DailyDirt: Yet Another Flu Season…
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
The flu (aka the influenza virus) can be just annoying to some, but it’s also a deadly threat that can’t be ignored. There’s a new flu vaccine every year, but that’s a hit-or-miss game — with some years being much less effective than others. However, it’s still a good routine to get into — until someone finally develops a universal flu vaccine. If you haven’t gotten your flu shot reminder. Here it is. YMMV.
- Thousands of strains of the flu virus constantly mutate and evolve, making a universal vaccine elusive. Several groups are working on the problem, and progress against multiple strains looks encouraging. It’ll probably take a few more years of animal testing and then clinical trials, but maybe someday, we’ll be able to say goodbye to the flu. [url]
- If you’re one of the people who doesn’t think a flu shot is worth the trouble, maybe some anecdotal evidence will scare you? The common flu can trigger a series of complications such as pneumonia, a collapsed lung, a tracheotomy — and even a leg amputation. [url]
- The effectiveness of the flu shot in 2014 was less than 50%. Perhaps if a flu vaccine could be made more quickly, patients could get flu shots that were actually based on active viruses caught in the wild. It’s also possible to be infected by more than one flu virus at the same time (aka superinfection), but thankfully it doesn’t happen that frequently. [url]
- Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen are often used to manage flu symptoms, but derivatives of these drugs could also help improve immune responses. NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can block the production of prostaglandins and blocking specific prostaglandins could significantly improve flu survival rates. [url]
After you’ve finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.
Filed Under: flu, flu season, flu shot, health, ibuprofen, influenza, medicine, nsaids, prostaglandins, universal vaccine, virus
Comments on “DailyDirt: Yet Another Flu Season…”
Flu
I received a flu shot in 1958.
Got very sick.
No flu shot since, also no flu since.
Re: Flu
Same. I’ve had the flu shot twice in my life, and both times I got a horrible cold/flu. (Of course, it is not the same flu.)
I tend to find those that advocate for vaccinations refuse to get them themselves which cracks me and my friends up constantly
Re: Re:
There’s a big difference between advocating vaccination against measles, mumps, rubella and so on and advocating the flu vaccine. For one thing the flu vaccine isn’t particularly effective and for another, unlike the diseases I mentioned previously, the flu is not a life-threatening illness except in very specific circumstances.
If you don’t believe me, try this article from the British Medical Journal: http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3037 It’s behind a registration wall, but the abstract should give you the gist.
Re: Re: Re:
The British Medical Journal…
Wasn’t that the journal that posted the FACT that marijauna kills one tenth as many people from cancer annually as tobacco because people smoked one tenth as many joints as they do cigarettes…. even though they were unable to point out a single death from cancer from smoking cannabis, in the history of mankind.
Ah the trust we misplace in authority, cuz we’re too stupid or lazy to do our own research.
Probably make a real good engraving on the Human Gravestone.
Especially since it was announced today that a quarter of a million people are killed in the US every year from doctors mis-prescribing good old clinical drugs. That does not include clinical drug overdose and misuse – just bad scrips.
Mercenary Medicine is here to stay.
For instance – let’s look at the incentives for cancer diagnosis.
Patient sees doctor about “round-worm”, “pin-worm”, or “ring-worm” infestation that makes small bubbly looking sores appear on face.
Doctor’s Decision Choices:
1. Treat with anti-parasite drugs – $12.00 – his cut $4.40.
(Cup of coffee and a donut.)
….or,
2. Call it cancer. $250,000. His cut, $25,000.00
(Extra sexy bimbo and better cocaine on the yacht this year)
A difficult decision, no. 🙂
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Yo Ho not everyone believes in this you know…
Tech site? Or drug pushers?
been 15 years since i got one. this shot are only 25% good
Vaccines work generally but I personally have serious doubts about these flu ones. First because they usually fail to tackle newer virus strains and second because they generate powerful collateral symptoms that are way too common (I’ve become very sick twice now). Of course many things could be done to improve them such as increasing development speed (as one of the bullets point out in the article) and developing them locally. An American vaccine developed for American conditions will not work that well in Australia for instance.
Or you could avoid the drugs and vaccines and just set the thermostat at 86 degrees:
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-01/fyi-why-winter-flu-season
Simple 3% solution
As with the common cold, viruses like to live in your ears, since the nose and throat are way to wet and way too warm to facilitate mass reproduction. The ear canal is however, perfect – moisture and temperature – for viral reproduction and is connected to the nose and throat, so that once the virus reaches maximum concentration, it can send its troops into the passages to the inner sanctums of your body, en mass.
Medical professionals will NEVER tell you this, as it would eliminate a huge part of their income, and seriously piss off any number of snake-oil companies making billions every year from this protected malady. And in truth, most of them really have no idea that this works since its not taught in medical school.
Try a little peroxide – 3% solution – a couple drops in an eye dropper, in each ear, twice a week. Let the peroxide stay there while it bubbles – killing the viruses – and then use a soft tissue – not toilet paper – to sponge it out.
Nice part is, this also breaks up wax and thus helps keep your ears clean.
Do this whenever you return from the bar, or a movie or a night on the town, or if you happen to come into contact with people who are obviously suffering from a cold or flu, and you will notice a dramatic drop in the number of times you catch colds or flu.
Oh, and don’t mention this to your doctor as he will be most angry and reprimand you vehemently against the evils of self medicating, and will swear convincingly on a stack of bibles and medical journals that you MUST buy his drugs instead, cuz otherwise he’ll never get that free vacation to Cancun from the Drug company.
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Re: Simple 3% solution
Addendum:
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention one of the coolest parts of this remedy process.
Because viruses literally hang out in people’s ears, everyone is a carrier – until their immune system takes a beating from depression, argument with the girl friend, shitty day at work, large dose of sugar, etc., and then they get sick and become a delivery system.
By taking Cold Remedies that Mask the Symptoms, prevent cough, fever and runny nose, people become walking delivery systems for the Cold and Flu Industry, spreading their viral contamination at work and play to insure that everyone else’s ear colonies are filled to capacity.
But if you kill the buggers while they’re hanging out in your ears, merrily reproducing, you get to become a very unique thing on earth. For a few days, until the viruses picked up from all the other carriers rebuild their colony in your ears, you will be virus free – a non carrier.
Of course, if everyone did this, we could kill the common cold and the flu in just a couple years, but that would send one huge multi-billion dollar industry, down the drain, and destroy the ability of many doctors to ever get that first yacht, or maintain a second apartment for their mistress, so its considered economically unfeasible by your masters.
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