TO  TO 

The Loss of a Loved Pet.             The loss of a loved ones            Loss of relationships that went sour.

Let bad memories move on in your life (bad relationships to death)!

How do we do that?

First get through the bad experience. You can do that through the steps of dying through Erickson, which in my eyes pertains not just to death.

Your first step is to go through anger.

Anger egarding the bad experience or memory that has happened embrace that bad memory feel it. Shout, pound on the floor or cry if you have to (Guys, it’s OK to let your emotions loose and cry if something really hurts deeply–not for a little scratch…). Just let the feeling into your conscious mind. Soak it up, absorb your grief or sorrow. Think about it. Recall the memory and try to think it through.

Then the step of denial.

A step of grieving is denial which is a feeling like you may sometimes wonder whether a past event actually happened or not. Stop wishing that is didn’t happen which is a form of denial. Don’t get distracted from this difficult realization or memory of pain you’re going through. You need to keep embracing this memory for awhile to make it through acceptance.

The next step would bargain

Here for example if you let me live God I promise to be a better person or it could be if you allow me to work things out with my significant other for whatever the reason might be I promise to do… but be strong and do what it takes to make this commitment stick and go through.  You could have down falls but pick up and make it through.  For if you do you feel a lot better inside about the situation and yourself!

The next step would be acceptance.

Muster your strength so that you can mentally say (or out loud for emphasis), “This is the feeling that I dreaded. I’ve felt it and faced it completely. Now I have to let the feeling go, and not fight it anymore.” Sigh, take a couple deep breaths, and just let that feeling go–let it be accepted. Examine your feelings. Now, that you did that, or worse if you couldn’t do it, that shows that you haven’t truly let the feeling be known. The only way to conquer it is to face it and all of the feelings (like being out of control for example). Repeat the process if it was unsuccessful, you have to make it through all the steps not just one to be a complete success.

Lastly you go through depression.

During this time you may have had a bad accident with having limitations; with knowing the limitations which may be permanent you work on what capabilities you still have and make them stonger leading to your optimal level of function.   It isn’t easy but it can pay off in the end; if you make yourself a stronger person with seeing new and other strong points about your character that you weren’t aware of it is higher probability you will continue going through the process. This could have been hidden when you had no limitations that allowed you to do activities you may not be able to do now with these limitations in the way back then when you didn’t do this process or just began it. Use your time effectively and wisely. During this stage of depression   Forgive others and yourself for whatever happened. Get over the frustration. Get over the memory of the horror or humiliation that you felt… Live positively despite that difficult past experience. If you hang this over someone and they repetitively act a way to make you offended than set limitations in seeing that one and if you say there always there than limit the amount of times with interaction (This is meaning someone not significant but a acquaintance or distant relative or even sister you interact with at family events, but if its your spouse than you both need to sit down and learn again how to love, respect, communicate and both parties wanting to renew or resolve long term negative interactions with each other where counseling may be necessary or even church–that is where you both decide (not one).

Hopefully, you have conquered the dreadful feeling–like fear. Let the memory stay inside you. Don’t block it out. Let it come when it comes and learn to shrug it off.   Say, “That was then, this is now.” I can overcome that bad past circumstance. I have the future. I can do everything that I need to do to get on with my life… Look at the pros of how your life now and if you see more cons than do what is needed to make it better.  If it is death you look at the positive memories this significant living creature from human to even pet brought to your life and think what you would have never had if this creature you never got to interact with.  Look at the 1/2 of glass of water like thank God I have a 1/2 of glass as opposed to only having a 1/2 of glass of water.   Things change.   You cannot possibly spend the rest of your life hurting the way you do now; human beings are dynamic and change is a part of life. The way you felt then and the way you feel now is not the way you will feel forever.

