Excerpted From the New York Times…
How do you know when swine flu has turned serious? Today, doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained what flu warning signs warrant urgent medical attention.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, the C.D.C.’s interim deputy director for science and public health, said that in the United States, 507 people have [...]

Moral of the Story: Flu Fighters by Randy Cohen
New York Times, May 5, 2009 
“Wash your hands when you shake hands; cover your mouth when you cough,” President Obama urged us at last Wednesday’s news conference when discussing the swine flu. “I know it sounds trivial, but it makes a huge difference. If you are sick, stay home. If [...]

Keeping Healthy during Cold & Flu Season
Presented by Dr. Brett Lieberman, Naturopathic Doctor
The Connecticut Center for Health in Middletown
Fall and winter in New England bring many pleasures; colds and flu are not one of them. Fortunately there are many ways to help prevent getting sick this season, as well as many ways to treat yourself [...]

Not at all. Adults are in need of vaccines to protect them from a variety of communicable diseases, including pneumonia, HPV and hepatitis. Which are best to receive varies with age and a number of other risk factors, such as where you travel, previous exposure and the current status of your immune system. Review this information from the [...]

Worried that antibiotic resistance will make you vulnerable to all sorts of infections? It’s important to understand how drug resistance occurs before you start worrying your pretty little head about it. Read this from the New York Times…
 People can be forgiven for wondering what difference it makes how we kill microorganisms. After all, soap or [...]

From He’s Fit…
Despite your best efforts to remain in good health, you are bound to get sick at some point. You are human, after all. When that dark day does come, some people stay in bed. Others, however, attempt to train anyway, which begs the question – is it okay to train while you are [...]

The Mayo Clinic, in answering a question from a male reader named John, indicates that it is possible – though relatively uncommon – for a man to contract a genital yeast infection through sexual activity. Read on…
Q: Can I get a yeast infection from my girlfriend? I thought only women got yeast infections.
 A: It’s possible for a man to contract [...]

From the New England Journal of Medicine…
Perspective by Tadataka Yamada, M.D.
The recent failure of another potential vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) underscores the enormous challenges of tackling diseases whose heaviest burden falls on the developing world. A quarter of a century after the first report of AIDS, our knowledge about how an HIV vaccine [...]

From Medical News Today…
Millions of Americans took the advice to get a flu shot this season, but many are still becoming infected with the flu. This flu season is lasting longer than initially expected and has introduced unforeseen new strains of the virus, making other flu prevention steps even more important. Today, the Visiting Nurse [...]

As an alternative to cough medicine, consider honey, reports the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter.
A recent study from Pennsylvania State University of children (2 and older) with colds found that a teaspoon of honey at bedtime worked better than a cough suppressant (artificially honey-flavored) or no treatment. Never give honey to infants less than [...]