H1N1 (Swine) Flu Vaccine Recently Announced

Two weeks ago, the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis announced that it had produced the first batch of a vaccine to fight the H1N1 (swine) flu virus. Vaccine production is underway, and clinical trials will begin in July. The expectation is that the vaccine will be available to the public in September.

Health Net will follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations on use of the vaccine when it is available.

We will keep work to keep our members updated as to any further developments. In the meantime, we urge you to take all appropriate steps to stay healthy.

Jonathan Scheff, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Health Net, Inc.

Rx Imagery: How to Use Your Imagination to Improve Your Health

© David S. Sobel M.D.


This article was adapted from The Healthy Mind, Healthy Body Handbook by David S. Sobel and Robert Ornstein. Publisher: DRx, Los Altos, CA, 1996. May not be reproduced without written permission.

The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.
- William James (1842-1910)

You may assume that "imagination" means "not real." But the thoughts, words, and images that flow from your imagination can have very real physiological consequences for your body. Your brain often cannot distinguish whether you are imagining something or actually experiencing it. (See "The Juicy Orange.")

Perhaps you've had a racing heartbeat, rapid breathing, or tension in your neck muscles while watching a movie thriller. These sensations were all produced by images and sounds on a film. During a dream, maybe your body responded with fear, joy, anger, or sadness - all triggered by your imagination. If you close your eyes and vividly imagine yourself by a still, quiet pool or relaxing on a warm beach, your body responds to some degree as though you are actually there.

Your imagination can be a very powerful resource in relieving stress, pain, and other unwanted symptoms.

You can learn to use the power of your imagination to produce calming, energizing, or healing responses in your body. You can use imagery and hypnosis to reduce anxiety, fear, and panic; decrease chronic muscle tension; decrease pain and need for pain medications; improve comfort during medical, surgical, and dental procedures; reduce the length of labor and discomfort of childbirth; control bleeding; speed healing and recovery from surgery, injury, or skin conditions such as warts and psoriasis; ease sleep problems; improve management of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, lung, and heart disease; boost your immune function; increase sense of control and mastery; change bad habits and maintain healthy ones.

Practicing Imagery and Visualization
With guided imagery, you deliberately focus your mind on a particular image. While imagery most often uses your sense of sight with visual images, you can also include the rich experiences of your mind's other senses. Adding smells, tastes, sounds, and other sensations makes the guided imagery experience more vivid and powerful.

Some people are very visual, and easily see images with their mind's eye. But if your images aren't as vivid as a really great movie, don't worry. It's normal for imagery to vary in intensity. The important thing is to focus on as much detail as possible, and strengthen the images by using all your senses. Adding real background music can also increase the impact of guided imagery.

Remember, with guided imagery, you are always completely in control. You're the movie director. You can project whatever thought or feeling you want onto your mental screen. If you don't like a particular image, thought or feeling you can redirect your mind to something more comfortable. Or you can use other images to get rid of unpleasant thoughts (you might put them on a raft and watch them float away on a river, sweep them away with a large broom, or erase them with a giant eraser). Or you can open your eyes and stop the exercise.

Included here are basic scripts for several imagery exercises. Scores of other scripts and tapes are available. You may want to tape record yourself (or someone else) reading the script so that you can concentrate fully on the imagery. Feel free to change, modify, and personalize the script any way you please. Make it your own.

Skill, Not Magic
To practice these imagery exercises you will need 10 to 30 minutes of quiet, undisturbed time. You may need to put up a "Do Not Disturb" sign and turn off the telephone. Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Sit in a comfortable chair or lie on a pad or carpeted floor with a pillow under your head. Do whatever you can to enhance your comfort. Dim the lights. Put on soft music if you like. You may wish to use a guided imagery audiotape (see below).

Don't expect miracles. Some relief may come immediately, but often these skills take time to acquire. You may need several weeks of practice before you really start to notice benefits. Practice the techniques once or twice a day, or if that's not possible, at least three to four times a week.

