Homeopathic Treatment of Swine Flu

Collected Information From Liga Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis:
The H1N1 flu is a respiratory infection caused by a strain of influenza virus of the type A, which normally causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. The disease affects pigs almost exclusively, however, a new strain of virus, derived, in part from the human influenza virus, and, in part, from the pig influenza virus, has been demonstrated to be transmissible to humans and, worse, from human being to human being. Another concern that has arisen is the serious form of disease and, because of the high mortality rate of this strain of virus and of its capacity to be transmitted between humans, there is the concern that the H1N1 flu could become a global pandemic.
The H1N1 flu epidemic has spread rapidly in the past weeks. The World Health Organization increased the level of global pandemic alert from level 4 to level 5, which means that, even if the majority of the countries has not been affected yet, there are strong signs that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to organize a contingency plan is short. The increase in alert level indicates that the probability of an emergence of a global H1N1 influenza pandemic has grown during the last weeks. It should be noted that there are reports of cases of influenza caused by other viruses which are not the H1N1. They must be distinguished from the epidemic of human influenza as they present different behaviors. The human influenza has a sudden appearance that evolves more quickly toward pneumonia, with severe attack on the general state of the patient. On a parallel level, there are many cases that do not correspond to human influenza, or to seasonal influenza. They represent rather common colds that have no connection with influenza. At present the homeopathic colleagues of Mexico have been able to identify indirectly, by the written reports of doctors in hospitals, the following symptoms:

• Fever
  Proceeded by 40% great chills
  Persistent fever between 38.5 °C (101.3°F) to 39.4 °C (102.9°F) accompanied by fresh
• diaphoresis on the back, face and neck
• Generalized weakness, adynamia without extreme prostration
• Profuse sweating during fever
• Sore throat
  Severe
  Pain by intake of solid initially and then even liquids
• Scarce cough
  Non painful
  Dry
  In attacks
• Constant arthralgias in the hands, elbows and shoulders at the febrile peak
  Cold Applications amel
• Retroocular headache or eyeballs pain ("My eyes hurt") With rest amel
• Occipital and neck headache aggravated by being raised on a pillow
• Some patients with occipital pain of throbbing type

Complications:

• Pneumonia with infiltrated interstitial or multiple pockets
• Productive cough with yellowish expectoration

Between 48 and 72 hours the medical situation has developed or has become complicated. The symptoms are vague and have limited clinic homeopathy application, but, as the symptoms were obtained directly from a significant number of H1N1 confirmed infected patients, homeopathic medicine can be used. Influenza ranks among the category of respiratory diseases, but, in reality, the whole body is disrupted when the person gets sick. In short, people affected are often very sick and are suffering from all or some of the symptoms:

• High fever.
• Headache.
• Clear nasal discharge.
• Sneezing.
• Cough, often becoming severe.
• Severe aches and pains.
• Fatigue for several weeks.
• Sometimes sore throat.
• Extreme exhaustion.
• Fever and pain throughout the body generally last from three to five days, but the cough and fatigue can last for two weeks or more.
• Mexican fever may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Diagnostic Guides:
Until now the guidelines that have been given to define a case of Mexican influenza (case definition / swine flu) by CDC (Influenza like/illness ILI) are as follows:
A confirmed case of influenza A H1NI defines a person with an acute breathing illness with laboratory confirmation of the A H1N1 influenza virus through the following laboratory diagnosis:

• PCR/RT in real time
• Viral Culture

A probable case of infection by influenza A H1NI defines a person with influenza type symptoms1. Positive for influenza A, but negative for H1 or H3 influenza by PCR/RT
A suspected case of influenza A defines people who do not meet the criteria at the top and have H1NI negative tests:

• Healthy person, under the age of 65 years, hospitalized with symptoms similar to the influenza.
• Lives in a state (country) where no cases of influenza have been confirmed, but has traveled to a state (country) where there are one or more probable cases.
• Has been in contact in the last 7 days with a person with similar symptoms to the influenza (ILI).