So every moment spent thinking that you will always be hurt by these bad memories is a moment wasted in your life!  Like a pet dying to a human dying or a relationship that went bad (friend to intimate to the work place), there must have been good in it for you to stay and if unhappy now ending line do what you have to in making it better.  Now if its death look at what the good memories where that you have in your life now as opposed to a dead person now and not having this relationship anymore available to you.  Also if you believe in after life think on it will be great to see you again in afterlife, like to some heaven!  It is all how you look at the situation and how you let drama take you over for days to weeks to years.  Is it worth it and would that dead person or pet want you to do that?  Obviously NO.  Cherish good relationship moments in your lives!  Look at the good it brought you back then and regarding death after of course getting through the shock than looking at the good that relationship did in making you a happier and even better person.

How to deal with bad memories in our mind:

Our body responds to the images in our mind and though the event happened maybe years ago; the negative experience you have today comes from the image in your mind.

It is possible to recondition your mind so that you interpret that memory from a new perspective and control the stress crated by that negative memory or dream.

To do that you need to develop a self image that is connected to the moment & not the past. It is possible to create a self image from your past experience that connects you to the Wisdom of your Body and that puts you in the moment. The fact is that in most people’s life they have had at least one positive experience and if your brain created it once it can create it again at will.

Our minds have developed a self image by the way people related to you in the past. That has created habits that formed who you think you are today. That does not create an accurate description of your real potential-but unfortunately you believe it to be you.

You have the power to develop a self image, based on the positive experiences of your life instead of how people related to you. It will take a little work to develop conscious habits of this character, but it will be worth your effort.

The quality of your life, how you deal with your health and how you express your heart depends on your own self image and the way you interpret what happens in your life. Change your own self image when necessary and you automatically change your interpretations.

If you strongly condition your new Positive Self image in your mind; your interpretations will begin to affect the old habits that create negative interpretations even in your sleep.

The bad memories that harm you are interpreted by a negative self image. After years of living with a negative self image, habits are created that effects your subconscious mind. Once you create a habit of your newly conditioned Positive Self, go back into that memory and view it from that perspective.

Seeing that same experience from a new perspective can eliminate the interpretation that makes that a bad memory. In Psychology that is called Re-dreaming and it can create an entirely different association to that memory or dream.

This is how you can clean up your mind and prepare to deal with your health crisis at your full potential; recondition the mind that distracts your attention from healing.

You may not be able to change the events of your past, but you can change your interpretations in the moment. In about 2 weeks of conscious work, (15 minutes twice a day and another ½ hour), you can create new habits that replace the old habit on the subconscious level.

“People who are physically active, eat a healthy diet, do not use tobacco, and practice other healthy behaviours reduce their risk for chronic diseases and have a much reduced rate of disability compared to others who don’t do this lifestyle.”

British Columbia Ministry of Healt

I am enjoying my adulthood journey and wish I could say the same for many of our aging population. What I am observing as a RN, daughter and friend I must say it is a concern to me…why do people of age want to home in on talking about their illness (s) and making it their main topic of conversation? I can understand when a crisis happens, there is a new diagnosis that is heavy on their mind and that there stages they go through (shock, grieving, angry, bargaining, depression and acceptance) but I am not talking about this. I am talking about the need to focus on the aging process as a loss and a ‘giving up’ instead of looking at it for what it is… a time of a new stage in life from 40 and on some sooner where your process of mind and physical body goes through changes that can offer freedom, curiousity, and enjoyment. Let me give you some examples.

