Flu again…..
The FLU is back in the news again. It is SO bad this year, the flu is the worst EVER… and for those who get it, it IS no fun at all and for those who die from it and their families the statistics are of no concern because stats NEVER are of interest to that group and rightly so. When young or very old die it does sound bad when 5 or 20 die and the news hypes it is on everyone’s mind. For the rest of us shall we look at some of the real statistics.
Depending on how you count in a NORMAL year the average number of deaths due to the flu runs about 30,000 people in these US of A.. Some want to split hairs and say it was pneumonia which often starts as the flu. [IF you have other stats go with those if you want] The important part is the mechanism that causes many of those deaths.
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea is the basic causal agent. Then you get run down and other bugs attack you. If you don’t feel good you wont drink enough water and other fluids and you wont eat properly to keep up your strength. Some people swear by the flu vaccine…. others swear AT the flu vaccine and those who administer it. Some stats that I have seen are that the flu shot is only 10 – 25 % effective. [beats me if that is correct AND if it works for you or it does not the stats do not really matter – see above]
Obviously this article as with everything else you read here is to spark discussion between you and those who you have a professional relationship with.
Sanitation and proper hand washing is the major prevention issue.
Most Americans do not drink enough water and fluids in general. What we have found to work well for us follows.
Re-Hydration drink
This is about the best all-around recipe for Re-Hydration drink—- this replaces Pedilyte and Gatorade / sports drinks, a lot cheaper too.
Mix as follows and you can pre-mix into unit dose packets for use while you are on the move.
In a 1 L container mix the following
1/2 teaspoon salt substitute �KCl aka �NU-salt�
1 pinch Epson salt MaSo4
2 tablespoon sugar [omit to use in Jell-O or instant potatoes]
Kool-aid to taste [omit to use in Jell-O or instant potatoes]
Chill and serve —
BTW, Kool-aid comes in a colorless version too for when the person is vomiting. .
It is always better to prevent de-hydration by drinking water. How much should you drink a day? It is NOT the oft repeated 8, 8 ounce glasses. For the basic amount take your weight in pounds and divide by 2 = the number of ounces you should drink a day. This amount assumes that you are sitting at a desk. The best way to know that you are drinking enough is to check your urine. Normal healthy urine is clear to straw color with no odor. In babies we like to see 8-12 wet diapers a day. Most adults should do the same � ahhh EXCEPT hopefully without diapers.
Are there other recipes? Yup, just like IVs you can mix this to replace electrolytes that lab work shows are missing.
http://www.preparesurvivethrive.us/fluid-electrolyte-balance/
http://www.preparesurvivethrive.us/heat-related-related-injuries/