“Blood is the fluid of life, transporting oxygen from the lungs to body tissue and carbon dioxide from body tissue to the lungs. Blood is the fluid of growth.”

The Franklin Institute

Lets review the anatomy of the heart, our bodies oxygen is the food to our tissues in keeping them alive through our red blood cells (RBC’s) that carry the O2 to the tissues through a heart and lungs working properly.  The heart in pumping and the lungs in inspiration/expiration (one organ cannot live without the other).                                                                                                                                                              There has to be a systemic way we allow this to work and this is through the heart, lungs, and RBC’s (3 systems that connect with each other). The heart = right side deals with more C02 blood than 02 blood which is blood returning to the heart to get more 02 going first via the Rt. side of the heart to the pulmonary artery, each of which carries blood to the lungs for 02 and C02 exchange to occur. This is for getting more 02 in our RBC’s with allowing them to release C02 at the lungs bases and then return to the left side of the heart.  On the left side of the heart this is blood to be sent through both Lt. chambers (Lt. atria first  and then the Lt. ventricle) of the heart to our blood stream to utilize the new 02 in our RBC’s that they intially obtained at our lungs going now to our body tissues. This is a 24hr/7days a week job for our red blood cells, lungs and heart in functioning to keep the human body alive.

In simpler terms this is how it works: The blood that needs to be refreshed with more 02 always which takes place by the blood in our body entering the right (Rt.) atrium coming from a vessel that brings back mainly carbon dioxide in the blood from the toes and the brain that was previously oxygenated blood that mainly was used up by the tissues and those RBC’s returning on the right side of the heart need to be reoxygenated with higher levels of oxygen.  For the RBC’s to deliver 02 again to tissues in redoing this process all over again it goes through a pathway=our circulatory system.  When the red blood cells need more oxygen it first goes to the Rt. atrium & fills up to its max level in that chamber to going to the Rt Ventricle than through the pulmonary artery to the lungs to get more 02.  Simultaneously while the Right side of the heart does this the left (Lt.) atrium is filling up to its max level than goes to the Lt. Ventricle and out the Aorta to the arteries throughout the body to carry 02 to our tissues through the RBC’s carrying the 02.   Ending line when the Rt. atrium is ready to drop its blood max level into the Rt. ventricle the Lt side does the same thing.  The difference is the 02 and C02 content in Rt and Lt side of the heart (Right side is more C02 in the RBC’S whereas the Left side has more 02 content in the RBCs/blood.                                                                                                               For the blood to get to the atriums to the ventricles they have valves; they open between the chambers simultaneously (the tricuspid valve on the right side and mitral valve on the left side) dropping the blood to the lower chambers of the heart happens simultaneously but only the Rt. side ends up going to the lungs through a pulmonary artery to get more oxygen to send the highly oxygenated blood to the L (left) side of the heart. The job the Rt. side of the heart does this, it just goes from the Rt. side of the heart to our lungs and back to the heart on the Lt. side through the pulmonary veins to the L atrium than the Lt Ventricle going to the aorta this blood gets sent throughout the body; so the path or distance for the Rt. side of the heart to do its function is a short distance = it gets your used up oxygen in the red blood cells (that are high in carbon dioxide) to get more oxygen by going through the Rt. side of the heart sending them to the lungs where they get more O2 and then they are sent back to the Lt. side of the heart.   This is the Rt. side of the heart’s function and explains why the heart muscle on that side of the heart is smaller than the Lt. side.  Now let us look at what the Lt. side of the heart, in what blood it delivers to our tissues with our red blood cells (RBC’s).   The RBC’s reoxygenated that leave the lungs and are sent via the pulmonary vein to the Lt. side of the heart, reaching the Lt. atrium, thus carries a high 02 level in the RBC’s (this blood just came directly from the lungs where O2 and CO2 exchange for the RBC’s took place).  Next the RBC’s go to the Lt. ventricle to our Aorta that sends this high oxygen level of RBC’s out to all our tissues as food to prevent starvation of the tissues.   Again, when the valves open between the chambers of the heart and allowing this blood to fill up in the lower chambers called the Rt. and Lt. ventricles it is simultaneously done.   Also including the valves that open and close in the heart the pulmonary artery and the aorta or the tricuspid valve and mitral valve are simultaneous as well.  The ventricle sending RBC’s out to our circulatory system high in O2 to be utilized by our body tissues is the Lt. Ventrilcle. To do this job takes more effort as opposed to the Rt. side of the heart and that is why the Lt side of the heart has a bigger muscle mass (more of a work out for that side of the heart).