A family member of mine is in the last stage (I know I am not there but almost 30 years of care with geriatrics I have an idea how many live, some healthy with going about each day with a form of a work out or others closed in a box in their own world. There are conditions that slow us down but don’t cripple us and having a condition that isn’t curable many can be kept under controll. Though many like my family member give in or give up to the condition because or are set in their ways set to no change not paying attention to what they ate or stop exercise and the amount they eat. By doing this behavior what develops is weight gain and the signs started showing up of further health conditions like obesity, adult diabetes II (occurs 45 and up roughly), cardiac disease that would have never had occurred if the individual balance rest, a form of light exercise and good diet eating. On top of that from the immobility of sitting in the house or wherever you may sit all day gives you also sedentary lifestyle=less tone to the muscles with less muscle and more fat and stiffening of the muscle and joints that increases the risk of pulling a muscle or back which did to my family member, at first. Now over 6 years uses a cane and can barely walk with sciatica damage and the MRI and CatScan recently done only supposedly shows arthritis. Prevent this people just through a routine of balancing rest, exercise program (intense or slight work out = only 15 minutes a day), and good healthy dieting and high probability you will live longer with a better healthy tone body. The KEY to obtaining this is start YOUNG and you will get into this as a routine and it will feel like it’s a regular part of your life with you wanting to do it but if your elderly you can still do it. It maybe harder but go about it with your primrary MD’s approval with reviewing what is ok for a daily 15 minute exercise with proper dieting balancing this with rest. When he have a chance to correct obesity and prevent disease situations grab the opportunity before it is too late and unbearable to exercise, get out of the house, and now you sit in the house with few nearby to come and visit or even want to. Like many other family members and families in the world going through this that ill one limits the places they can go, limits independence (they have to be driven long distances 30 minutes away, have to do there shopping etc…). Where when they had there independence with having conversations with them other than there condition made you more out to look forward to visiting them. It’s just normal. Same example as if having a long term friend or sister you hung with for decades parting and gossiping and eating out and shopping together now moves into adulthood married with children. Than this sister depends on you for babysitting frequently, driving or picking the kids up frequently from school events, gossips about how bad the marriage is for 6 years now. Like anything else negativism all the time seen and heard you don’t want to be around. It is unfortunate but true. You on the other side feel obligated to do so for all the years of good life with that person but life good be better in the end if that family person doesn’t put themselves in that situation but it doesn’t always work that way. So make your life better and don’t but yourself in that situation. I am very much tryng to do so. One way of reaching it is through good diet (treats now and than), good exercise, and balance with good rest; doesn’t always work that way with work but I try to make up for it.     My family member by diet alone, could help the situation. One by making good diet decisions and don’t eat after 5pm or 6pm and good healthy food. Don’t have a dinner 9pm at night; or usually big meals after 6pm and make smaller meals.

I was very patient when I learned about the family member changes 6 years ago with no progress just the opposite to even activities of daily living capabilities and than what go me was that member getting use to it and being drawn in to live that way where it’s like a addition now. This can definitely end your life sooner so it is up to you.he had to change his eating habits, monitor his blood sugar, and learn to give himself insulin shots. I understood it would take him time to adjust, so his constant talking and yes, even complaining, was expected. As a friend, it was my job to help that loved individual go through this transition and give the needed support to ease all the changes that the family member would have to go through.

So, here’s his story now. That member is less than 81 years old and has had this condition for several years, continues to make this health issue the topic of conversation to me, family members, and friends even when things are going really well. The fact is, this condition for getting close to 10 years, my family member, has chosen to play the ‘poor me scenario’ at times it appears to come across as. The doctor and myself as a RN almost 30 years has provided excellent information and several resources to help with coping. In only took me 6 years with some family sibling help to have her agree it’s time to move out of the house I grew up in since 1966. No one else lives in that house.

It is taking a toll on my psychic energy. In other words, it sucks the life right out of me and, after visiting, I am tired after 14 hours working and so ready to take a nap.

I see this with other friends going through a similar situation with some family member also. They talk about their arthritic aches and pains plus stiffness in their joints as much as they do about the changes in the weather. These are chronic conditions, meaning they will experience this from time to time, and talking about it obsessively won’t change a thing.

At what point do people decide that the aging process means they need to constantly talk about their health issues? At what point do they stop engaging in healthier topics of conversation? What are the reasons for this shift in how they converse with people and, more importantly, do they even realize how depressing this whole routine is?

