Erratic weather, as happened recently was rarely makes the body susceptible to disease. Especially if you are doing intensive activities while the body is not fit. Various factors that most often causes infection in the throat and nose, resulting in the emergence of flu symptoms such as blocked nose, and head felt dizzy.

Flu or commonly called the common cold, can affect your daily activities. Immune system becomes weaker and make us easily get sick. But do not worry! You can use some simple ways to stay fit. One of them is using vacation time effectively.

Influenza virus can attack all age groups. The highest infection rates occur among children age. The number and severity of disease deaths occur in people aged more than 65 years of age or patients with certain diseases due to be vulnerable to any infection.

Factors Causes and Symptoms

Frequent colds or influenza is known as an acute viral infection in the respiratory tract. Occurs in epidemics or pandemics. The infection is caused by several strains of influenza viruses, namely influenza virus A, B, and C. Virus incubation period lasts for 3-10 days. It is characterized by inflammation in the nasal mucosa, pharynx, and conjunctiva. Then, influenza accompanied by headache, muscle pain, sore throat, cough, fever, chills and weakness.

Flu is a disease caused by viruses and usually attack when the conditions of our endurance was not good. Especially during the rainy season. Normally this virus is transmitted through saliva, which had been infected. And ways of transmission can be from coughing or sneezing of patients suffering from the flu.

The incubation period of the disease is approximately one to four days (an average of two days). In adults, the infection attacked since the days before the onset of influenza symptoms until five days after the onset of this disease. While the children can spread the virus to more than ten days. Characteristics that appear from this disease of the incidence of respiratory disorders such as sudden fever and nasal congestion. For some people who previously had lung and heart problems, influenza can cause disease pneumonia secondary.

Flu is a disease that has symptoms that stage throat, head and chest. But it is not sequential stages. You might first hit on the head or throat. In some cases of influenza marked by cold and accompanied by high fever. The patient usually will also feel the pain in the throat. All of these symptoms are also accompanied by headache, abdominal pain and a husky voice. In some cases, influenza is also accompanied by nausea, coughing and vomiting. Even for severe cases patients usually also have diarrhea.

Influenza viruses are constantly changing, the fox, then you can do is treat the symptoms and prevent complications did not occur. Giving vitamin C is proven to accelerate the healing process. If fever accompanies the additional needed energy supplies unutuk food and vitamin B for the metabolism of calories. Improvements needed terhdap infection vitamins A and C and iron for the formation of antibodies that the body needs to strengthen durability.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis is done by recognizing the symptoms of the patient. Usually the symptoms that arise from the patient will we know. In addition, there are also checks droplets from the nose to the lab. The main treatment by improving the general condition of the patient.  For patients who complained of headaches will usually be given paracetamol.  Rest is the most appropriate way to treat this disease. Because the general condition of the patient’s rest can be much improved. Especially for you who like to work, it is recommended to temporarily stop your activity.

In addition, multiply water consumption. If under normal conditions you eat 6 to 8 glasses a day then when the cold then you should increase water consumption up to 10 cups. Water can wash away the virus from your body in various forms such as sweat and urine. To overcome a sore throat can also take tablets for throat antiseptic.

Keep in mind, the patient is not supposed to touch the sugar-containing foods such as cakes, ice cream and other sweet foods. Content of sugar in the blood will lower your body resistance against infection, it is advisable to consume fruits, juice or juice. Since the beverage contains vitamins will speed up the recovery process of the body. Most people recover within a week.

Last but not least, the community needs to consider the composition of a drunk cold medicines for drug component in accordance with flu-like symptoms experienced. The selection must be appropriate medication and should not be wrong. General flu drug is a combination of several active substances. For example, combinations of analgesic / antipyretic plus a nasal decongestant, analgesic / antipyretic plus nasal decongestants and anthistamin. The use of flu drugs not intended for long-term. If the flu symptoms are not reduced, or increasingly heavy after taking cold medication for three days should immediately consult a doctor or health care units.