So the way it works with both sides of the heart is the Rt. side sends blood of highly carbon dioxide blood (RBC’s) to the lungs to get re-oxygenated through 2 vessels from the Rt. side of the heart to the lungs that sends this re-oxygenated blood in the RBC’s through 2 vessels.  On the Rt side of the heart you have the Superior Vena Cava which enters the C02 blood into the right atrium and the 2 pulmonary arteries that send that blood from the Rt Ventricle to the lungs to get the 0xygen from them.  Than this blood goes to the Lt. side of the heart  sends this highly oxygenated blood now throughout the top and bottom of the Lt. side of the heart through 2 vessels which are the pulmonary veins dumping the blood in the Lt atrium down into the Lt ventricle and out the aorta that sends this blood throughout our body tissues.  When this oxygen is used all up from the RBC’s dispensing it out to tissues the C02 is taken back from the tissues by RBC’s that replace it with O2 through breathing;   this process starts all over again with these RBC’s returning to the right side of the heart reaching the lungs to get more oxygen to be sent out by the left side of the heart to go out to all our tissues. Ending line the right side of the heart is for higher levels of carbon dioxide in the blood (used up oxygenated blood) to get more oxygen through our RBC’s whereas the left side of the heart sends higher levels of O2 throughout the body all the way to the toes through the RBC’s (a harder job on the left side of the heart=muscle mass of the left side of the heart works out more than the right making the left side of the heart a bigger muscle vs the right side).

Now knowing the anatomy and physiology of the heart let’s now understand more about a cardiac disease RVR=Rapid Ventricular Rate and Atrial Fibrillation and more regarding how they develop and in how it effects the engine of the body, being the heart, and the lungs=the transmission of the body. Like a car if the engine is affected in time the transmission gets affected and if not repaired by the mechanic the car engine will die with the transmission. Same effect with the human engine=the heart. If the heart is affected in time it will effect the lungs and if not repaired the heart will die and so will the lungs with the rest of the body.

Tomorrow Part 2 on Rapid Ventricular Rate and A Fib in how it affects the heart in functioning but how it can be treated to live a fairly normal life.

From the moment it begins beating until the moment it stops, the human heart works tirelessly. In an average lifetime*, the heart beats more than two and a half billion times, without ever pausing to rest. Like a pumping machine, the heart provides the power needed for life.

The Heart Foundation.org

Let us first understand how the heart functions.  For starters think of a car, without the engine the car won’t move unless pushed in neutral but the engine is still not working at all. Well, the body can’t work at all if the heart isn’t working=dead. Right? We can’t live without the heart but more importantly you can’t function actively and productively with one that is diseased and not being cared for or just severely diseased. We need to take good care of our bodies especially if diseased already, that includes your heart especially (the organ the allows the human body to live).

Looking at the anatomy and physiology of the heart it will help you understand in how it functions with how cardiac disease affects it. For starters the heart is like the engine of the human body based on its characteristics.  This organ is  just like a car in that the human body would not function without its engine.

