Kissing Miss Piggy Might Not Be Such A Good Idea

There’s currently a lot of sensational news in the media surrounding this new swine flu. The media is reporting triple digit deaths and increasing spread of infection throughout the world. The World Health Organization is calling it a pandemic, meaning that it is a new influenza virus that we humans have no immunity to and it has the potential to spread rapidly and cause a lot of deaths.

In Egypt, the government plans to slaughter the country’s 250,000 pigs. Wild boars are being killed in Iraq. Concerts and public events are being cancelled in Mexico. Hundreds of tourists are being quarantined in Hong Kong. Here in the U.S. Lawmakers are talking about closing our border with Mexico.

Let’s cut through the mass hysteria and get some perspective on this new strain of influenza.

1. It is a strain of influenza. You’ll experience the same symptoms as normal flu. Fever, cough, body aches, sore throat, chills, fatigue. Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting.
2. There is no evidence that this new strain was spread from pigs to humans. You will not get it from eating pork. The World Health Organization has stopped using the term “swine flu” late last week to avoid this confusion. It is now called H1N1.
3. As of April 29th, the World Health Organization has only confirmed 7 deaths due to swine flu. The 152 deaths reported by media outlets at the time are false.
4. Each year around the world, 500,000 people die from the flu. 36,000 of those deaths are in the U.S. 7 deaths out of hundreds of infections are hardly cause for widespread fear about this virus.
5. There are no vaccines for this new influenza strain. Even for strains that we already have vaccines for, effectiveness is questionable. Look at how many people still die from the flu. You also need to have the right vaccine for the right strain. In addition, beware of their side effects, which include diarrhea, nausea, sinusitis, nasal signs and symptoms, bronchitis, cough, headache, dizziness, and ear, nose, and throat infections. That’s right you may get flu like symptoms taking a vaccine! With viruses constantly evolving, vaccines cannot be a permanent solution. There will always be a threat of new strains.
6. Health officials are recommending Tamiflu. Its most common side effect is nausea and vomiting. Japan and Korea banned this drug, linking it to an increase in suicidal behavior of influenza patients aged between 10 and 17.
7. During the swine flu outbreak in 1976, 25 people died from flu inoculation while 1 person died from the flu itself.

The best thing you can do is to wash your hands regularly. The proper way to wash your hands is scrubbing them under warm soapy water for at least 15 seconds. That, along with getting plenty of rest and Chinese medicine, can take care of the flu.

Yes, Chinese medicine and acupuncture are effective against the flu. There are herbs with broad antiviral and antibacterial properties that, unlike vaccines, can treat a broad spectrum of diseases, not just 1 specific strain of 1 disease. The exact combination of herbs prescribed is not one size fits all but tailored to an individual’s unique needs. In addition, acupuncture can address sign and symptoms and boost the immune system.