Hey, Don't Bug Me, Go Away!!
I am sure most of you have heard the expression "I have the bug," or "I’ve caught the bug," meaning of course that you have contracted a strain of influenza or the "flu virus." We know children and the elderly are at the highest risk of having the most severe complications of the illness. This flu season less people received the vaccine due to a shortage of supplies. Regardless, it is generally accepted that the flu virus and other common viruses are very disruptive to the body’s immune system and can lead to serious manifestations of life threatening illness.
On the flip side of the coin, bacterial infections are also way to common in producing strept throat, acute sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia, to name a few. We will look at frequent bacterial pathogens later in this health tip.
Studies show that prescribing habits of family practice doctors and primary care physicians are extreme when it comes to antibiotics. Much of this is due to the pressure doctors receive from their well-meaning patients who insist on at least getting an antibiotic during their office visit, even though their symptoms suggest a viral illness for which antibiotics offer no benefit. The bottom line is to incorporate healthy daily habits to prevent any infection whether viral or bacterial.
Protect Your Body Against A Viral Invasion
Unlike antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections, there is no specific class of drugs that treat viral infections such as influenza and the common cold. These infections are the leading causes of patient visits to physicians and account for the most number of absences from school and work compared to any other illness. The first step to treating a bacterial or a viral infection is to distinguish one from the other. The symptoms are fairly similar, so a visit to your physician may be necessary.
In order to determine which type of infection is causing the symptoms, a doctor may run a CBC blood test, which is used as a broad screening procedure to check for disorders such as anemia (decrease in red blood cells or hemoglobin), infection, and many other diseases. Depending on the situation, a culture (blood, urine, throat, etc.) may also be necessary. The cultures are often sent out to a lab and the results may take a while to be received. Many Patients today demand a "quick fix" that sometimes lead to doctors prescribing antibiotics for a viral infection. Antibiotics treat pathogenic bacterial infections, however, they cannot effectively treat viral infections.
Unfortunately, the use of antibiotics strip our gastrointestinal tract of essential friendly bacterial cultures. Nausea and upset stomach are usually indicative of this occurrence. To repopulate the culture of good bacteria, take Reflora which helps destroy putrefactive bacteria within the lower tract and reduce unwanted yeast cultures.
Research is being conducted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to design vaccinations and treatments for both bacterial and viral infections. Many life threatening conditions that once took the life of so many pose no threat today. "Rubella, a virus that once seriously harmed tens of thousands of infants is no longer a major health threat, thanks to a safe and effective vaccine and successful immunization programs across the country," states CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding.
Our body's natural defense is the immune system. Cells called T-lymphocytes recognize and kill cells containing viruses. Antibodies within the body generally kill viruses released from infected cells. Children and adults with viral infections generally recover once the illness has run its course. Colds caused by viruses may last for two weeks or longer.
The following can help a person with a cold or flu feel better:
Increase fluid intake
Use cool mist vaporizer or saline nasal spray to relieve congestion
Soothe throat with ice chips
When fighting an infection, the body needs extra help not only to boost the immune system and eradicate invasive bacterial and viral entities, but also to alleviate associated symptoms and restock nutritional stores depleted due to illness. The quickest way to overcome viral infections like a common cold or flu is to provide your body with the nutrients it needs during this time. Virexin is a homeopathic medicinal formulated to provide extra nutritional support for a variety of bodily infections and immune dysfunctions.
Protect your body from a viral invasion by getting your immune system into an optimal state. Eat right, drink plenty of water, and take a multivitamin like Daily Essentials. When in contact with infected people or at the first sign of illness, take Virexin to help prevent sickness.
CBC Blood Test and Bacterial Cultures
Both CBC blood tests and bacterial cultures help distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. Normally part of a routine medical exam, CBC tests help identify serious problems before they get worse. The CBC test provides a complete count of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in an individual's blood. Complete blood count testing is actually a panel of tests that help physicians examine different parts of their patients' blood.
The CBC is used as a broad screening test to check for such disorders as anemia, infection, and many other diseases. If the blood test indicates increased white blood cell count, it is indicative of bacterial infections. Viral infections result in a decreased white blood cell count. Results from CBC blood tests will provide your doctor with a general overview of your health.
Your doctor may order blood, throat, urine, or sputum (secretion produced in the lungs and the bronchi) cultures when you are having symptoms of sepsis (bacterial infection), which indicate that bacteria or their byproducts are causing harm in your body. The cultures help determine the type of bacterial infection. Blood cultures are drawn more frequently in newborns who may have an infection, but may not have the typical signs and symptoms of sepsis. Similarly, blood cultures are collected in young children to detect serious infections.