Watch Out
Imagery techniques are generally very safe. However, if you have symptoms such as pain, diarrhea, dizziness, nervousness, or depression, make sure you first have an appropriate medical evaluation. These imagery techniques may also change your need for certain medications, so be sure to check with your doctor. Don't practice imagery or self-hypnosis while in a car or in any situation where your safety requires full alertness and quick responses. If you experience very distressing sensations or feelings while practicing these techniques, stop and get professional help.

The Juicy Orange
You are standing in your kitchen. Imagine the time of day, the color of the countertops, the appliances, the cupboards. You hear the hum of the refrigerator. You notice a large, plump, juicy orange lying on the cutting board. You pick it up and feel its weight. You feel the texture of its dimpled, glossy skin. With a sharp knife, you carefully cut a large slice.

As you cut into the orange you notice the rich, liquidy, fragrant juice trickle onto the counter top. You see the bright whiteness of the pulp in contrast with the orange flesh. You see the small drops of orange juice forming on the cut surface. Now imagine lifting this dripping slice of orange to your mouth, and smelling its sweet, fresh scent. Your mouth begins to water as you slowly bite into the orange. It releases a flood of sweet tangy juice into your mouth.

This juicy orange imagery exercise causes most people to salivate. Just the words and multi-sensory images are enough to trigger a physiological response.

In this case it's the flow of saliva. You can learn to use the power of your imagination to control other body functions.

Rx Create Your Special Place
The purpose of this guided imagery exercise is to help you imagine a special place where you feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed. This place can be anywhere.

It might be somewhere you have been, or a place you know well. It could be a place you create from scratch, or by taking bits and pieces from places you know. You may choose to put a dwelling in your landscape: a cabin, a castle, or a cave. Here's what to do:

* Begin by closing your eyes (or if you prefer, keep your eyes open). Take several slow, deep breaths, exhaling completely after each.
* Now see if you can imagine a place where you feel completely comfortable and peaceful. It might be real or imaginary, one from your past, or someplace you've always wanted to go (it doesn't really matter, just so long as this place feels very safe and peaceful to you).
* Allow that special place to take shape slowly (there's no rush).
* As your place begins to take shape, look around. Look to your left, to your right, and all around you. What do you see?
* Enjoy the scenery: the colors, the textures, the shapes.
* Listen to the sounds of your special place - perhaps waves gently lapping at the shore, the call of a distant bird, the sound of the wind in the trees.
* Now just listen to the sounds of this wonderful place - a place that is so comfortable and peaceful to you.
* Perhaps you feel a breeze touch your face, or warm sun gently soothing your skin.
* You may feel the crunch of gravel or soft sand beneath your feet, or the comforting support of a favorite chair.
* Now touch or pick up some favorite object from your special place. Allow your fingertips to gently explore its surface (Is it smooth or rough? Wet or dry? Warm or cold?).
* Now take in a deep breath through your nose, and notice all the rich fragrances around you. Perhaps your favorite flower is in bloom. Or you may smell the pungent scent of a pine forest, or the tangy salt sea air, or the aroma of your favorite food.
* Relax and enjoy the peace, comfort and safety of your special place.
* This is your place, and nothing can harm you here. Relax, feeling thankful and happy to be here, in your special place, at this moment.
* Begin to sense that something wonderful is about to happen. Feel the tingling sensation of expecting something good.
* Know the sense of certainty. Everything is right, just as it should be.
* Now notice a soft glow of golden light from above. It begins to bathe your body. A tingling, shimmering, vibrant energy surrounds you, energizes you, soothes you, heals you.
* You are washed in bright goodness, and draw everything you need to you, as a powerful magnet. Good wishes and kind thoughts come. This goodness and healing energy seeps into your body, infusing you with a generous, boundless energy and sense of well-being.
* Feel it move through the layers of your body, deeper and deeper into each and every organ, down to the bone.
* Feel it in each and every cell, dissolving any blockages, correcting any imbalances. Enjoy this free-flowing, healthy energy sweeping through your body. Now you are relaxing; healing.
* Your body remembers how to be well, and savors this feeling of well-being. You feel peaceful and easy in your special place - a healing place - one that is always here. You know it's a place you can visit anytime, and feel this healing energy and peace. When you are ready to return, take a deep breath and exhale fully. Open your eyes and spend a few moments savoring this relaxed, healthy, comfortable feeling.
* You may want to explore different special places each time you do this exercise, or one special place may emerge as your favorite. Remember, you can visit this place any time you want to, in your mind.