The heart’s anatomy,  in this organ you have chambers (2 on the top called atriums and 2 on the bottom called ventricles), 4 chambers to be exact (sort of like a 4 cylinder car). It also has valves which allows our blood to go in and out of the chambers and vessels of the heart. That is what makes blood move throughout the circulatory system starting from the heart down the abdomen to the arms, than the legs/feet back up to the brain to the heart again. These valves are located before the entrance of the blood entering the heart on right upper chamber, between the upper and lower chambers (atriums & ventricles), at the beginning of arteries and veins involved in moving blood throughout the heart and to or from the lungs to do one major function in keeping all tissue alive in exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide from the tissues. Lastly, in our veins the legs have valves to push blood back up to the heart because this blood that had high oxygen cells carried by our red blood cells are not filled with mostly oxygen but with carbon dioxide. When this blood is pushed up in the legs through the veins by valves allowing the blood to return to the heart with more carbon dioxide in the blood this is done to allow the blood to get to the lungs for more oxygen and carbon dioxide to be released (like oil/gas entering the car first in the tank and used throughout the engine and leaves the muffler out the tail pipe (the car’s lungs). Oxygen is our gas to the body tissues; without it we couldn’t survive but to get it we have to breath to allow oxygen and carbon dioxide to go in and out of our red blood cells at the bases of the lungs.  This is where the red blood cells pass by in the circulatory system for this transfer of O2 and CO2 to take place. For this to take place it is when we breath; which is allowing 02 in the body to our tissues by the red blood cell that carries 02 to our tissues and tissues releasing carbon dioxide (end product of oxygen used in tissues) transferred over to our red blood cells carried back to the lungs in where the carbon dioxide is released from the cell and removed through the lungs on expiration.

• First take our blood, in particular our red blood cells are the cells that carry oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout our body; the body without enough oxygen in the body tissues=cellular starvation. We can’t survive without oxygen sent to our tissues=food to our tissues (Ex. poor circulation to any tissue of the body = pain and if not resolved it will go into necrosis = death of the tissue, like in a diabetic that has poor circulation to the toes/foot that has pain/numbness and unresolved = necrosis to amputation.  So your blood, in particular the red blood cells, need to transport oxygen (O2) to and take carbon dioxide (CO2) from our tissues in the body and refill up with more 02 and release C02 (O2 used up by our tissues) which takes place at the lungs. This process is done constantly in the body to feed our tissues O2 (by the red blood cells-RBC’s picking up 02 upon inhalation) with tissues releasing CO2 which is picked up by the RBC’s at all tissues of our body and they take that CO2 to the lungs in releasing it from our body completely via exhaling. This whole process is only done due to the heart beating allowing the blood to circulate and recirculate throughout the body and allowing this O2/C02 process from the lungs to even take place by pumping RBC’s throughout the body through the circulatory system (just like the engine of a car in how the engine works to allow fuels, oils to circulate throughout the engine and other areas of the car to allow the car overall to function but for it to happen the engine has to be on pumping the transmission and oil throughout its system to allow these oils to be utilizes.   When the gas gets low we refill it up at the gas station with more car gas.  For the human body we fill up by breathing allowing the gas we need to run on, being oxygen, but at the sametime allowing the toxic gas out of our body being what we call carbon dioxide via expiration.  Turn in tomorrow for Part 2 of this article on the anatomy and physiology of the heart and to prepare for Monday’s article on  Rapid Ventricular Rate and Atrial Fibrillation with how both affect the heart in its function.

“Factors that influence selection of treatment for genital warts include wart size, wart number, anatomic site of the wart, wart morphology, patient preference, cost of treatment, convenience, adverse effects, and provider experience”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Genital warts (or condylomata acuminata, venereal warts, anal warts and anogenital warts)

Genital warts affect both men and women and can occur at any age.  Most patients with genital warts are between the ages of 17-33 years. Genital warts are highly contagious. There is high risk of getting the infection from a single sexual contact with someone who has genital warts.

In children younger than three years of age, genital warts are thought to be transmitted by nonsexual methods such as direct manual contact. Nevertheless, the presence of genital warts in children should raise the suspicion for sexual abuse.