Water is important for the body. If the water needs are met the body will rarely get sick. But an expert say that there are some habits which is considered as a “must be obeyed” in drinking water when in fact it is not necessarily true.

Kidney specialist, Dr Stanley Goldfarb from the University of Pennsylvania who has published research journal of the American Society of Nephrology was quoted as saying Thursday (4/3/2010) says there are false assumptions that circulate in the community about drinking water.

He saw there are five myths about drinking water that are so trusted by the people, namely:

1. Drink 8 glasses each day
Dr. Goldfarb claimed to not know where the standard advice about drinking 8 glasses of water a day.  “Nobody really knows,” said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb.

According him,  the drinking needs of each person is different, it could be enough for someone but not enough or over for others. The owner of the body is the one who exactly knows how much water his body needs.

2. Drink lots of water can help clean up toxic
Kidneys filter toxins from the bloodstream. Then the toxins goes out through urine. The question is, whether drinking more water can improve renal function? “No,” said Goldfarb. In fact, drinking large amounts of water will likely reduce the ability of the kidneys in filtering. Not much, but surely.

3. Drink a lot equals to healthy skin
Our bodies consist of 60 percent water. So, for people who weight 200 pounds, 120 pounds of it is water. Adding a few glasses of water each day has limited effect. “This is a small part of what is in the body,” said Goldfarb. So it is unlikely this can benefit the body.

A study published in 2007 about the benefits of water to a beauty show that 500 ml of water increases capillary blood flow in the skin. But it is not clear whether these changes are clinically significant.

4. Drink plenty of water to lose weight
“Water is a great strategy for people who want to diet because it contains no calories,” says Madeline Fernstrom of the University of Pittsburgh. So keep your mouth busy even without food and also get a sense of satisfaction. But according to Frenstrom, water is not magic. Other options for zero-calorie diet is to reduce the soda.

5. Easy to dehydrate during exercise
Dehydration will be felt when one loses 2 percent of your weight. In hot and dry places water needs will increase. Marathon runners, bikers and pedestrians need to recognize the signs of dehydration.

American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes drink 16 ounces of fluid several hours before starting exercise. But for people to walk in the park, do not need a bottle of water. Goldfarb also suggest, drink only when you are thirsty.

Professor Hiromi Shinya MD, an expert on enzymes who is also a professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, U.S. stressed the importance of scheduling an ideal drinking water.

Like the plants, he said there was a good period for drinking because of excessive watering the plants would make plants become rotten and withered. So that there is an appropriate time period for the body to drink water.

The ideal way to meet the need of water for the body are:

1-3 glasses of waking in the morning
2-3 cups, 1 hour before lunch
2-3 cups, 1 hour before dinner.

Each person needs different drink but make it a habit to drink water 6-8 glasses per day (1.5-2 liters) for adults. If the weather is very hot as the person would need to drink more. Conversely people who have weak digestive systems may experience diarrhea if you drink too much.

Once again the number of water a person needs varies depending on the size of the person’s body and what is considered appropriate for the body.

Liver Cirrhosis is when the liver cells start hardening and get scarred, because of a degenerative inflammatory disease mainly caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

Jaundice, red palms, vomiting, enlarged liver, weight loss, poor appetite, weakness, fatigue, upset stomach, diarrhea or constipation are some of the symptoms of liver cirrhosis.

Well, it is possible to reverse cirrhosis of the liver and this article is dedicated to the methods of cirrhosis reversal.

You should always try your level best to consume a very balanced diet consisting of at least 75% or, if possible, even more fresh live raw foods, fresh seasonal fruits and veggies and just squeezed juices.

Leafy veggies and herbs like raw turmeric, milk thistle, dandelion, artichoke, fringe tree, yellow dock, lycopodium, most varieties of nuts, asparagus, broccoli, raisins, spirulina, plums, dulse, kelp, peas, legumes and brown rice, bitter gourd, cooked neem leaves etc are extremely beneficial for the health of your liver.

