The history of the Spanish flu

The Spanish flu is one of the world’s most giant disasters and there is no way to tell the cost to people emotionally because such an enormous number of lives were lost. The Spanish flu killed more people worldwide than the first world war. All told the Spanish flu took anywhere from 20 million to 40 million lives all over the world. Never before or since has one single sickness killed so many people as the Spanish flu.

The Spanish flu hit just as people were getting used to the idea that peace was finally in the works. SO just as people were happy that their husbands and sons were finally coming home they would get the Spanish flu and die. Just as things seemed to be getting better all over the world they took yet another turn to the worse with the Spanish flu.

Spanish flu showed up all over the world and it was a far different flu than any in the past for more than one reason. Of course the sheer number of people that the Spanish flu killed was unusual but it was not just that. Another unusual aspect of the Spanish flu was who it killed. Most of those who died from the Spanish flu were between the ages of 20 and 40. This is odd because most flu’s will kill the very young and the very old because they tend to have less immunities to the flu. But the Spanish flu was completely different than anything that the world had ever seen before.

Over 28% of Americans were sickened by the Spanish flu and in the States the average life span was cut drastically. It is believed that the life span of an American after the Spanish flu hit was ten years less than it had been before. The Spanish flu is one of the worst things that have ever happened to the world, the entire world.

If you lived in America you were 20 times more likely to die if you were in your twenties than before the Spanish flu came to town. The Spanish flu killed quickly and it killed mercilessly. Those who caught the Spanish flu would die terrible deaths full of choking and not being able to get air. Some say that you could be felled by the Spanish flu within a few hours. Children even had little rhymes about the Spanish flu that they would sing to themselves.

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The flu vaccine could save your life

The flu vaccine could save your life or the life of your parents or children. Not everyone is well equipped to deal with catching the flu and this is a very contagious and a very determined virus. The only way to truly prevent the flu in your home is to make sure that the whole family gets the flu vaccine each and every year.

Children and elderly people are especially susceptible to getting a deadly case of the flu, that is why it is recommended that they get the flu vaccine given to them every year before flu season. Flu season is generally from fall to spring. If you are in a high-risk situation you should get your flu vaccine as soon as you can, hopefully in September sometime.

There is a reason that there is a new flu vaccine put out each year and it is not just so that the drug companies can make more money. The flu as a virus is always changing and as soon as it changes the flu vaccine that you have already gotten will no longer be effective at stopping this flu. That is why each year scientists look at the likely strains of the flu to hit and then make up a flu vaccine to combat them in particular.

Even if you get the flu vaccine this year you could still catch the flu. This is because not all of the flu strains can be put into every flu vaccine. So what you get with the flu vaccine is the most likely strains to appear that year, if a different strain does appear then you could catch it because you have not had the flu vaccine for that one strain.

A flu vaccine does lower your chances considerably, if you do get the flu vaccine that is put out every year you will probably not get the flu. It comes down to chances. Without the flu vaccine your chances of getting the flu are huge and with the flu vaccine they are only a fraction of what they were before. These are good odds and they are definitely good enough that you should all be contacting your doctor about getting your flu vaccine today.

The flu vaccine is easy to get, all you need to do is phone your doctor and make an appointment. Let them know that you want to come in for your flu vaccine and they will tell you if they have any available to give you. IF they do you can make an appointment to go in and get your flu vaccine and if not you may have to wait a little longer.

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Combating Anxiety: The Alternative Way

Perhaps you break out into a cold sweat when you have to deliver a talk before a group of people. Or perhaps you become nervous when you have to take a test. There are certainly numerous causes for anxiety. Similarly, there are a number of treatment options for those afflicted with the illness. If you don’t like the idea of medication, you might try an alternative approach to battling your anxiety.

It is estimated that nearly seven percent of Americans suffer from anxiety and panic disorders. While prescription drugs are routinely offered as a remedy for such illnesses, they can be dangerous if administered over a long period of time. Some of the more popular anxiety drugs include Diazepam and Wellbutrin.