Up to 20% of people with genital warts will have other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Most genital warts are caused by two specific types of the virus (HPV-6 and -11), and these HPV types are considered “low risk,” meaning they have a low cancer-causing potential. Other HPV types are known causes of premalignant changes and cervical cancers in women. HPV16, one of the “high-risk” types, is responsible for about 50% of cervical cancers. HPV types 16, 18, 31, and 45 are other known “high risk” virus types. High-risk HPV types are also referred to as oncogenic HPV types. HPV is believed to cause 100% of cases of cervical cancer..

Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Over 100 types of HPVs have been identified; about 40 of these types have the potential to infect the genital area.

Most genital warts are caused by two specific types of the virus (HPV-6 and -11), and these HPV types are considered “low risk,” meaning they have a low cancer-causing potential. Other HPV types are known causes of premalignant changes and cervical cancers in women. HPV16, one of the “high-risk” types, is responsible for about 50% of cervical cancers. HPV types 16, 18, 31, and 45 are other known “high risk” virus types. High-risk HPV types are also referred to as oncogenic HPV types. HPV is believed to cause 100% of cases of cervical cancer.

1.  The viral particles are able to penetrate the skin and mucosal surfaces through microscopic abrasions in the genital area, which occur during sexual activity. Once cells are invaded by HPV, a latency (quiet) period of months to years may occur, during which there is no evidence of infection. Genital warts are indirectly associated with use of birth control pills due to increased sexual contact without the use of barrier protection, multiple sex partners, and having sex at an early age.The size may range from less than one millimeter (1 mm = 0.039 inches) across to several square centimeters (1 cm = 0.39 inches) when many warts join together. Rarely, bleeding or urinary obstruction may be the initial problem when the wart involves the urethral opening (the opening where urine exits the body.) There may be a history of previous or concurrent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).In men, genital warts can infect the urethra, penis, scrotum, and rectal area. The warts can appear as soft, raised masses with a surface that can be smooth (on the penile shaft) or rough with many fingerlike projections (anal warts). Others may appear pearly, cauliflower-like, or rough with a slightly dark surface. Most lesions are raised, but some may be flat with only slight elevation above the skin surface. Sometimes lesions may be hidden by hair or in the inner aspect of the uncircumcised foreskin in males.Diagnosis is often based on findings from the history and appearance of the genital warts. Magnification of the area (colposcopy) using a scope may be necessary to see the lesions. In females, a colposcope may be used to look for lesions in the vaginal canal and on the cervix. A biopsy can be performed if the lesion appears unusual or recurs after treatment. Because genital warts essentially have no symptoms other than their appearance, there is little need for home treatment. It is important, however, to recognize that the warts exist. Be careful to prevent transmission to a sexual partner.Treatment: #1 before even getting genital herpes and stick to it is PREVENTION!! Never get them.Cryotherapy: This technique freezes the wart using liquid nitrogen or a “cryoprobe.” It is an excellent first-line treatment because response rates are high with few side effects.Electrodesiccation: This technique uses an electric current to destroy the warts. It can be done in the office with local anesthesia. Of note, the resulting smoke plume may be infectious.2.) Surgery in some cases removing the warts.4.) With your health care practitioner DON’T FORGET FOLLOW UP, a must. -Complete the necessary treatment as outlined by your health care practitioner.
2. There is also alternative treatments 1.) Types of medical creams prescribed and even OTC.
3. Laser treatment: This treatment is used for extensive or recurrent genital warts. It may require local, regional, or general anesthesia. The laser physically destroys the HPV-induced lesion. Disadvantages include high cost, increased healing time, scarring, and potentially infectious viral particles in the air caused by the laser plume.
4. There is no single effective cure for removal of genital warts. A number of treatment options exist; however, no treatment is 100% effective in eliminating warts and preventing them from coming back in all patients. It also is not possible to eliminate infection with human papillomavirus once it has occurred. Genital warts may go away on their own in about 10% to 20% of people over a period of three to four months.
5. Because the warts themselves are infectious, avoid touching them. Do not pick or squeeze the warts.
6. Take the necessary precautions to prevent trauma to the area, which can result in bleeding.
7. Special laboratory tests can also be used to confirm the presence of HPV infection.
8. A routine Pap smear should always be done in order to look for evidence of HPV infection and abnormal cells on the cervix.
9. Sometimes, lesions are only visible with an enhancing technique called acetowhitening. This technique involves the application of 5% acetic acid solution to the area of suspicion for about 5-10 minutes. Infected areas will turn white.
10. In women, genital warts have a similar appearance and usually occur in the moist areas of the labia minora and vaginal opening. Lesions visible on the outer genitals warrant a thorough examination of the vaginal canal, cervix, and anorectal area.
11. Most vaginal warts occur without symptoms. Rarely, women may experience bleeding after sexual intercourse, itching, or vaginal discharge.
12. Warts in more than one area are common.
13. Men and women with genital warts will often complain of painless bumps, itching, and discharge.
14. Signs or genital warts: First know although genital warts are painless, they may be bothersome because of their location, size, or due to itching.
15. Generally, about two-thirds of people who have sexual contact with a partner who has genital warts develop them within three months.
16. Common warts are not the same as genital warts and are caused by different HPV types that  infect the skin.
17. Some types of HPVs use cervical or anal cancer, and vaccines are available to protect against the most dangerous types. Other HPV types cause genital warts, which can be raised,  and flat.