Prim rose oil and flax seed oil in their unfiltered organic varieties can take care of your liver.

Essential fatty acids, omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids are also beneficial and they are found in fishes, fish oils and in nuts.

If you want to bid adieu to liver damage and cirrhosis forever, you have to completely give up on alcohol and all kinds of alcoholic beverages.

For effective treatment of cirrhosis, you also have to stay away from drug abuse, LSD, ecstasy drugs, party drugs, cocaine, grass, pot, marijuana and everything else except doctor prescribed drugs as they can severely damage your liver.

Try to eat lesser quantities of animal protein such as eggs, fish, meat, poultry products, chicken etc.

Did you know non alcoholic fatty liver disease alcohol related liver disease and liver damage and obesity and cirrhosis are on the rise in western countries and assuming alarming proportions? If truth be told, 33.3% American adults, at this very moment are affected by liver disease and the figures are alarming to say the least.

Potassium represents 5% percent of the total mineral content of a human body, even though only about one litre is found in the body at a time. Potassium is found in our bodies both inside and outside cells and is a very important mineral required every day to stay healthy. More than 98% of the body’s potassium is intracellular. The body easily absorbs potassium, but nearly 90% of it is excreted through the kidneys and bowels. Thus, potassium is a natural diuretic and is important for the elimination of body wastes, such as water and sodium.

Potassium is a primary electrolyte, it is a great alkalizer, and important for maintaining pH and water balance.

Benefits of potassium:

1. Along with other minerals such as sodium, chloride and calcium, potassium helps in normal cellular function, such as transmission of nerve impulses, digestion, healthy muscle contractions, proper cardiovascular functioning (heartbeat irregularities are normally a sign of potassium deficiency), and helping the body to convert glucose into glycogen (the body’s stored form of energy).

2. Potassium helps promote healthy cardiovascular health. It is strongly believed that potassium has the ability to pump sodium out of the body’s cells and reduce body fluid.

3. Potassium, along with sodium, helps to regulate blood pressure. Increasing potassium in the diet may protect against hypertension in people who are sensitive to high levels of sodium.

4. Potassium also affects blood vessel tone as well as the way blood vessels react to the flowing hormones, thus affecting pressure within blood vessels.

5. Potassium therapeutically assists in the treatment of alcoholism, acne, alleviating allergies, promoting the early healing of burns.

6. It also helps with problems such as congestive heart failure, chronic fatigue syndrome or kidney stones.

7. Potassium plays a vital role in cellular integrity by regulating the transfer of nutrients into the cell.

8. Potassium also attracts oxygen to tissues, helps correct positioning of vital organs. Potassium deficiency indicates that probably albumin, sugar, sodium, and chlorine are also in short supply or not being properly absorbed.

9. Potassium helps proper functioning of the adrenal glands. It helps support healthy sugar balance in the body.

Deficiency of potassium –

The kidneys excrete excess potassium from the body, and deficiencies are rarely found in people on a normal balanced diet. A deficiency may result in fatigue, cramping legs, muscle weakness, sluggish reflexes, acne, dry skin, mood swings and irregular heartbeat.

A shortage of potassium in body may cause a fatal condition known as hypokalemia, resulting from diarrhea, increased diuresis and vomiting. Hypokalemia can occur in people with a chronic disease or due to aging process. Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness, ECG abnormalities, decreased reflex response, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia and respiratory paralysis.

If the fluid and electrolyte balance is not restored, the risk of heart failure increases.

Potassium deficiency increases acid levels in the body, lowers the natural pH balance, causes problems with the formation of connective tissue. Kidney diseases (such as acute renal failure), diabetes can also cause fluctuations in the levels of potassium. Many medications such as diuretics, cortisone, prolonged use of aspirin, and laxatives also cause depletion of potassium.

