It's Cold and Flu Season.
Prevention and Recovery.

The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu Toni T.'s Review.

For the past few weeks we've been seeing a lot of reports about the "Avian (bird) Flu." The variant known as H5N1 is a strain that affected only birds but in 1997 infected forty-five people in different parts of Southeast Asia. It caused horrible infection that was fatal to thirty-five children and adults. The Mortality rate was 75%. Compare this to the mortality rate of the 1918 epidemic of influenza which was 2%. This makes H5N1 a very frightening strain.

The fear is that the Avian Flu will mutate and be transmitted from Human to Human.

One of the only drugs known to successfully treat this flu is called "TamiFlu" and is only manufactured by one company which cannot produce enough product to meet the overwhelming demand. They are distributing on a first come first serve basis. The United States is not at the top of the list of requesters and officials have stated we are currently only capable of supplying enough TamiFlu to 2% of the possibly infected people should the virus land on our shores.

November 1st Update: Read "The Good Doctor Reacts to President Bush’s Outline for Pandemic Influenza Preparations and Response." An Special update to this review.

Okay, now that I've scared you by bringing this fact to your attention we can move on to our book review which promises to give you valuable information on "How to Prevent and Treat Colds, Flu, Sinusitis, Bronchitis, Strep Throat, and Pneumonia at Any Age."

"THE GOOD DOCTOR'S GUIDE to COLDS & FLU" by Neil Schachter, M.D. is a the kind of book my mother used to keep on the shelf when I was a kid right along side Doctor Spocks book of advice however this book is intended for people of all ages and is chock full of great natural remedies, treatment suggestions, protection tips and much more.

So, is there a cure for this Avian Flu? {Prevention is the key. Recent News reports state that there is a Vaccine in the works. Can they manufacture it in time? Probably now. So what other forms of prevention can you put into practice? That's where this book will come in handy.

The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu is a succinct book written in laymen's terms that no one who has ever been laid low by cold, flu and other respiratory ailments can afford to be without. Leading pulmonologist Neil Schachter, M.D., shows how to avoid illness, boost immunity and combat congestion, fever and discomfort when cold, flu and other respiratory infections strike.

The book includes

* Ten Treatment plans for the most common respiratory infections: colds, flu, acute bronchitis, viral pneumonia, "walking pneumonia," chronic sinusitis, and strep throat.

* The 4 stages of a cold and one of the best ways to avoid catching one.

* The Right way to use Vitamin C and Zinc to combat Cold.

* The 4 types of pneumonias and the single step that cuts your pneumonia risk in half.

* Why humming 5 seconds a day can reduce the risk of sinusitis problems

* The surprising reason why woman catch more colds.

* How to protect yourself and your family if flu appears in your community.

Facts: Americans get more that one-billion colds each year. 30-50 million Americans get influenza each year. 37 million Americans suffer from sinusitis each year. 15 million Americans with asthma, 95 million current and former smokers, and 17 million with COPD are at risk of more severe-even deadly-colds and flu.

The above facts make this book an indispensable resource for years to come.

Like my mother before me, I'm putting this one up on the shelf. It will be dog eared, it will have book marks, it will have hi-lighter markings and it will be yellow and dusty before I purchase another copy.

Doctor Neil Schachter offers us some valuable advice in this question and answer segment:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT COLDS AND FLU

Q: Can I still get the flu if I get the flu shot?

A: In general the flu shot is 70-80% effective; that is it provides complete protection 70-80% of the time. AS we get older our response to the flu shot declines. Over age 70, the flu shot may be only 40% effective. Sometimes people do not get the flu shot early enough in the year to develop immunity before they are exposed to the virus. In other situations, a case of flu may come from virus not included in the vaccine.

Q: Are cold sores caused by colds?

A: Colds sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, not by one of the over 200 viruses that leads to colds. People infected by herpes simplex tend to have flare-ups when their immunity is lowered such as during illness or stress.

Q: When is a cold contagious?

A: In children colds are actually contagious one to two days before symptoms begin. In adults, colds are spread once symptoms of coughing and sneezing develop .However in the flu, both children and adults can spread the virus as much as two days before symptoms begin.

Q: When is a chest X-Ray needed?

A: Normally three key signs that X-Ray is required are chest pain, shortness of breath and severe cough accompanied by green or rusty mucus. If you have underlying pulmonary or cardiac problems such as asthma pr congestive heart failure, then even without these three symptoms, an X-Ray is needed when a respiratory infection lingers beyond five days.

Q: Can Vitamin C Prevent C prevent a cold?

A: In a word, no. Recent well-designed clinical trials have not shown that vitamin C can prevent colds. However, the same studies indicate that Vitamin C may reduce the duration of symptoms and discomfort.

Q: If fever is a natural defense against infection, why should I try to lower it?

A: While fever is a defense response, it is not that effective controlling infections.
Fact: Fever is dehydrating, increases blood pressure and puts a strain on the heart and kidneys. you will feel better and recover more quickly when fever is relieved.

Thank you, Doctor Schachter!

-Toni T.

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