Again being a RN around geriatrics I understand. One reason may actually be major depression (also known as clinical depression) , which is a medical illness. It is a chemical imbalance in the brain and can appear in people regardless of age, race or economic status. The illness can appear after a triggering event or for no apparent reason at all or simple normal with being alone by yourself (possible spouse deceased, friends moving if not dying off as age progresses) but when will the stop? At this point I highly doubt it and for me writing with some exercise busy in work and a good love life all help out.

TO HELP YOU DETECT THIS EARLY OR EVEN POSSIBLY STOP IT,

Look for signs of:

• Constant complaints of aches and pains (back, stomach, arms, legs, head, chest) , fatigue, slowed movements and speech, loss of appetite, inability to sleep, weight increase or decrease, blurred vision, dizziness, heart racing, anxiety. •An overall sadness or apathy, withdrawn; unable to find pleasure in anything or unable to have the need to get out to family gatherings or go to church anymore like previously it was considered a regular routine of that person’s life.
• Also irritability, mood swings or constant complaining; nothing seems to make the person happy.
• Talk of worthlessness, not being needed anymore, excessive and unwarranted guilt.
• Frequent doctor visits without relief in symptoms; all tests come out negative.
• Another reason is ‘doing as others do’. Meaning they mimic what other elders are doing. Again if that is what they see and hear from their associates, there is a strong chance they may get caught up in the same negative behavior.
• Alcoholism can mask an underlying depression.
• Another reason is the lack of stimulation, which will give them other things to talk about. Many times, elders find themselves alone with infrequent visitation from family and friends. They concentrate on familiar things like illnesses, chronic aches and pains, and the medications they take which become their major thing to talk about.

I, too, have minor health issues, however I chose to acknowledge that ‘it is what it is’. I have been dealt this hand and therefore I will do what I can to not let it slow me down. The other side to the coin is how you look at that ½ glass of water. It can be I have the worst condition and play “feel sorry for me scenario” not even realizing it since it it talked about all the time or like I look at life there are so many worse of then me with disease, no home, no family, no friends and just surviving possibly getting a meal each day, if that. As I said, I am an observer of people partly because I am an RN and it’s part of my job. I have made note that those individuals who are really struggling with major health issues many hardly complain at all. They keep a positive attitude and, in doing so, don’t let their condition stop them from enjoying life or start a negative domino effect that just keeps dropping on top of another till it crashes all of them and unfortunately when continues to have a life spreading to others with that effect you turn them away. Like everyone else we all have our headaches and on high probability in adulthood health issues with losses and aches & pains. You have to deal with them in a positive note. Meaning don’t blame the world or someone else for your health situation unless its real and lack of moving around (going out) even 10 minutes exercise a day or 2 to 3 times a week one hour exercise for elderly (just simply walking) with good dieting and rest will take you along way. Going the opposite way gives you a shorter life and highier odds a unhappier with lonely life. Along with keeping a positive attitude, you may also find things that attract your likes as opposed to dislikes which will keep you busier in life and people benefit from being around cheerful positive people that attracts them to have you back more.

Not to far away from being elder in about 15 to 20 years, I hope to stir the Pagan (polytheistic or open minded) community to take notice of how they choose to age. Are we aging with grace or are we just aging? Talk to the God and Goddess for help in modifying your way of thinking so you can handle life’s little ups and down. If you have family and / or friends who are displaying this type of behavior, show empathy and love by helping them comprehend the negative effects that persist when they chose to concentrate on their health issues in a pessimistic way. Sometimes it becomes a habit and they don’t even realize how often it occurs.

Behaviors can be changed, so make up your mind to age with GRACE and not just age.

“People who are physically active, eat a healthy diet, do not use tobacco, and practice other healthy behaviours reduce their risk for chronic diseases and have a much reduced rate of disability compared to others who don’t do this lifestyle.”

British Columbia Ministry of Healt

“With the absence of a flu vaccination last year, I did not take a flu shot; but there is still some immunity that carries over from year to year; but about every 30 years, there is a major change in the genetics of the flu virus.”

Michael Burgess (born 31 March 1946, is the Coroner of the Queen’s Household).