However, increasingly, Americans are turning to alternative medicines in an effort to soothe their anxious feelings. In just the last decade, the demand for alternative medicine has skyrocketed 300 percent. This is partially the result of the fact that many alternative medicines offer relief from symptoms without the side-effects linked to prescription drugs. It should be noted, however, that natural remedies are not meant to be long-term treatments, although they can offer relief in the short-term.

Before you buy a natural remedy, it is important that you do your homework as far as your knowledge of herbs and vitamins is concerned. It is also imperative that you consult your family physician in order to ensure that the alternative treatment is safe for you.

A number of herbs offer relief from the symptoms of anxiety. For instance, St. Johns Wort is one of the most popular anti-anxiety herbs on the market. After taking St. Johns Wort for as little as two weeks, you should notice a difference in your anxiety level.

Valerian Root is another alternative option you might try. It is especially helpful in combating insomnia because of its sedative quality. In other words, it helps to lull the central nervous system to sleep. Research indicates that Valerian Root is effective in improving sleep 90 percent of the time. This is important, since much of anxiety is linked to sleep disorders.

Vitamins can also provide an effective treatment for anxiety. They can be quite important in enabling neurotransmitter synthesis and maintenance. For instance, B-complex can help produce neurochemicals, which in turn assists in the synthesis of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Yet another aid to combating anxiety is Passion Flower. It helps to calm the central nervous system, leading to feelings of peace. Meanwhile, Ashwaghanda Root can make you feel stronger so that you are better able to handle the effects of anxiety.

But perhaps no herbal remedy is quite as effective as Kava Kava. This is considered to be one of the strongest anti-anxiety remedies in the world. A number of studies indicates that Kava Kava is highly effective in relieving the short-term symptoms of anxiety. It is also considered quite safe to ingest, making it one of the most popular herbs available on the market today.

An herbal remedy called PureCalm is being marketed as a safe way to deal with general nervousness and worry. You may feel relaxed after taking only a few drops of this natural substance. However, if you suffer from severe anxiety, including panic attacks, you might consider a remedy called MindSoothe, which combines St. Johns Wort with Passiflora. Mindsoothe has been linked to good sleep, greater concentration, and better memory. Therefore, it is particularly effective in treating the symptoms of anxiety.

We all have feelings of anxiety from time to time. But how can you tell if your anxiety is out of control? If you experience racing thoughts, rapid heartbeat, extreme difficulty resting or concentrating, you probably need to get help. If you do not like dealing with the side-effects of prescription drugs, an herbal remedy may be in order. You should know in advance, however, that some herbal remedies carry their own risks and lead to significant side-effects. The more you know about herbal remedies, the better consumer you’ll be. Don’t allow yourself to be a human guinea pig. Take herbal medication only after you have thoroughly studied its effects upon the human body.

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Fun Facts About Dreams and Their Meaning

Dreams have been around for at least as long as human beings, and dreams are universal, experienced by men and women, young and old, and people of all cultures and ethnicities. In some ways, dreams are a universal language, and there are certain themes, such as falling, flying, taking a test and finding yourself naked, that show up in dreams throughout the world. Dreams, it could be said, represent a kind of universal human language.

Dreams have been studied throughout history, and dream interpretation is an old art form indeed, dating back at least as far as 3000-4000 B.C. Even today, dream interpreters are highly sought out for their help untangling the sometimes puzzling world of dreams.

You may think you know everything there is to know about dreams and dream interpretation, but did you know that:

