Lots of information out there, and a lot of speculation and anxiousness.

Here are some solid resources (to keep things in perspective):

The Centers For Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) are the2 biggies; I prefer the CDC site, it just is more clearly laid out to my eyes.

These give you real-time updates on the state of the 2009 H1N1 influenza (it’s no longer formally referred to as “swine flu” for various reasons), including number of cases overall, and how many have been diagnosed in which states. As of the time of this writing (and it changes from day to day, or even hourly), there are 193 cases confirmed in California, and 3 recorded deaths in the U.S.

To put that last statistic in perspective, the regular influenza “Flu” causes about 36,000 deaths in America, each and every year. So far, the lethality impact of H1N1 has been much less; if it doesn’t mutate into a worse form, this Winter’s flu season may be no worse than usual.

The $65,000 Question

What public health authorities are focusing on, however, is what will happen over the next 6 months.

The current form of the virus seems to require fairly close contact to transmit, and responds to 2 widely available antiviral drugs (Tamiflu and Relenza, which are currently recommended only for use in severe infections, NOT casually — the last thing we want is for the virus to become resistant due to overuse of these meds!); the mortality rate is something on the order of about 1-2%.

Other viral influenza types exist, however, which could potentially mix with H1N1 to create a different strain. For example, H5N1 “bird” flu, very difficult to pass from person to person (it’s passed by direct contact with infected poultry), has an approximately 60% mortality rate. A mix and match of these two viruses would be absolutely no fun at all.

A very widespread global footprint of the current H1N1 strain is already happening, and is likely to qualify as a pandemic, which refers not to an infection’s seriousness, but to how far and wide it spreads. Work has already begun on developing a vaccine for the Fall/Winter, which even if isn’t an exact match for what comes back around in several months, should still confer some immunity to what until now has never been seen among humans.

With no natural human resistance to 2009 H1N1, scientists are very interested about what form it develops into.

What You Can Do

At this time, even though the virus is spreading, its numbers are mainly of academic interest. A sad fact: more people will die on the roads of California this week than have died in the whole U.S. during the entire course of this infection; focusing on the hundreds or thousands of mild cases will just drive you bonkers. You can keep track of locally identified cases by county, in the news or via a Google search online, if it would change your basic travel or school attendance habits.

If you’re going to focus on anything, focus on announcements from the CDC about any changes in the virus — particularly if it sounds like it has mutated into an easier to spread or more lethal form. If it happens, it will likely occur months from now, and overseas. And it may not happen at all.

There is no vaccine as of yet, but there should be by the time of the usual flu shot in September. Keep an ear out for it, as well as any recommendations for its use (it may or may not be recommended universally, or for people with certain health conditions).

Keep in mind the basic symptoms of a viral respiratory infection — fever, cough, aches, malaise — and discuss with your doctor what to do if you get them. Chances are, it’s NOT H1N1, but call your doctor to discuss your symptoms, especially if they’re worsening.

Under the heading of sensible medical advice in general, remember the cardinal rules (see the CDC site for more information):

• If you’re sick, stay home and call your doctor. Puh-lease don’t share your germs with coworkers, schoolmates, or your children’s playmates.
• Wash your hands with soap and hot/warm water, often. Especially after touching high-traffic surfaces in public places. Singing the alphabet song, “A-B-C-D…tell me what you THINK of ME,” at a child’s pace takes about 20 seconds, the recommended washing time, and don’t forget under and around your nails. Use hand sanitizer gel or foam if you’re not near a washbasin.
• In public areas, avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose. Germs on surfaces enter your body mainly through these sites.
• Cough or sneeze into your shoulder or sleeve, as a courtesy to others. If coming down with something, even if it feels like a little cold, avoid coughing or sneezing or wiping your nose in public. If you must be somewhere public, especially if you’re feeling worse, consider wearing a mask.

Most important of all, don’t panic.

Be attentive, stay healthy, and focus on what you already know you should be doing “when something’s going around.”

During a cold and flu season, it’s natural to think, I’m feeling awful — I must need antibiotics.

But from a medical standpoint, antibiotics aren’t widely recommended. They often don’t work at all for common infections, and can even cause harm in the long run.

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It’s hard getting good health insurance, and when you do, it can be harder finding a good doctor.

You may be lucky enough to get a recommendation from a trusted friend or family member. But usually you’re stuck having to choose someone from a list.

Then you make your appointment, patiently wait to be seen, and when the moment comes to start talking to your doctor, you only get 15 minutes!

Most doctors’ offices offer extended appointments (we do!), but they are usually reserved for specific patient circumstances.

So how do you really get your money’s worth within 15 minutes?