“The timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary in different parts of the country and from season to season. However, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. between December and February.”

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“What should you know for the 2014-2015 influenza season”.  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2014-2015.htm)

FLU FACTS:

-Both colds and flu usually last the same seven to 10 days, but flu can go three to four weeks; the flu virus may not still be there, but you have symptoms long after it has left. Allergy can last weeks or months.

-The winter flu epidemic will be coming around us again and in a given locality it reaches its peak in 2 to 3 weeks and lasts 5 to 6 weeks. Then is disappears as quickly as it arrived. The reason for this is not completely clear. The usual pattern is for a rise in the incidence of flu in children, which precedes an increase in the adult population.

-The flu virus can lead to serious complications, including bronchitis, viral or bacterial pneumonia and even death in elderly and chronically ill patients. Twenty thousand or more people die of the flu in the America each year. Know this that the frequency of human contact across the world and the highly infectious nature of the virus make this explanation difficult to accept. Moreover there is no evidence of persistent or latent infection with influenza viruses. In any case, this idea is not really very difficult from the notion that the virus circulates at a low level throughout the year and seizes its opportunity to cause an outbreak when conditions allow.

-Even harder to explain is why the flu disappears from a community when there are still a large number of people susceptible to infection. Than even harder than that is why flu is a winter disease, which is not fully understood or known. However, flu is spread largely by droplet (aerosol) infection from individuals with high viral level in their nasal and throat secretions, sneezing, and coughing on anyone close at hand. The aerosol droplets of the right size (thought to be about 1.5 micrometers in diameter) remain airborne and are breathed into the nose or lungs of the next victim.

-Situations in which people are crowded together are more commonly in cold or wet weather and so perhaps this contributes to spreading the flu at these times. It is interesting that in equatorial countries, flu occurs throughout the year, but is highest in the monsoon or rainy season. Enough about facts but onto logical thinking for when we or someone we know has it and what questions we might be asking ourselves.

LOGICAL QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK YOURSELF:

Are the treatments for these illnesses the cold or the flu different? For any of these things, if it affects the nose or sinus, just rinsing with saline that gets the mucus and virus out is a first-line defense. It’s not the most pleasant thing to do, but it works very well. There are classes of medicines that can help the flu — Tamiflu and Relenza — antivirals that block viruses’ ability to reproduce and shorten the length and severity of the illness. But they have to be taken within 48 hours or the cat is proverbially out of the bag [because by then] the virus has done the most of its reproduction. For a cold or flu, rest and use decongestants and antihistamines, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, chicken soup and fluids. Zinc supposedly helps the body’s natural defenses work to their natural capacity and decrease the severity and length of a cold. Cells need zinc as a catalyst in their protective processes, so if you supply them with zinc, it helps them work more efficiently. You should also withhold iron supplements. Viruses use iron as part of their reproductive cycle, so depriving them of it blocks their dissemination. The majority of these infections are not bacterial and do not require [nor will they respond to] antibiotics. My rule of thumb is that a viral infection should go away in seven to 10 days. If symptoms persist after that, you’d consider if it’s bacteria like strep, haemophilus, influenza or some other bacterial infection.