Script adapted from Belleruth Naparstek

Rx Create Your Inner Advisor
You can use this type of imagery to explore the meaning of your symptoms or illness, and what you can do to improve your health. This imagery is a means of two-way communication between your mind and your body.

Begin with a general imagery exercise such as Creating a Special Place. Once you have entered your special place, invite an inner advisor to come and visit you.

Use all your senses to watch for your advisor, as the advisor may take any shape or form. Or you may have several inner advisors. They may be a person, a voice, an object, or a symbol. If you are not comfortable with what emerges, send him/her/it away, and invite another advisor.

Once you are comfortable with your advisor, ask questions. Feel free to ask anything, such as:
Are you my inner advisor?

How can I relax?

What is causing my tension? Pain? Symptom?

What do I need to do to feel better?

Who can help me?
Then wait for the answers. Be patient. They may come in any form: a picture, image, sound, word, phrase, feeling. They can come at any time. Think about what they mean to you.

Sometimes you may be surprised at the directness and clarity of an answer. In response to "What is causing my anger" one person heard back, "You need to learn to say no." If the meaning or usefulness is not clear to you right away, don't worry. It may become clearer in the days or weeks ahead.

You can use a similar technique to have an inner dialogue with a symptom you are having. For example, if you are in pain, give it a color, shape or form. Then ask your pain questions:
Why are you here?

What can I learn from you?

When will you go away?

How can we live more peaceably together?

How can I get better?
Wait for responses. This dialogue can be done with any symptom or problem.

You have untapped knowledge, insight, and wisdom which is often drowned out by the incessant chatter of a busy mind. You can use imagery techniques to give voice to your inner wisdom, and consult your own inner advisor. There is nothing mysterious or magical about it. Simply by quieting down and bringing your mind into a focused and receptive state, valuable insights can emerge. These include suggestions on how to improve your health and well-being.

Adapted from Martin Rossman, MD and the Academy for Guided Imagery

Rx Imagine Yourself Well
You have the ability to create special imagery to alleviate specific symptoms or illnesses. Use any image that is strong and vivid for you (this often involves using all your senses to create the image), and one that is meaningful to you.

The image does not have to be physiologically accurate for it to work. Just use your imagination and trust yourself. Here are examples of images that some people have found useful. Use any of these images, or make up your own.

Remember, the best ones are vivid and have meaning to you.

For Tension and Stress
A tight, twisted rope slowly untwists
Wax softens and melts
Tension swirls out of your body and down the drain

For Healing of Cuts and Injuries
Plaster covers over a crack in a wall
Cells and fibers stick together with superglue
A shoe is laced up tight
Jigsaw puzzle pieces come together

For Arteries and Heart Disease
A miniature Roto Rooter truck speeds through your arteries and cleans out the clogged pipes
Water flows freely through a wide, open river
A crew in a small boat all row together, easily and efficiently pulling the slender boat across the smooth water surface

For Asthma and Lung Disease
The tiny elastic rubber bands that constrict your airways pop open
A vacuum cleaner gently sucks the mucus from your airways
Waves calmly rise and fall on the ocean surface

For Diabetes
Small insulin keys unlock doors to hungry cells, and allow nourishing blood sugar in
An alarm goes off and a sleeping pancreas gland awakens to the smell of freshly brewed coffee

For Cancer
A shark gobbles up the cancer cells
Tumors shrivel up like raisins in the hot sun, and then evaporate completely into the air
The faucet that controls the blood supply to the tumor is turned off, and the cancer cells starve
Radiation or chemotherapy enter your body like healing rays of light; they destroy cancer cells