Dietary sources of potassium:

Eating a variety of foods that contain potassium is the best way to get the required amount. Individuals who eat a balanced diet do not need potassium supplements. Foods, which are rich sources of potassium include turnips, whole grains, molasses, fish, citrus fruit, apple cider vinegar, bananas, avocados, yoghurt, tomatoes, poultry, oranges, apricots, potatoes (especially their skins), leafy green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce; and meat. One large orange will supply one with 250 mg of potassium, one-eighth of a person’s daily need. Dried apricots contain more potassium than fresh apricots.

Steaming of foods helps to retain nutrients that are lost through other cooking techniques such as boiling (loss of about 50% of potassium content). Steaming results in only a 6% loss of potassium.

Recommended Daily Allowance of potassium:

There is no recommended daily allowance (RDA) for potassium, but it is advised to get between 2,000-3,000 mg per day. The range of intake for children is 780 to 1,600 mg per day.

This is not difficult, and most people meet this requirement on their own through a normal diet. In general, nutritionists recommend reducing salt intake and ensuring adequate supply by increasing the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet.

If one is into bodybuilding, he must increase the potassium intake, since potassium is needed to maintain muscles in good form, and also because potassium is lost from excessive sweating and urine.

Symptoms of high intake of potassium:

Excessive potassium can be toxic and will affect the heart. This is a problem especially when one is suffering from some problem such as kidney failure. Irregular heart beat and muscle fatigue is sign of toxic potassium levels. In healthy people, the kidneys in the urine excrete excess potassium.

Who requires extra potassium?

People who require potassium supplements include:

# women on oral contraceptives,

# chronic alcoholics or drug abusers,

# smokers

# people undergoing stress

# athletes

# people doing strenuous exertion,

# anyone suffering from any degree of mal-absorption syndrome

# people with eating disorders, especially bulimia and anorexia..

It is very important to pay more attention to the signs of appendicitis if you suspect that you might be suffering from this illness. Appendicitis in general term is a serious condition and in many cases it can even cause death. Appendicitis has many forms of manifestation in patients. There are two main types of appendicitis: chronic appendicitis and acute appendicitis. The signs of appendicitis in the chronic form of the illness are not always detectable. People with chronic appendicitis usually feel a generalized state of internal discomfort, fatigue and lack of energy. In the acute form of the illness, the signs of appendicitis are easier to detect, but they usually occur after the development of complications.

The signs of appendicitis have an unspecific character, also occurring in other conditions and diseases. The signs of appendicitis are usually more difficult to detect in elderly people, people with special conditions and very young children. Appendicitis refers to inappropriate activity of the vermiform appendix, a worm-shaped extension of the colon.

Appendicitis occurs due to blockage of the appendix and its ulterior infection with bacteria. In many cases, the blood vessels that irrigate the large intestine are also obstructed, speeding up the deterioration of the appendix and eventually causing its death. The most common form of treatment for appendicitis involves the extraction of the appendix from the body through a procedure called appendectomy. If the appendix isn’t surgically removed in time, it becomes enlarged, fills up with bacteria and it eventually bursts, causing serious internal complications.

Learning from the fact that the illness usually evolves rapidly, it is important to timely spot the first signs of appendicitis. The most usual sign that you can feel of appendicitis is abdominal pain. Patients perceive this pain in different regions of the abdomen and at different intensities. However, this first sign of appendicitis usually occurs in the umbilical region and later localizes in the right lower side of the abdomen. The abdominal pain seems to amplify with physical effort and any kind of sudden moves. Abdominal pain on breathing, coughing or sneezing is also a sign of appendicitis.

Other signs of appendicitis are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal bloating, bad breath, fatigue and moderate fever.

Although these signs of appendicitis are common in people with acute forms of the illness, they don’t always occur in people with chronic appendicitis. There are also people with acute forms of illness that don’t have any signs of appendicitis at all. This special category of people includes: people with diabetes, people with HIV, people that have previously suffered surgical interventions (organ transplants) and obese people. In the case of people with special conditions, the signs of appendicitis are revealed late, therefore long after the illness becomes severe. Due to the fact that the signs of appendicitis are usually spotted late in some forms of the illness, the patients’ chances of recovery are considerably reduced.