These bacteria cause illnesses that are longer lasting and need antibiotics for ranging 3 to 14 days, depending on the med used.

Is that treatment approach the same for kids versus adults? In general, the same rules apply: Most children will have six to eight colds a year in their first three years of life, and most are viral. Adults have 3 or more a year. It’s very easy to test for strep and for that you should have a [positive] culture [before treating with antibiotics]. The principle behind that is knowing the organism the doctor will know what antibiotic to use to fight off the bacterial infection and you won’t build up antibodies from the antibiotic that you didn’t need in the first place if you are given the wrong antibiotic in the beginning.

Are the strategies for avoiding cold and flu different? Avoidance is very similar: Strict hand washing, not sharing drinking cups or utensils, and avoiding direct contact with people who are sneezing. Their transmission is similar. As long as someone has a fever, they have the possibility to transmit infection. After they’ve had no fever for 24 hours, they’re not infectious anymore. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that just about everyone get the flu shot: kids 6 months to 19 years of age, pregnant women, people 50 and up, and people of any age with compromised immune systems. Is the shot beneficial to anyone who gets it? Unless you have a contraindication, there’s no reason not to get it=PREVENTION. Contraindications include egg allergy (because the vaccine is grown from egg products), any vaccines within a last week or two, and active illness at the time of your vaccine.

The best to do is PREVENTION so you can avoid the cold or flu in its active phase or post phase, so doing the following will help prevent it:

Live a healthy lifestyle overall=Good dieting, living good healthy habits and maintaining exercise with rest daily or 2 to 3 times a week including get a vaccine yearly for the flu with maintaining good clean anti-infection habits like as simply as washing the hands frequently and before meals including after.

If you need help in being given the knowledge in how routinely lose weight if not maintain your good weight (which helps you fight infection as opposed to overweight or under- weight and knowing what foods are lean to leaner to leanest out of the 4 food groups you came to the right blog.  If you want to understand why portions of meals including exercise balanced with rest is so important, how all 4 interact with each other impacting your metabolism rate, and keeping a healthier body with a higher chance of increasing your immunity with fighting off simple colds to possibly the flu when near someone contaminated with the virus and making this a regular part not just a few months to a year but for life then again;  you came to the right blog.  This can be answered  through Dr. Anderson.   If you need one a site in where you can be helped in getting started on this goal in your life this doctor’s book can give you more than just guidance.   You can order Dr. Anderson’s book “Dr. A’s healthy habits” that provides the information on foods to help you lose the excess of weight through the four food groups with so much more in learning about the body to diseases in prevention and treatment (Rx).   You can also get this book and if you need a boost or starter diet if not for life join Medifast which Dr. Anderson supports and is a part of.  If not and just interested in his book its available separately.

Most important, you make all the choices.   I needed to lose weight and lost what I wanted to regarding obese and now a little overweight and trying to lose that on my own.

So if you want to prevent getting the cold to the flu with so many other diseases and illnesses with changing your lifestyle  which includes your diet changing around with loosing weight but need help;  look no more and go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and join what I did for a starting help. Take a peek for no charge, no obligation and no hacking. I hope you have learned something new from my blog.

****Recommended is to check with your MD on any changes with diet or exercise especially if diagnosed already with disease or illness for your safety,  no one elses.****

References for Part 1, 2, and 3 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

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

Kristi Yamaguchi (born July 12, 1971–an American figure skater who 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.  One of the most important ones and is the least expensive is simply knowing that 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 wash.)Ask your 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.

REMEMBER THESE KEY MEASURES:

• 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 for your safety.****                                                                     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