For Infections
White blood cells with flashing red sirens arrest and imprison harmful germs
An army equipped with powerful anti-biotic missiles attacks enemy germs
A hot flame chases germs out of your entire body

For a Weak Immune System (Immune deficiency disorders: HIV, AIDS, and others)
Sluggish, sleepy white blood cells awaken, put on protective armor, and enter the fight against the virus
White blood cells rapidly multiply like millions of seeds bursting from a single, ripe seed pod

For an Overactive Immune System (Allergies, asthma, arthritis, etc.)
Hyperalert immune cells in the fire station are reassured that the allergens have triggered a false alarm, and they can go back to playing their game of poker
The civil war ends with the warring sides agreeing not to attack their fellow citizens

For Pain
All of the pain is placed in a large, strong metal box, closed, sealed tightly and locked with a huge, strong padlock
You grasp the TV remote control and slowly turn down the pain volume until you can barely hear it; then it disappears entirely
The pain is washed away by a cool, calm river flowing through your entire body

For Depression
Your troubles and feelings of sadness are attached to big colorful helium balloons, and are floating off into a clear blue sky
A strong, warm sun breaks through dark clouds
You feel a sense of detachment and lightness, enabling you to float easily through your day

For Behavior Change
If you are somewhat shy, imagine a vivid, detailed picture of yourself walking up to people and chatting with them confidently
If you want to be more physically active, see yourself walking in the park, riding a bike, taking a dance class, or joining a sports team

Heath Ledger died of accidental overdose

28-year-old actor had oxycodone, anti-anxiety, sleep aids in his system

NEW YORK - The actor Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose of six different drugs — painkillers and sedatives — the medical examiner said Wednesday, leading doctors to warn of the dangers of mixing prescription drugs.

The 28-year-old film star died “of acute intoxication” from the combination of two strong painkillers, two anti-anxiety medicines and two sleeping aids, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Among the drugs found in his body were oxycodone, a painkiller sold as OxyContin and used in other pain relievers such as Percodan and Percocet। Others included drugs sold as anti-anxiety pills Valium and Xanax, which are sedatives.

The medical examiner and police wouldn’t identify the medications Ledger had in his apartment when his body was discovered on Jan. 22, nor would they discuss who had prescribed them. It also wasn’t known why he had the drugs; he said in a newspaper interview last year that he needed sleeping pills after two stressful acting jobs.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating how Ledger got the medications. It’s common for investigators to review prescriptions when so many drugs are involved in an overdose death, said spokesman Rusty Payne.

Doctors not connected with the case said it would be unlikely for one doctor to order all the drugs. However, they said it’s not unusual for people to be prescribed both painkillers and sedatives, and overdoses are not uncommon.

“This is not rock star wretched excess,” said Cindy Kuhn, a pharmacology professor at Duke University. “This is a situation that could happen to plenty of people with prescriptions for these kind of drugs.”

Kuhn said some of the drugs are long-lasting and Ledger could have taken them over a period of several days। The medical examiner’s office wouldn’t say what concentrations of each drug were found in Ledger’s blood.

“What you’re looking at here is the cumulative effects of these medications together,” said the spokeswoman, Ellen Borakove.

‘This was an accident’
Police had said they found six bottles of anti-anxiety medicines, sleeping pills and other medicine in his Manhattan apartment after the Oscar-nominated actor was discovered dead in his bed last month.

“This was not a deliberate attempt to kill himself. This was an accident,” said Lawrence Kobilinsky, head of forensic science at John Jay College in New York. He had no role in the investigation. “He just took too many drugs having similar effects on the central nervous system.”

Experts said the combination of sedatives and the other medicines likely combined to suppress his brain function and his breathing. They said that Ledger probably had been prescribed the medicine by a number of different doctors, because several of them were from the same class of drugs and used to treat similar symptoms.

“It doesn’t make sense” that one doctor would prescribe all those, said Dr. William Lee, an internal medicine specialist at the University of Texas-Southwestern in Dallas. “It’s more likely that he got them from different prescribers.”

