heads discussing mortality rates, and away from the hypothetical discussions about what might or might not happen. I wanted to see for myself what was happening in emergency rooms right now.

I was most curious about pediatric ERs, because young people seem to be most affected by this, and selfishly, I was curious about my own three girls and how I should react if they become ill this fall.

What would I do without these day dream cds from Wai Lana? They're so helpful. :)

Not much else happening here these days.

Release that tension headache

I used to suffer from head-splitting headaches. Since I started practicing Wai Lana Yoga regularly, my headaches have disappeared. Apparently one big cause of headaches is tension. Tension from the neck and shoulders caused by poor posture and bad sitting posture can cause this tension.

When you do yoga, the muscle groups in the shoulders and neck are relieved and relaxed. And that helps you get rid of the headache! It's even better when you do Wai Lana Yoga sound meditation because it's just so good for relieving stress! It's scientifically proven to help calm your mind and nervous system too.

On a side note, here's a helpful article on what you should know about viruses.

Ginger

With all the flu going around, I thought this would be a good tip from Wai Lana's weekly message to share:

Ginger for Winter Ills
Ginger is well known for its spicy bite in Asian cooking, but not everyone knows it's also an effective remedy for a number of ailments, including colds and flu. Ginger is a stimulant that helps increase agni, the internal fire that regulates the digestive and circulatory systems. Low agni causes blockage and constipation, allowing toxins to accumulate, which creates a breeding ground for disease. Ginger helps by increasing the agni, which, in turn, burns away toxins and waste matter, improves digestion, and paves the way to recovery. Ginger even helps eliminate harmful bacteria and parasites.

Ginger is especially good during cold and flu season. It helps clear the sinuses, relieves congestion headaches, and reduces fever. It's also an expectorant that expels mucus from the lungs and throat. The most effective way to take it for colds and flu is ginger tea. Here's a simple recipe:


2 cups water
¼ cup diced fresh ginger
2 tsp. honey

Boil the water, then add the ginger and simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain into a cup and add 2 teaspoons of honey (or to taste). If you like, you can add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper to the pot to increase the stimulating, heating effect. Let me forewarn you now, though: This tea is fiery! Sip it—don't gulp it down.

Red Cross Offers Flu-Prevention Tips for Kids

Red Cross Offers Flu-Prevention Tips for Kids

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 —

As parents and teachers know, children have a way of picking up colds and other illnesses at school. As the number of swine flu (H1N1 Flu Outbreak) cases increases in the U.S., it becomes even more important to teach kids how to stay healthy.

Teach Good Health Habits
Proper and consistent hand washing is one of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of flu. Teach kids by example by showing them proper hand washing technique:

* Wet hands with water and apply an amount of soap recommended by the manufacturer to hands.
* Rub hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds, covering all surfaces of the hands and giving added attention to fingernails and surfaces where jewelry is worn.
* Rinse hands with water.
* Dry thoroughly with a disposable towel.
* Use towel to turn off faucet.

For younger children who may rush their hand washing, have them sing a short song such as "Row Row Row Your Boat," or the "Happy Birthday"song, which will ensure they wash for at least 20 seconds. Placing hand-washing reminders at children's eye level will also help them become consistent hand washers.

Teach kids to adopt these other healthy habits in order to prevent the spread of germs:

* Avoid sharing objects such as utensils, cups, and bottles.
* Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and wash your hands afterwards. If tissue-less, cough or sneeze into your elbow or upper arm, not your hands.
* Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth to keep germs from entering your body.

Parents should also prepare for the potential spread of swine flu by talking with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick. Also ask your child's school or day care if there are plans to encourage sick children to stay home to reduce the spread of the disease.
The Scrub Club

Educational Tools
Parents and teachers can reinforce kids' hand-washing habits by using tools such as The Scrub Club®, an interactive Web site that offers free materials to raise awareness about the benefits of hand washing to fight germs and prevent illness. The fun, Web-based experience is complete with educational materials, music, games and cartoon "Webisodes."

The Scrub Club® is being used by hundreds of schools nationwide, and teachers continue to integrate the Scrub Club educational activities into their daily curriculum. These educational materials are currently available in French, English and Spanish.

The American Red Cross and NSF International (NSF) have collaborated to help protect public health. Collectively, NSF, the Red Cross and seven "soaper-heroes"are teaching children the importance of proper and consistent hand washing through the Scrub Club®. Through this partnership, the two organizations are helping educate communities across the nation about the benefits of handwashing to fight germs and prevent illness.

Wai Lana's tips for fighting winter flu

With winter just around the corner, I thought this would be an interesting thing to talk about here.

When I was growing up my mom didn't ever have any ginger in our kitchen, and well.. it was only when I went traveling around Asia that I actually got an introduction to ginger and started liking it. It's really a wonder root. It's good for preventing and treating any upper respiratory tract diseases, helping treat sea sickness/nausea (pregnant mums!), and it's helps boost the immune system.

Ginger for Winter Ills
Ginger is well known for its spicy bite in Asian cooking, but not everyone knows it's also an effective remedy for a number of ailments, including colds and flu. Ginger is a stimulant that helps increase agni, the internal fire that regulates the digestive and circulatory systems. Low agni causes blockage and constipation, allowing toxins to accumulate, which creates a breeding ground for disease. Ginger helps by increasing the agni, which, in turn, burns away toxins and waste matter, improves digestion, and paves the way to recovery. Ginger even helps eliminate harmful bacteria and parasites.

Ginger is especially good during cold and flu season. It helps clear the sinuses, relieves congestion headaches, and reduces fever. It's also an expectorant that expels mucus from the lungs and throat. The most effective way to take it for colds and flu is ginger tea. Here's a simple recipe:

2 cups water
¼ cup diced fresh ginger
2 tsp. honey

Boil the water, then add the ginger and simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain into a cup and add 2 teaspoons of honey (or to taste). If you like, you can add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper to the pot to increase the stimulating, heating effect. Let me forewarn you now, though: This tea is fiery! Sip it—don't gulp it down.

Just put less ginger if you find this recipe too hot... or add more honey or maple syrup or something. It's all good stuff.