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From time to time, we’ll point you to other blogs besides our own, with particularly juicy or thought provoking content.

This post, here, is one of them.

Kathryn Woodall’s blog, A Comfortable Soul: Creating balance in your life, discusses matters pertaining to health and exercise. Health and wellness are big themes, there, but more from the inside out.

Less, “Do this exercise 12 times in 4 minutes,” than, “Put health first in your training, as well as your life.”

A nicer definition of Health, and what we should all be shooting for, I haven’t read in a long while.

We try to promote healthy habits at Family Care Centers.

Especially if you have issues with weight, or blood pressure, or cholesterol, you’ve probably heard us recommend changes in diet and exercise:

• Reduce your intake of saturated fats
• REALLY cut back on your starchy carbs, and up your intake of colorful fruits and vegetables
• Exercise more regularly, at least 3 times a week
• Get the down to a healthy body weight

These recommendations are key, and if you can adopt them, a good many of your health woes will either disappear, throttle way back, or not occur to begin with.

But if it were that easy, everyone would be doing it…and Big Pharma would be out of a job.

Here’s a link to a related website, to help you stick it to ‘em, and get healthier in the process:

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“Oh, and by the way…what does D.O. stand for?”

I’ve been asked this several times since starting my practice, usually at the end of a patient visit. It’s time to answer this common question about a doctor’s credentials.

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[This is Part 5 of a 7 part series. — PK]

5. See Your Doctor Periodically

Well, you should have seen that one coming.

But seriously, there are some excellent reasons to make an annual physical a cornerstone of your plan for health. Overcoming your dread of the gloved finger, or the mammography squish, will pay you enormous dividends with the very first problem you let your doctor catch early.

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Most of us can recall an encounter with the vitamin aisle at the supermarket, pharmacy or health food store.

It can be a confusing, frustrating event.

Vitamin C for colds, vitamin B for energy, calcium for your bones…we can even have trouble recalling what certain supplements, like copper, are supposedly good for. And there are dozens of brand names to choose from.

I can certainly understand people’s cynicism about supplements, given all the conflicting news out there. Currently, there are no recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on using dietary supplements to prevent such health conditions as heart disease or cancer.

However, there is plenty of data that supports supplementing our diet with certain vitamins to optimize health. This is especially true for people in certain high risk groups and those who are not following a healthy, well-balanced diet.

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I can’t exactly say that I’m a shining example of health.

As a physician and family man, I think I do okay: I exercise regularly, including martial arts at least twice a week, don’t smoke or drink, and try to moderate my stress levels (haw).

But I don’t weigh what I did when I was a high school senior, and drink more coffee to get through the day than I’d care to admit. I eat too many carbs, get too little sleep, and don’t eat enough organic food.

These may not sound like much, but they should.

Nevertheless, I can still recommend 4 of the most important ways to avoid an early grave, and have a fine old time doing it (there are 7, but the final 3 will be in the next post). Partly because I’ve seen a lot of people do it right and do it wrong. Partly because the medical field has seen a lot, and has the studies to back up the advice it’s trumpeting from the mountain tops.

But also because, hey, the advice is so sensible and my self-respect has increased enough that I’m finally adopting the following principles myself.

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More and more, the young women in my practice are asking about the Gardasil vaccine.

This vaccine was designed for women from 9 to 26 years old to prevent diseases caused by 4 types of the human papillomavirus (HPV).

HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause a spectrum of diseases including precancerous cervical lesions, cervical cancer, and genital warts. There are more than 100 types of HPV, but the vaccine focuses on 4 “high risk” virus types that cause most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts.

To become immune, you’ll need 3 doses of the vaccine: the first one at the time of your choice, the second 2 months after the first dose, and the third 6 months after the first dose. Possible side effects associated with the vaccine include pain, swelling, or redness at the injection site, nausea, dizziness, or fever.

Unfortunately, many people who have HPV may not show any signs or symptoms, and can pass it to their partners during sexual intercourse. The main goal of the vaccine is to protect and prevent before you get exposed to HPV.

Many pediatricians are administering the Gardasil vaccine as part of the routine immunizations given at 11 years of age, with the consent of the parents, of course. Please note that if you already have HPV, this vaccine cannot be used for treatment.

However, having HPV does not mean you shouldn’t consider the vaccine, since Gardasil can protect you from the other virus types covered by the vaccine.

Even if you get the vaccine, I want to emphasize that all women still need regular pelvic exams and pap smears to screen for cervical cancer — since the vaccine, though very effective, does not cover all types of the HPV virus. Protected intercourse is also important to prevent all sexually transmitted infections.