Jane Prosser, a medical toxicologist from New York University School of Medicine, said patients can often end up with similar medications prescribed by different doctors, who are unaware of what they’re already taking.

Three of the six prescription drugs found in Ledger’s apartment had been filled in Europe, where the actor was recently filming, police said.

“If you see one doctor for one thing and you see another doctor for another thing, neither the physician nor the patient may realize they’re getting two similar medications,” Prosser said.

“Patients should be aware that this happens on a regular basis and it doesn’t just happen to celebrities।”

Ledger’s publicist, Mara Buxbaum, didn’t immediately respond to questions about the drugs that had been prescribed to the actor before his death. She released a statement Wednesday from Ledger’s father, Kim.

“While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath’s accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.”

No mention of illegal drugs
The medical examiner cited oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine as causing the actor’s death. There was no mention of alcohol or illegal drugs.

Oxycodone, marketed as OxyContin, is used in other painkillers such as Percodan and Percocet; hydrocodone is used in a number of painkillers, including Vicodin.

Diazepam and alprazolam are the generic names for the anti-anxiety drugs Valium and Xanax, temazepam is a sleep aid sold as Restoril, and doxylamine is an antihistamine used in over-the-counter sleep aids and cold medicines.

Ledger’s masseuse found him unresponsive after she arrived for an appointment at his rented apartment. She called 911 after first repeatedly calling actress Mary Kate Olsen. Ledger had moved into the apartment last fall after he broke up with actress Michelle Williams, the mother of his 2-year-old daughter Matilda.

Ledger, nominated for an Oscar for his role as cowboy Ennis del Mar in “Brokeback Mountain,” had returned to New York from London, where he had been making a Terry Gilliam film, days before his death. He told The New York Times in November that his most recent completed roles in the Batman movie “The Dark Knight” and Bob Dylan biopic “I’m Not There” had taken a toll and caused him to lose sleep.

“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” Ledger told the Times. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.” He said he had taken two Ambien pills, which only gave him an hour of sleep.

Ledger’s family returned to the actor’s hometown of Perth, Australia, on Tuesday to prepare for his funeral. Arrangements were private.

“To most of the world, Heath was an actor of immeasurable talent and promise,” Ledger’s father said on Wednesday। “We knew Heath as a loving father, as our devoted son, and as a loyal and generous brother and friend.”

Deadly flu spreads to Asia, Middle East

Cases confirmed in New Zealand, Israel after officials raise alert level

msnbc.com staff and news service reports

updated 6:06 a.m. ET April 28, 2009

Governments around the world took steps Tuesday to curb the spread of a new strain of flu that has killed up to 149 people in Mexico as the virus was confirmed in Asia and the Middle East.

No one has died outside Mexico but 50 infected people have been found in the United States, six in Canada and three across the Atlantic in Spain and Scotland, prompting the World Health Organization to raise its alert level for the outbreak.

New Zealand's health minister and an Israeli hospital on Tuesday reported the first confirmed cases of swine flu to hit the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific regions।

New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall reported 11 cases. Those infected are members of group of students and teachers who returned recently from a trip to Mexico.

The other case is in Netanya, an Israeli city north of Tel Aviv. Laniado Hospital's medical director said laboratory tests confirm swine flu in a 26-year-old patient who recently returned from Mexico.

A 51-year-old South Korean woman also tested positive for swine flu Tuesday after traveling to Mexico but officials said final tests were still necessary. All 315 others on the same flight from Los Angeles were being tested but none have turned up positive, officials said.

In Asia, financial markets were on edge over the risk the flu could develop into a pandemic and kill off fragile signs of recovery in the global economy.

The number of U.S. cases doubled to 50 early Tuesday, the result of further testing at a New York City school, although none was fatal. Other U.S. cases have been reported in Ohio, Kansas, Texas and California. The U.S. also ordered stepped up border checks in neighboring states.

Travel alerts
Governments around the world have taken steps to tighten monitoring of their airports or advised against non-essential travel to Mexico.

Britain, France and Germany issued travel alerts for Mexico. Japan advised its citizens in Mexico to consider returning home soon, saying they might find themselves unable to leave and not be able to get adequate medical care.