“With 30,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations from the seasonal flu, those numbers are certainly higher than what we’ve seen of the swine flu. Protecting yourself from both viruses is very important.”

Kristi Yamaguchi (born July 12, 1971) is an American figure skater. She was the 1992 Olympic Champion in ladies’ singles.

“Flu” is an illness caused by a number of different influenza viruses that usually bear the name of the locality where they originated. Most college-age students are susceptible to the virus because of their proximity with others in classrooms, in dormitories, in the dining halls and elsewhere on campus. The influenza virus is very contagious and spreads easily in crowded areas by droplets of respiratory fluid that become airborne or by direct contact with recently contaminated surfaces.

People infected with an influenza or cold virus become contagious 24 hours after the virus enters the body (often before symptoms appear). Adults remain infectious (can spread the virus to others) for about 6 days, and children remain infectious for up to 10 days. Factors that may increase the risk of catching a cold are fatigue, emotional stress, smoking, mid-phase of the menstrual cycle, and nasal allergies. Factors that do not increase the risk of catching a cold include cold body temperature (Example being out in the cold or enlarged tonsils). General health status and eating habits do in that they have impact on your immunity and “fight or flight” in fighting off infection as opposed to getting sick due to a healthy body overall.

Watch for flu symptoms and in comparison here with the cold symptoms when trying to decipher what you have before going to the doctor.  Signs and symptoms (S/S):

Flu s/s=High Fever lasting 3 to 4 days, prominent headache,  general aches and pains which are often and severe, fatigue & weakness that lasts up to 2-3 wks., extreme exhaustion-early & prominent chest discomfort, cough-common & severe at times.  *Note weakness and tiredness can last up to a few weeks with the Flu.

Cold S/S-Fever-rare, headache-rare, slight aches, mild fatigue if even present, extreme exhaustion (never occurs), Chest discomfort-mild if present, cough-moderate and hacking cough with sore throat sometimes present.

Common symptom: Stuffy nose is present, a common symptom for children is diarrhea and vomiting.

Regarding cold symptoms also be aware for these specifics, which include:

-Sore throat-usually is going away in about a day or three; nasal symptoms include runny nose and congestion to follow, along with a cough by the fourth or fifth day.  Also, fever is uncommon in adults but a slight fever is possible.  For children fever they can have with their cold. *                                                                                                                                         -With the symptoms above you can also have the nose that teems with watery nasal secretions for the first few days later these become thicker and darker. Dark mucus is natural and does not mean you have developed a bacterial infection, such as a sinus infection.

**Know several hundred different viruses may cause your cold symptoms. A virus cannot be treated with an antibiotic since antibiotics can only fight off bacterial infections.**

Now let’s review what we know now, which is the common cold and the types of flu (Types A,B, and C), we know their symptoms (the cold versus the flu), we even know  The Flu statistics of how many are affected yearly with what complications can arise, based on Part 1 and part of Part 2.   The most important part of this article is letting my readers know or be aware of factors in prevention.

Let’s prepare ourselves in knowing factors for prevention of these 2 BUGS THE COLD and THE FLU (particularly) with knowing what to do when you or someone in the home has it.

The biggest factor in prevention of the COMMON COLD or THE FLU is living out your life utilizing great healthy habits and that would be washing your hands with soap and water often, especially:

• Before, during, and after preparing food

• Before eating

• After using the bathroom

• After handling animals or animal waste

• When their hands are dirty

• When someone in your home is sick                                                                                           
• FOR AVOIDANCE IN GETTING THE FLU OBTAIN YOUR VACCINE YEARLY!  The flu virus enters through the eyes, nose, and mouth, so those with the flu or a simple cold should never touch their faces unless they’ve just washed their hands.
• Avoid sharing food, drinks, and utensils.   Do not share drinking glasses-and to break off portions of food and to pour off beverages before consuming them.
• Keep tissues handy. The flu spreads when infected people cough or sneeze. So adults use them and encourage your kids to cough and sneeze into a tissue or their upper arm if tissues aren’t available. (Coughing into a bare hand can also spread germs if kids touch something before they can washyour doctor about antiviral medications. Although not approved for use in children under 1, these drugs can be used in older children & adults to prevent influenza or even can treat the flu in the first 2 days of onset.
• Keep your face off-limits; This means the following:
• Live a healthy lifestyle. MOST IMPORTANT!!! A healthy lifestyle may help prevent them from getting sick in the first place.
• Use those wipes! Flu germs can live for several hours on surfaces such as countertops and doorknobs. Wipe down contaminated objects with soap and water.
• Let your kids, including adults stay home when they’re sick. They’ll feel better sooner and won’t pass their illness on to their classmates or for an adult passing it on to colleagues at work especially the first few days when contagious so don’t go into work those few days.
• For a child and an adult keeping the same routine schedule.
• For a child – keeping the same schedule for play time, bath, pajamas, bottle, story, then bed. Keeping a routine helps, that is one that is healthy of course.
• Make sure you or your sick child who is sick gets enough sleep.      Too little sleep can cause the feeling of run-down and lower the immunity. Yet a National Sleep Foundation poll found that most children need 1 to 3 more hours of sleep than they’re getting every night usually. How much should they be getting? Experts recommend 11 to 13 hours a night for preschoolers and kindergartners and 10 to 11 hours for school-aged children. Adults 8 hours of sleep a day if not more when sick with a cold or the flu. How to make sure this can be accomplished: Establish an earlier-bedtime routine, this just takes discipline by the parent or yourself if an adult that is sick.

• Keep your distance. Stay clear of people who are sick-or feel sick.
  • What to do when you have the cold or, worse, the flu:  Take care of yourself with rest, eating and drinking properly, going to sleep earlier, going to your doctor for treatment and changing your life style to a more healthier one with always practicing good health habits in your daily living=PREVENTION if your not already or just improving on those good habits your doing now.

  • Recommended is to check with your MD on any changes with diet or exercise or daily habits especially if diagnosed already with disease or illness AND  on other medications; for your safety!**

  • REFERENCES:

    1-Wikipedia “the free encyclopedia” 2013 website under the topic Influenza.

    2-Kimberly Clark Professional website under the influenza.

    3-Web MD under “COLD, FLU, COUGH CENTER” “Flu or cold symptoms?” Reviewed by Laura J. Martin MD November 01, 2011

    4-2013 Novartis Consumer Health Inc. Triaminic “Fend off the Flu”

    5-Scientific American “Why do we get the flu most often in the winter? Are viruses virulent in cold weather? December 15, 1997

“Civilization, the orderly world in which we live, is frail. We are skating on thin ice. There is a fear of a collective disaster. Terrorism, genocide, flu, tsunamis.”

Zygmun Bauman (87 y/o and born 19 November 1925) is a Polish sociologist. Since 1971, he has resided in England after being driven out of Poland by Polish political_crisis” campaign.

Those bugs that are common in fall and winter are 2 Viruses =The COLD and THE FLU.

HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT:

Both influenza and the common cold are viral respiratory infections (they affect the nose, throat, and lungs). Viruses are spread from person to person through airborne droplets (aerosols) that are sneezed out or coughed up by an infected person, direct contact is another form of spread with infected nasal secretions, or fomites (contaminated objects). Which of these routes is of primary importance has not been determined, however hand to hand and hand to surface to hand to contact seems of more importance than transmission. The viruses may survive for prolonged periods in the environment (over 18 hours for rhinoviruses in particular=a common virus for colds) and can be picked up by people’s hands and subsequently carried to their eyes or nose where infection occurs. In some cases, the viruses can be spread when a person touches an infected surface (e.g., doorknobs, countertops, telephones) and then touches his or her nose, mouth, or eyes. As such, these illnesses are most easily spread in crowded conditions such as schools.

