Drug-Resistant Flu Viruses and Other Health News
March 5, 2009 by Ann Deters
Filed under Health Buzz
Flu’s Resistance to Drug and Flu Deaths Stir Concern
There’s sobering news on the flu front. The antiviral drug Tamiflu seems to be no match for the strain of flu virus making most people sick this season because the strain has grown resistant to the drug’s effects, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association . The latest development comes on the heels of a reminder that the flu can indeed kill healthy kids, though rarely, with the cases of two Maryland teenagers who died suddenly late last month, U.S. News’ s Nancy Shute reports. The best defense against infection, specialists advise, is a flu shot, and this year, for the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends seasonal flu shots for all children ages 6 months to 18, Shute writes.
Last month, Shute wrote about a breakthrough discovery that may fight off flu and bird flu. She has previously reported on how to keep safe from bird flu.
Can’t Sleep? Why Insomnia Shouldn’t Be Ignored
About a third of Americans say they’re losing sleep because they’re worried about the economic crisis and its implications for their personal finances, finds the National Sleep Foundation’s 2009 Sleep in America poll. But while soldiering on sleepily may be the only solution at times, there’s good reason not to ignore insomnia, reportsU.S. News’s Michelle Andrews. It often signals other medical or psychiatric problems. Moreover, lack of sleep can also invite health problems and put the heart at risk. Last year, U.S. News offered 3 ways to get better sleep and improve health.
How to Be Mindful and Achieve Optimal Health
There’s a movement afoot—at least among those who practice what’s known as “integrative medicine“—to focus on maintaining a state of optimal health rather than simply alleviating symptoms or treating a particular disease. These docs, nurses, and other health practitioners want us to be truly mindful of how we choose to nourish ourselves with food, activity, rest, and connections with others. Studies have shown that mindfulness, a form of meditation in which you disengage yourself from strong beliefs, thoughts, and emotions, has a positive effect on brain function, lowering the stress response and increasing feelings of relaxation and well-being, writes U.S. News’s Deborah Kotz. She proposes 5 ways to use mindfulness to improve health and achieve wellness and describes her own attempt to relax by being mindful. Kotz has previously written about flotation therapy for stress reduction and how, if managed, stress can be good for you.
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A post by "Ann Deters" http://www.VantageOutsourcing.com Ann Deters passion is to be an advocate for hospitals and surgery centers, allowing them to maximize profits by providing cataract outsourcing services in an efficient and low cost manner. Ann, has been a columnist about health care issue for two decades writing for numerous health care magazines. |