Homeopathic Medicines:
Homeopathic medical treatment is individual, but in the face of an epidemic, we can obtain groups of drugs characterized by the peculiarities of the symptoms of the sick.
For this specific epidemic, we have obtained the following remedies for the symptoms found in different patients.
The symptoms listed above are the common symptoms of the disease that, for the homeopathic doctor, serve to show whether or not it is Influenza. However, they are not useful for the prescription of homeopathic medicines. The pattern and the individuality of the symptoms of each patient are what determine the prescription of a homeopathic remedy. We have listed the symptoms for which these remedies have been indicated, without determining an epidemic genius.
The drugs mostly indicated for this epidemic given by homeopathic Mexican doctors are the following:

Aconitum n.

• Fear will die because of the disease
• Red Throat
• Onset of the symptoms after exposure to cold
• Harsh beginning
• The symptoms appeared suddenly
• Red Congested face
• Muscle aches and pains

Belladonna:

• Red teary eyes
• Red flushed face
• High fever - greater than 39oC (102.2°F).
• Acute inflammation of the throat
• Throbbing Pain while coughing
• Severe headache
• Violent pulsations caused by the headache
• Red face. Brilliant and Injected Eyes
• Cannot stand the least light or noise

Bryonia Alba:

• Begins with sudden head pains
• Worsened by body movement
• Painful cough
• Fever with chills.
• Intense back and leg pain
• Aggravated by the least movement, improved by rest
• Extreme thirst for large amounts of liquid
• Cold, red throat
• Limb pain while walking.
• Dryness of mucous

Arsenicum Album:

• Begins with arduous throat pain
• Improvement by consuming hot drinks
• Widespread cold, feels cold
• He covers himself too much
• Feels prostrated, tired, exhausted
• Violent vomiting, and has frequent, but scanty diarrhea
• Thinks will die
• Burning evacuation
• Cough after drinking
• Agitated and anxious
• Does not want to be alone

Eupatorum Perfoliatum:

• Fever that starts with chills, shivering and shaking
• Back pain
• Continued fever, with intense and insatiable thirst
• Bone pain, as if they had been beaten
• Back pain, as if it were broken
• Snoring
• Painful cough, aggravates the chest when coughing
• Great pain of muscles and bones
• Feels as if the back were dislocated
• Congested face during fever
• The sweating improves all the symptoms, except the headache

Mercurius Vivus:

• Begins with hoarseness and aphony
• Catarrh, running nose, burning.
• Sore throat as if it were raw meat
• Dry cough, spasmodic
• Fever with night sweats that do not improve
• Constant thirst
• Indented tongue
• Halitosis
• Very wary10 Bone Pain

Gelsemium:

• Has a fever chill
• Hand trembles
• Abundant perspiration
• Downcast
• Intense muscle aches, with leg pain
• Remains immobile in bed
• Face congestion
• Injected Eyes, sore throat9. Dry cough, rapid pulse
• Despite the fever, has no thirst
• Depression and pain
  

Swine Flu

Swine flu
Swine influenza (also called H1N1 flu, swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu) is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus (SIV) is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs.
Swine influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead to human influenza, often resulting only in the production of antibodies in the blood. If transmission does cause human influenza, it is called zoonotic swine flu. People with regular exposure to pigs are at increased risk of swine flu infection. The meat of an infected animal poses no risk of infection when properly cooked.
During the mid-20th century, identification of influenza subtypes became possible, allowing accurate diagnosis of transmission to humans. Since then, only 50 such transmissions have been confirmed. These strains of swine flu rarely pass from human to human. Symptoms of zoonotic swine flu in humans are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.
Surveillance:
Although there is no formal national surveillance system in the United States to determine what viruses are circulating in pigs, there is an informal surveillance network in the United States that is part of a world surveillance network.
Veterinary medical pathologist, Tracey McNamara, set up a national disease surveillance system in zoos because the zoos do active disease surveillance and many of the exotic animals housed there have broad susceptibilities. Many species fall below the radar of any federal agencies (including dogs, cats, pet prairie dogs, zoo animals, and urban wildlife), even though they may be important in the early detection of human disease outbreaks.