 A third of our lives is spent in sleep, and a good amount of that time is spent in dreams.
 The average person dreams from between four to seven times every night. That means that by the time you reach the age of 80, you will have had between 116,800 and 204,400 dreams.
 That number may be even larger, since there is evidence that dreaming begins even before birth. No one deigns to know what unborn babies dream about, but there is evidence that they do dream.
 In the average lifetime, a person will have spent approximately six years in dream sleep, equivalent to more than 2,100 days of dreaming.
 There are records of dream interpretation, written on clay tablets, dating back more than 4,000 years.
 Those who could interpret dreams were held in high regard in Roman and Greek societies, and their counsel was sought before making significant political and military decisions.
 Everyone dreams every night, even though only a tiny fraction of those dreams are remembered upon waking.
 Many animals dream as well, although no one has been able to ask them what they dream about.
 People have to dream, though no one really knows why. What we do know is that preventing people from dreaming can cause irritability, mood changes and even hallucinations.
 The average person spends about one quarter of his or her sleep time in dream sleep, and dreams an average of four to seven times during that time.
 The average episode of dream sleep lasts about 10 to 15 minutes.
 Dreams slip away very quickly upon waking. It is estimated that as much as half the dream’s content is forgotten within five minutes, and after only ten minutes up to 90% of the dream can be gone forever.
 Men dream more about other men than about women, but women tend to dream about men and women equally.
 The brain is actually more active, not less during dream sleep than during wakefulness.
 People who are awakened during dream sleep are able to recall their dreams vividly and in great detail, while those who wake normally generally are not.
 Both men and women experience sexual arousal during most dreams, regardless of whether the nature of the dream was sexual or not.
 Smokers who are quitting often experience more intense dreams than either non smokers or current smokers.
 Babies and toddlers dream just as adults do, but studies have revealed they do not dream about themselves. Toddlers generally do not appear in their own dreams until they are at least three or four years old.
 It is not possible to dream and snore simultaneously.
 Nightmares are a common trauma of childhood, with the first nightmares usually occurring by the age of three, and typically lasting at least until the child is seven or eight years old.
 Many people report having experienced Déjà vu in their dreams, but dreams involving Déjà vu are more common in women than in men.

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Living on the Edge of Anger

When we are living on the edge of anger, we are merely wasting time, energy and possibly money. We are also allowing our emotions to control our lives, and hurting our mind and body along the way. In some cases, we might even hurt others as a result of uncontrolled anger. Some socio-biologist believes that aggressive anger is hereditary and that we all have the ability to loose control of our emotions and anger. Other socio-biologists believe that the aggressive portion of the brain if injured or suffering tumor is linked to anger. When a man murdered his wife, and then murdered more than 30 other individuals before killing his self. It was found that the man had an outsized growth developed on the limbic system of the brain. Likewise, when a person has epileptics they often explode in violence on occasions. The majority of violent offenders incarcerated were tested and it was found that most suffered antisocial personality disorders. There are many reasons we become angry and some of us act out violently while others are less prone to violence. It is also said that the hormones and certain chemicals may be linked to anger. The problem then is learning to deal with anger on different levels, while getting testing on our medical condition and mental health. The testosterone if higher than average has proven to be linked to anger also, as well certain chemicals found in women offenders has linked to anger. In fact, most of the violent criminals have proven to have higher testosterone. We see that anger has a root, but in most instances, fear is the root of the problems. If experts would have taking steps to prevent the first case scenario by running tests on the man’s head it might have saved some lives. We know that most violent offenders will not seek mental health, but they do visit doctors since most have a grandiosity personality type. They often worship themselves more so than the average person, and will often feel as though the world owes them. If these types are visiting a doctor and complaining then someone needs to pay attention to the symptoms and do something about. Anger management is available to everyone, but the downside is anger management will not work in all cases. For example, if an Antisocial personality type visits anger management classes he or she will walk out the door and continue his or her behavior. Unfortunately, some diagnosis, including antisocial, psychopathic, sociopath, histrionic, and a few others are known to fail in anger management and mental health combined. These types often rarely find a resource that helps them control their anger and often increases their chances by adhering to substances. This is a real life situation where the person is living on the edge of anger and walking on the road to destruction. If you are an average individual and find your self exploding from time to time acting out of anger you might benefit from anger management classes. The classes teach you to learn your behaviors, find a way to minimize the eruptive behaviors and control your anger. They will help you to learn more about your triggers and how to cope with the triggers as they come your way. You will benefit when you learn how to express your anger without blowing up or feeling threatened by communicating your feelings. If the problem is persistent, you might want to get a check up with your physician or possibly see a mental health expert. Do not expect more of your self than what you can do. If you are attending classes or seeing, a profession does not expect changes overnight. Try taking it slow using the one day at a time method, unless you are overly wrought then you might want to take it one second at a time to start out. If you notice changes in your behaviors within a week or two of your therapy be sure to commend your self for doing a good job. You might even reward your self with something that you have been wanting for some time. Finally, stop living on the edge of anger and enjoy life.

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