Health Tips: Swine Flu

Health Tips

Causes, Symptoms, Preventive Measures & Treatment of

Swine Flu

(H1N1) is a respiratory disease caused by type A influenza virus. It is commonly known as Swine Flu and Pig Flu.

Causes

• Most of these cases occur in people with direct exposure to pigs (e.g., people working on pig farms or slaughterhouses). 
• It is spread from person to person when the virus enters the body through the eyes, nose, and/or mouth when coughing and sneezing.
• The virus can also rest on hard surfaces like doorknobs, ATM buttons, and counters. A person who touches these surfaces with their hands and then touches their eyes, mouth, or nose can become infected with the virus.
• You cannot get infected with swine flu from eating pork products that have been properly cooked to an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F).

Symptoms

• cough
• fever
• sore throat
• stuffy or runny nose
• body aches
• headache
• chills
• fatigue
• diarrhea
• rash

Preventive measures

• Get flu vaccination or flu shot on annual basis.

• Prevent the germs to get into the body by washing your hands properly using soap or sanitiser.
  
• Avoid contact with people suffering from swine flu. 
• Avoid crowded places.
• It is important to have properly handled cooked food. The raw food must be properly washed and cooked.
• Wear masks on mouth and nose to avoid virus intake from the air.
  

Treatment

• Most cases of flu, including H1N1 flu, require only symptom relief. If you have a chronic respiratory disease, your doctor may prescribe additional medication to help relieve your symptoms.
• The antiviral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are sometimes prescribed to reduce the severity of symptoms.
• Antibiotics are given by doctors to combat bacterial infections such as pneumonia, which may occur as a complication of influenza.