Common pathogenic bacterial cultures include:
Group B streptococcus
E. Coli
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Haemophilus influenzae
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Staphylococcus aureus
Common viral cultures include:
Rhinoviruses
Coronavirus
Parainfluenza virusus
Respitatory syncytial virus
Influenza virus
Adenoviruses
Coxsackieviuses
Epslein-Barr virus
Source: American Association for Clinical Chemistry
On the flip side of the coin, bacterial infections are also way to common in producing strept throat, acute sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia, to name a few. We will look at frequent bacterial pathogens later in this health tip.
Studies show that prescribing habits of family practice doctors and primary care physicians are extreme when it comes to antibiotics. Much of this is due to the pressure doctors receive from their well-meaning patients who insist on at least getting an antibiotic during their office visit, even though their symptoms suggest a viral illness for which antibiotics offer no benefit. The bottom line is to incorporate healthy daily habits to prevent any infection whether viral or bacterial.
Protect Your Body Against A Viral Invasion
Unlike antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections, there is no specific class of drugs that treat viral infections such as influenza and the common cold. These infections are the leading causes of patient visits to physicians and account for the most number of absences from school and work compared to any other illness. The first step to treating a bacterial or a viral infection is to distinguish one from the other. The symptoms are fairly similar, so a visit to your physician may be necessary.
In order to determine which type of infection is causing the symptoms, a doctor may run a CBC blood test, which is used as a broad screening procedure to check for disorders such as anemia (decrease in red blood cells or hemoglobin), infection, and many other diseases. Depending on the situation, a culture (blood, urine, throat, etc.) may also be necessary. The cultures are often sent out to a lab and the results may take a while to be received. Many Patients today demand a "quick fix" that sometimes lead to doctors prescribing antibiotics for a viral infection. Antibiotics treat pathogenic bacterial infections, however, they cannot effectively treat viral infections.
Unfortunately, the use of antibiotics strip our gastrointestinal tract of essential friendly bacterial cultures. Nausea and upset stomach are usually indicative of this occurrence. To repopulate the culture of good bacteria, take Reflora which helps destroy putrefactive bacteria within the lower tract and reduce unwanted yeast cultures.
Research is being conducted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to design vaccinations and treatments for both bacterial and viral infections. Many life threatening conditions that once took the life of so many pose no threat today. "Rubella, a virus that once seriously harmed tens of thousands of infants is no longer a major health threat, thanks to a safe and effective vaccine and successful immunization programs across the country," states CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding.
Our body's natural defense is the immune system. Cells called T-lymphocytes recognize and kill cells containing viruses. Antibodies within the body generally kill viruses released from infected cells. Children and adults with viral infections generally recover once the illness has run its course. Colds caused by viruses may last for two weeks or longer.
The following can help a person with a cold or flu feel better:
Increase fluid intake
Use cool mist vaporizer or saline nasal spray to relieve congestion
Soothe throat with ice chips
When fighting an infection, the body needs extra help not only to boost the immune system and eradicate invasive bacterial and viral entities, but also to alleviate associated symptoms and restock nutritional stores depleted due to illness. The quickest way to overcome viral infections like a common cold or flu is to provide your body with the nutrients it needs during this time. Virexin is a homeopathic medicinal formulated to provide extra nutritional support for a variety of bodily infections and immune dysfunctions.
Protect your body from a viral invasion by getting your immune system into an optimal state. Eat right, drink plenty of water, and take a multivitamin like Daily Essentials. When in contact with infected people or at the first sign of illness, take Virexin to help prevent sickness.
CBC Blood Test and Bacterial Cultures
Both CBC blood tests and bacterial cultures help distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. Normally part of a routine medical exam, CBC tests help identify serious problems before they get worse. The CBC test provides a complete count of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in an individual's blood. Complete blood count testing is actually a panel of tests that help physicians examine different parts of their patients' blood.
The CBC is used as a broad screening test to check for such disorders as anemia, infection, and many other diseases. If the blood test indicates increased white blood cell count, it is indicative of bacterial infections. Viral infections result in a decreased white blood cell count. Results from CBC blood tests will provide your doctor with a general overview of your health.
Your doctor may order blood, throat, urine, or sputum (secretion produced in the lungs and the bronchi) cultures when you are having symptoms of sepsis (bacterial infection), which indicate that bacteria or their byproducts are causing harm in your body. The cultures help determine the type of bacterial infection. Blood cultures are drawn more frequently in newborns who may have an infection, but may not have the typical signs and symptoms of sepsis. Similarly, blood cultures are collected in young children to detect serious infections.
Common pathogenic bacterial cultures include:
Group B streptococcus
E. Coli
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Haemophilus influenzae
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Staphylococcus aureus
Common viral cultures include:
Rhinoviruses
Coronavirus
Parainfluenza virusus
Respitatory syncytial virus
Influenza virus
Adenoviruses
Coxsackieviuses
Epslein-Barr virus
Source: American Association for Clinical Chemistry
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