The swine flu bug is curable if treated quickly with antiviral medicine but no one is naturally immune. The WHO has lifted its pandemic alert to phase 4, meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus causing outbreaks in at least one country. It also indicates the risk of a deadly global outbreak.

"At this time, containment is not a feasible option," said Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general of the World Health Organization.

The virus poses a potentially grave new threat to the U.S. economy, which was showing tentative early signs of a recovery. A widespread outbreak could batter tourism, food and transportation industries, deepening the recession in the U.S. and possibly worldwide.

Putting an alert at phases 4 or 5 signals that the virus is becoming increasingly adept at spreading among humans. That move could lead governments to set trade, travel and other restrictions aimed at limiting its spread.

Phase 6 is for a full-blown pandemic, characterized by outbreaks in at least two regions of the world.

The last pandemic, a Hong Kong flu outbreak in 1968, killed about one million people around the world.

'Critical moment'
In Mexico, nearly 2,000 people believed to be infected. Mexican Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said the epidemic was entering an extremely dangerous phase, with the number of people infected mushrooming even as authorities desperately ramped up defenses.

"We are in the most critical moment of the epidemic. The number of cases will keep rising, so we have to reinforce preventative measures," Cordova said at a news conference.

It could take four to six months before the first batch of vaccines are available to fight the virus, WHO officials said.

Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan said they would quarantine visitors showing symptoms of the virus amid global fears of a pandemic.

President Barack Obama said the outbreak was reason for concern, but not yet "a cause for alarm."

Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that so far the virus in the United States seems less severe than in Mexico. Only one person has been hospitalized in the U.S.

"I wouldn't be overly reassured by that," Besser told reporters at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, raising the possibility of more severe cases in the United States.

"We are taking it seriously and acting aggressively," Besser added. "Until the outbreak has progressed, you really don't know what it's going to do."

U.S. customs officials began checking people entering U.S. territory. Millions of doses of flu-fighting medications from a federal stockpile were on their way to states, with priority given to the five already affected and to border states. Federal agencies were conferring with state and international governments.

"We want to make sure that we have equipment where it needs to be, people where they need to be and, most important, information shared at all levels," said Janet Napolitano, head of the Homeland Security Department.

"We are proceeding as if we are preparatory to a full pandemic," Napolitano said.

Schools shut
She said travel warnings for trips to Mexico would remain in place as long as swine flu is detected.

Mexico canceled school at all levels nationwide until May 6, and the Mexico City government said it was considering a complete shutdown, including all public transportation, if the death toll keeps rising. Labor Secretary Javier Lozano Alarcon said employers should isolate anyone showing up for work with fever, cough, sore throat or other signs of the flu.

Swine flu at a glance Key developments on swine flu outbreaks: — Deaths: 149 suspected, all in Mexico. — Sickened: Nearly 2,000 in Mexico, suspected or confirmed; 48 confirmed in U.S. including, 28 at one school; 13 suspected in New Zealand; 6 confirmed in Canada; 7 suspected in Spain; 1 suspected in France; 1 suspected in Israel. — Locations in Mexico: 17 states, including Mexico City, Mexico State, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Baja California and San Luis Potosi. Some, including Oaxaca, Mexico City and Baja California, have tourist areas, but authorities have not said where in these states the outbreaks occurred. — Locations in U.S.: California, Kansas, New York, Ohio and Texas. — Safety measures in Mexico: In Mexico City, surgical masks being given away on the subway system, public events canceled, schools and public venues closed and church services postponed. President Felipe Calderon has assumed new powers to isolate infected people. — Safety measures worldwide: Airports screening travelers from Mexico for flu symptoms. China, Russia and Taiwan plan to put anyone with symptoms under quarantine. Hong Kong and South Korea warn against travel to Mexico City and three provinces. Italy, Poland and Venezuela advised citizens to postpone travel to affected areas of Mexico and the United States. — Safety measures in U.S: Roughly 12 million doses of Tamiflu being moved from federal stockpile for delivery to states. Travelers at border being asked about travel to flu-stricken areas. St. Francis Preparatory School in New York, where eight cases are confirmed, will be closed Monday and Tuesday. Source: The Associated Press

Amid the warnings, the Mexican government grappled with increasing criticism of its response. At least two weeks after the first swine flu case, the government has yet to say where and how the outbreak began or give details on the victims.