The traditional folk theory that you can catch a cold in prolonged exposure to cold weather such as rain or winter settings is how the illness got its name. Some of the viruses that cause common colds are seasonal, occurring more frequently during cold or wet weather. The reason for the seasonality has not yet been fully determined. This may occur due to cold induced changes in the respiratory system, decreased immune response, and low humidity increasing viral transmission rates, perhaps due to dry air allowing small viral droplets to disperse farther, and stay in the air longer. It may be due to social factors, such as people spending more time indoors, as opposed to outdoors, exposing him or her “self” to an infected person, and specifically children at school. There is some controversy over the role of body cooling as a risk factor for the common cold; the majority of the evidence does suggest a result in greater susceptibility to infection.            

The SIMPLE COMMON COLD:

The common cold (also known as nasopharyngitis, rhinopharyngitis, acute coryza, head cold) or simply a cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract which primarily effects the nose. There are over 200 different known cold viruses, but most colds (30% up to 80%) are caused by rhinovirusesThis means you can pass the cold to others, so stay home and get some much-needed rest for yourself and not passing it on to others for the contagious period at least.

If cold symptoms do not seem to be improving after a week, you may have a bacterial infection, which means you may need antibiotics, which only kill bacterial infections not viral.

Sometimes you may mistake cold symptoms for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or a sinus infection (bacterial). If cold symptoms begin quickly and are improving after a week, then it is usually a cold, not allergy. If your cold symptoms do not seem to be getting better after a week, check with your doctor to see if you have developed an allergy or inflammation or the sinuses (sinusitis).

Influenza is commonly referred to as “the flu”, this is an infectious disease of birds and mammals caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza viruses. The most common sign or symptom are chills, fever, runny nose, coughing, aches and weakness to headache and sore throat. Although it is often confused with other influenza-like illnesses, especially the COMMON COLD, influenza is a more severe illness or disease caused by a different virus. Influenza nausea and vomiting, particularly in children but these symptoms are more common in the unrelated gastroenteritis, which is sometimes inaccurately referred to as “stomach flu” or “25 hour flu”. The flu can occasionally lead to pneumonia, either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia, even for persons who are usually very healthy. In particular it is a warning sign if a child or presumably an adult seems to be getting better and then relapses with a high fever as this relapse may be bacterial pneumonia. Another warning sign is if the person starts to have trouble breathing.

Each year, 10% to 20% of Canadians are stricken with influenza. Although most people recover fully, depending on the severity of the flu season, it can result in an average of 20,000 hospitalizations and approximately 4000 to 8000 deaths annually in Canada. Deaths due to the flu are found mostly among high-risk populations, such as those with other medical conditions (such as diabetes or cancer) or weakened immune systems, seniors, or very young children. There are 3 types of influenza viruses: A, B, and C. Type A influenza causes the most serious problems in humans and can be carried by humans or animals (wild birds are commonly the host carriers). It is more common for humans seem to carry the most with ailments with type A influenza. Type B Influenza is found in humans also. Type B flu may cause less severe reaction than A type flu virus but for the few for the many can still be at times extremely harmed. Influenza B viruses are not classified by subtype and do not cause pandemics at this time. Influenza type C also found in people but milder than type A or B. People don’t become very ill from this Type C Influenza and do not cause pandemics.

The common cold eventually fizzles, but the flu may be deadly. Some 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized and 36,000 die each year from flu complications — and that pales in comparison to the flu pandemic of 1918 that claimed between 20 and 100 million lives.

The best defense against it:   a vaccine once a year.

References for Part 1 and 2 on the two bugs The FLU and The COLD:

1-Wikipedia “the free encyclopedia” 2013 website under the topic Influenza.

2-Kimberly Clark Professional website under the influenza.

3-Web MD under “COLD, FLU, COUGH CENTER” “Flu or cold symptoms?” Reviewed by Laura J. Martin MD November 01, 2011

4-2013 Novartis Consumer Health Inc. Triaminic “Fend off the Flu”

5-Scientific American “Why do we get the flu most often in the winter? Are viruses virulent in cold weather? December 15, 1997