Transmission:
Transmission to humans
People who work with poultry and swine, especially people with intense exposures, are at increased risk of zoonotic infection with influenza virus endemic in these animals, and constitute a population of human hosts in which zoonosis and reassortment can co-occur. Vaccination of these workers against influenza and surveillance for new influenza strains among this population may therefore be an important public health measure. Transmission of influenza from swine to humans who work with swine was documented in a small surveillance study performed in 2004 at the University of Iowa. This study among others forms the basis of a recommendation that people whose jobs involve handling poultry and swine be the focus of increased public health surveillance. Other professions at particular risk of infection are veterinarians and meat processing workers, although the risk of infection for both of these groups is lower than that of farm workers.
Signs and symptoms:
Direct transmission of a swine flu virus from pigs to humans is occasionally possible (called zoonotic swine flu). In all, 50 cases are known to have occurred since the first report in medical literature in 1958, which have resulted in a total of six deaths. Of these six people, one was pregnant, one had leukemia, one had Hodgkin disease and two were known to be previously healthy. Despite these apparently low numbers of infections, the true rate of infection may be higher, since most cases only cause a very mild disease, and will probably never be reported or diagnosed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in humans the symptoms of the 2009 "swine flu" H1N1 virus are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general. Symptoms include
Fever,
Cough,
Sore throat,
Body aches,
Headache,
Chills and fatigue.
The 2009 outbreak has shown an increased percentage of patients reporting diarrhea and vomiting. The 2009 H1N1 virus is not zoonotic swine flu, as it is not transmitted from pigs to humans, but from person to person.
Because these symptoms are not specific to swine flu, a differential diagnosis of probable swine flu requires not only symptoms but also a high likelihood of swine flu due to the person's recent history. For example, during the 2009 swine flu outbreak in the United States, CDC advised physicians to "consider swine influenza infection in the differential diagnosis of patients with acute febrile respiratory illness who have either been in contact with persons with confirmed swine flu, or who were in one of the five U.S. states that have reported swine flu cases or in Mexico during the 7 days preceding their illness onset." A diagnosis of confirmed swine flu requires laboratory testing of a respiratory sample (a simple nose and throat swab).
The most common cause of death is respiratory failure, other causes of death are pneumonia (leading to sepsis), high fever (leading to neurological problems), dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Fatalities are more likely in young children and the elderly.

Prevention:
Prevention of human to human transmission
Influenza spreads between humans through coughing or sneezing and people touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth. Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food. The swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days. Diagnosis can be made by sending a specimen, collected during the first five days for analysis.
Recommendations to prevent spread of the virus among humans include using standard infection control against influenza. This includes frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public. Chance of transmission is also reduced by disinfecting household surfaces, which can be done effectively with a diluted chlorine bleach solution. Although the current trivalent influenza vaccine is unlikely to provide protection against the new 2009 H1N1 strain, vaccines against the new strain are being developed and could be ready as early as June 2009.
Experts agree that hand-washing can help prevent viral infections, including ordinary influenza and the swine flu virus. Influenza can spread in coughs or sneezes, but an increasing body of evidence shows small droplets containing the virus can linger on tabletops, telephones and other surfaces and be transferred via the fingers to the mouth, nose or eyes. Alcohol-based gel or foam hand sanitizers work well to destroy viruses and bacteria. Anyone with flu-like symptoms such as a sudden fever, cough or muscle aches should stay away from work or public transportation and should contact a doctor for advice.
Social distancing is another tactic. It means staying away from other people who might be infected and can include avoiding large gatherings, spreading out a little at work, or perhaps staying home and lying low if an infection is spreading in a community. Public health and other responsible authorities have action plans which may request or require social distancing actions depending on the severity of the outbreak.

Treatment:
If a person becomes sick with swine flu, antiviral drugs can make the illness milder and make the patient feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms). Beside antivirals, supportive care at home or in hospital, focuses on controlling fevers, relieving pain and maintaining fluid balance, as well as identifying and treating any secondary infections or other medical problems. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses; however, the majority of people infected with the virus make a full recovery without requiring medical attention or antiviral drugs. The virus isolates in the 2009 outbreak have been found resistant to amantadine and rimantadine.

For more information click here : http://www.swinefluindia.com/