Everybody is talking about H1N1 these days…from the newscaster to the grocery line, it seems to be on everybody's mind. Understandably so, as there is nothing more important than your health, and the health of those you love.
So this week we'd like to take some of the mystery and disinformation out of this topic by addressing the basics and answering your questions. Let's start at the beginning:
H1N1 flu and seasonal flu: how are they different?
H1N1 and seasonal flu's biggest difference is who is at the greatest risk for severe illness. With the seasonal flu, those over 65 years old are most often hospitalized; 90% of season flu deaths are people over 65. With H1N1, however, younger people are more susceptible. The CDC states that those under 25 are experiencing a "greater disease burden" than those over 65.
Seasonal flu and H1N1 do have similarities, however. From the CDC:
However, pregnancy and other previously recognized high risk medical conditions from seasonal influenza appear to be associated with increased risk of complications from this 2009 H1N1. These underlying conditions include asthma, diabetes, suppressed immune systems, heart disease, kidney disease, neurocognitive and neuromuscular disorders and pregnancy.
What are your concerns about H1N1? What questions do you have? Leave them in the comments! Of course there will be some specific questions that only your doctor can answer for you, but we'll do our best to slough through the misinformation out there and bring you the most current and accurate data that pertains to us all.
(photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu)
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I am currently pregnate of baby #3 and have 2 little girls (age 2 1/2 and 11 months old)
Our family will not be taking the swine flu shot but are taking some preventive initiative like sleeping well, exercise and fresh air, eating healthy and lots of garlic.
Is there any other tips on how to prevent (beside hand washing and staying away from sick people) that are safe during pregnancy?
An other question
Why do some people with H1N1 died and others don't?