The health department lacked the staff to visit the homes of all those suspected to have died from the disease, Cordova said.

Cordova said 1,995 people have been hospitalized with serious cases of pneumonia since the first case of swine flu was reported April 13. The government does not yet know how many were swine flu.

He said tests show a 4-year-old boy contracted the virus before April 2 in Veracruz state, where a community has been protesting pollution from a large pig farm.

The farm is run by Granjas Carroll de Mexico, a joint venture half owned by Virginia-based Smithfield Foods, Inc. Spokeswoman Keira Ullrich said the company has found no clinical signs or symptoms of the presence of swine flu in its herd or its employees working anywhere in Mexico.

Source: The Associated Press, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention •

The best way to keep the disease from spreading, Besser said, is by taking everyday precautions such as frequent handwashing, covering up coughs and sneezes, and staying away from work or school if not feeling well. He said authorities are not recommending that people wear masks at work because evidence that it is effective "is not that strong."

China, Russia and Ukraine were among countries banning imports of pork and pork products from Mexico and three U.S. states that have reported swine flu cases, while other countries, such as Indonesia, banned all pork imports.

The CDC says people cannot get the flu by eating pork or pork products.

Health

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article may require copy-editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. You can assist by editing it now. A how-to guide is available. (September 2008)

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For other uses, see Health (disambiguation).

The generally accepted definition of health is "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity", used by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1948. ^[1][2]

In 1986, the WHO in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion said health is "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities". Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC), which is composed of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) also define health.

Overall health is achieved through a combination of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.

Aspects of health

Physical health

Physical fitness refers to good body health, and is the result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition, and proper rest for physical recovery.

A strong indicator of the health of localized population is their height or weight, which generally increases with improved nutrition and health care. This is also influenced by the standard of living and quality of life. Genetics also plays a major role in people's height. The study of human growth, its regulators, and implications is known as Auxology.

Mental health

Mental health refers to an individual's emotional and psychological well-being. "A state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life."

One way to think about mental health is by looking at how effectively and successfully a person functions. Feeling capable and competent; being able to handle normal levels of stress, maintain satisfying relationships, and lead an independent life; and being able to "bounce back," or recover from difficult situations, are all signs of mental health. The generally accepted definition of health is "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity", used by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1948. [1][2]

In 1986, the WHO in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion said health is "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities". Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC), which is composed of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) also define health.

Overall health is achieved through a combination of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being

Determinants of health

Main article: Social determinants of health

The LaLonde report suggested that there are four general determinants of health including human biology, environment, lifestyle, and healthcare services.^[3] Thus, health is maintained and improved not only through the advancement and application of health science, but also through the efforts and intelligent lifestyle choices of the individual and society.

A major environmental factor is water quality, especially for the health of infants and children in developing countries.^[4]

Studies show that in developed countries, the lack of neighborhood recreational space that includes the natural environment leads to lower levels of neighborhood satisfaction and higher levels of obesity; therefore, lower overall well being.^[5] Therefore, the positive psychological benefits of natural space in urban neighborhoods should be taken into account in public policy and land use.

Health maintenance

Main article: Self care

Achieving health and remaining healthy is an active process. Effective strategies for staying healthy and improving one's health include the following elements:

Nutrition

Main article: Nutrition

Personal health depends partially on the social structure of one's life. The maintenance of strong social relationships is linked to good health conditions, longevity, productivity, and a positive attitude. This is due to the fact that positive social interaction as viewed by the participant increases many chemical levels in the brain which are linked to personality and intelligence traits.

Sports nutrition

Main article: Sports nutrition

Sports nutrition focuses the link between dietary supplements and athletic performance. One goal of sports nutrition is to maintain glycogen levels and prevent glycogen depletion. Another is to optimize energy levels and muscle tone. An athlete's strategy for winning an event may include a schedule for the entire season of what to eat, when to eat it, and in what precise quantities (before, during, after, and between workouts and events).

Hygiene

Main article: Hygiene

Hygiene is the practice of keeping the body clean to prevent infection and illness, and the avoidance of contact with infectious agents. Hygiene practices include bathing, brushing and flossing teeth, washing hands especially before eating, washing food before it is eaten, cleaning food preparation utensils and surfaces before and after preparing meals, and many others. This may help prevent infection and illness. By cleaning the body, dead skin cells are washed away with the germs, reducing their chance of entering the body.

Stress management

Main article: Stress management

Prolonged psychological stress may negatively impact health, such as by weakening the immune system and mind. Stress management is the application of methods to either reduce stress or increase tolerance to stress. Relaxation techniques are physical methods used to relieve stress. Psychological methods include cognitive therapy, meditation, and positive thinking which work by reducing response to stress. Improving relevant skills and abilities builds confidence, which also reduces the stress reaction to situations where those skills are applicable.

Reducing uncertainty, by increasing knowledge and experience related to stress-causing situations, has the same effect. Learning to cope with problems better, such as improving problem solving and time management skills, may also reduce stressful reaction to problems. Repeatedly facing an object of one's fears may also desensitize the fight-or-flight response with respect to that stimulus—e.g., facing bullies may reduce fear of bullies.

Prolonged hours of surfing on the Internet is a major concern that can affect the eyes significantly. White backgrounds on computer screens with a viewing distance of less than 14 inches is known to increase strain, mental fatigue and temporary di-chromatic visions in a normal healthy human being. Trying to opt for black or any non-white backgrounds can help in reducing eye strain in front of PCs. While Black will also eat up the energy consumption of your computer screen, Green is recommended as the best option to use as backgrounds in webpages. ( color code # 2F6533 is the right median with soothing wavelength of 540nm.)

Health care

Main article: Health care

See also: #Public health

Health care is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well being through the services offered by the medical, nursing, and allied health professions.

Workplace wellness programs

Main article: Workplace wellness

Workplace wellness programs are recognized by an increasingly large number of companies for their value in improving the health and well-being of their employees, and for increasing morale, loyalty, and productivity. Workplace wellness programs can include things like onsite fitness centers, health presentations, wellness newsletters, access to health coaching, tobacco cessation programs and training related to nutrition, weight and stress management. Other programs may include health risk assessments, health screenings and body mass index monitoring.

Public health

Main article: Public health

Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals." It is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based on population health analysis. The population in question can be as small as a handful of people or as large as all the inhabitants of several continents (for instance, in the case of a pandemic). Public health has many sub-fields, but is typically divided into the categories of epidemiology, biostatistics and health services. Environmental, social and behavioral health, and occupational health, are also important fields in public health.

The focus of public health intervention is to prevent rather than treat a disease through surveillance of cases and the promotion of healthy behaviors. In addition to these activities, in many cases treating a disease can be vital to preventing it in others, such as during an outbreak of an infectious disease. Vaccination programs and distribution of condoms are examples of public health measures.

Role of science in health

Main article: Health science

Health science is the branch of science focused on health, and it includes many subdisciplines. There are two approaches to health science: the study and research of the human body and health-related issues to understand how humans (and animals) function, and the application of that knowledge to improve health and to prevent and cure diseases.

Where health knowledge comes from

Health research builds primarily on the basic sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics as well as a variety of multidisciplinary fields (for example medical sociology). Some of the other primarily research-oriented fields that make exceptionally significant contributions to health science are biochemistry, epidemiology, and genetics.

Putting health knowledge to use

Applied health sciences also endeavor to better understand health, but in addition they try to directly improve it. Some of these are: biomedical engineering, biotechnology, nursing, nutrition, pharmacology, pharmacy, public health (see above), psychology, physical therapy, and medicine. The provision of services to maintain or improve people's health is referred to as health care (see above).