Yesterday, a story about an Australian woman who says she was held for 12 years against her will aboard Scientology's floating cathedral and cruise ship Freewinds hit the Scientology-watching world like a depth charge.
Last night, we had a lengthy conversation over Skype with Valeska Paris, and learned much more about her upbringing in Scientology, her time on the ship, and in particular, what it was like when church leader David Miscavige brought aboard his best pal, Tom Cruise, for the actor's big birthday celebration in 2004.
We also talked about how she decided to speak out even though she had previously signed confidentiality agreements with the notoriously litigious church.
"They're cowards. They always threaten, but they never follow it up," she says.
Valeska left the Freewinds in 2007, and later left Scientology itself. In 2010 she first went public with her defection at the blog of former high-ranking Scientology executive Marty Rathbun. Then, yesterday, she appeared on the Australian network ABC's program Lateline, saying that she was held against her will aboard the cruise ship for more than a decade. A fellow former member of Scientology's hardcore Sea Organization, Ramana Dienes-Browning, backed up her version of events.
The church has denied all of the allegations by Paris and Dienes-Browning, and spokeswoman Karin Pouw's full statement can be found below. At the end of the statement, Pouw writes to ABC's Steve Cannane: "Your source is doing this because she and Chris Guider apparently cannot get their life in order and move on."
In fact, Valeska and her husband Chris -- who was the subject of his own Lateline program -- are getting on with their lives quite nicely, and even have a bit of an announcement...
"They say we're not getting on with our lives? We both have jobs, we have a boy," she told me last night from Sydney, "And I'm pregnant with another baby."
What a change from her time in the Sea Org, where having children is prohibited, where she signed a billion-year contract at only 14 years old, and where she was pulled away from her own mother and put aboard what she says was a floating prison.
Valeska Paris was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1977. She had two younger siblings -- Melissa (1979) and Raphael (1982) -- and their lives changed radically when their parents, who were both Scientologists, split up and her father, Jean-Francois Paris, decided to join the church's Sea Org in England. At only 6 years of age, Valeska was put into a former Scientology organization known as the "Cadet Org." (Her sibs joined too -- Melissa was only 4, and Raphael barely 2, she points out.)
Her sister, Melissa, has written that the Cadet Org was a sort of "mini Sea Org," where even the youngest children were treated like future hardcore church workers, and were "assigned all sorts of manual labor: scrubbing walls, floors, cleaning the toilets...not stuff that kids would normally do." (We're going to be interviewing Melissa, who has her own story to tell about growing up in Scientology and living in a family torn apart by the church.)
Scientology believes that each of us has lived countless lives over billions of years -- our souls, which Scientology calls "thetans," are ancient, and so even when we inhabit a new body in a new life, as a child, there is actually an adult soul inside.
"We were just future Sea Org members that needed to be molded into 'good' SO members which meant breaking us down into robots," Melissa writes.
Valeska did join the Sea Org, at only 14 years old, signing its standard billion-year contract, promising to come back, lifetime after lifetime, to serve the church by working incredible hours for only 50 dollars a week.
2011年11月29日星期二
2011年11月28日星期一
As cold and flu season begins, you can guard against germs
As the days shorten toward winter, sniffles and sore throats return. Noses start dripping, and all too soon you’ve got aches and pains, fever and malaise. And so do your kids, or your colleagues, or your friends.
This is the onset of cold and flu season, when germs travel easily from person to person as we spend more time close together indoors. And everything can be a good breeding ground for germs: computer keyboards, the knob on the door into your office, the telephone you use, the subway seat where someone coughs behind you, the escalator railing, the shopping cart handle.
Germs get spread by hand-to-hand contact, by touching a contaminated surface or by being spewed through the air in droplets as someone sneezes, coughs or talks. On average adults get about two to four colds a year, children about six to 10, mostly in the fall and winter months. And every year 5 to 20 percent of the population comes down with the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with about 200,000 people getting sick enough to be hospitalized.
“The difference between the common cold and flu is the severity of fever,” said Jeff Dimond, a spokesman for the CDC. “The flu is usually accompanied with fever, aches and pains, and congestion in the lungs. A cold is more in your head. Both are contagious,” often before symptoms even show up.
Colds linger for a week to 10 days. The flu is shorter but carries a bigger wallop. It tends to clear up after two to five days, but sufferers may feel drained and exhausted for another week.
Want to avoid all this?
Here are a few simple tips for staying healthy this season from the experts (CDC, doctors, infectious-disease researchers).
The No. 1 preventive measure for killing germs is washing hands, said Dimond.
“If you think about where you put your hands, you wipe your nose then touch the elevator,” Dimond said. “A virus can last for six hours on those elevator buttons. If you have bowls of nuts or M&Ms out and everybody is dipping their hands into it, germs get passed around.”
Not very appetizing? The CDC recommends washing hands, both tops and palms, for about 20 seconds with soap, then rinsing. Wash before eating and preparing food. Wash after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, changing a diaper and caring for a sick person, to name a few common situations.
If washing your hands with soap is not doable, slather on hand sanitizer, Dimond said. “Part of working here at the CDC [in Atlanta], we are highly aware of hand hygiene,” he said. “At every floor there is a hand sanitizer and a big sign at the front door to wash hands.”
Secretions from your nose are often clear in the beginning of a cold and thicken as the cold progresses, said Ann Rixinger, an infectious-disease specialist in Annandale. “But be careful not to wipe your eyes, as germs can go into tear ducts and then get in the lymphatic system,” she said. “We will assume no one picks their nose. For little kids we have to teach good hygiene, using tissues and keep extra containers of Purell around.”
This is the onset of cold and flu season, when germs travel easily from person to person as we spend more time close together indoors. And everything can be a good breeding ground for germs: computer keyboards, the knob on the door into your office, the telephone you use, the subway seat where someone coughs behind you, the escalator railing, the shopping cart handle.
Germs get spread by hand-to-hand contact, by touching a contaminated surface or by being spewed through the air in droplets as someone sneezes, coughs or talks. On average adults get about two to four colds a year, children about six to 10, mostly in the fall and winter months. And every year 5 to 20 percent of the population comes down with the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with about 200,000 people getting sick enough to be hospitalized.
“The difference between the common cold and flu is the severity of fever,” said Jeff Dimond, a spokesman for the CDC. “The flu is usually accompanied with fever, aches and pains, and congestion in the lungs. A cold is more in your head. Both are contagious,” often before symptoms even show up.
Colds linger for a week to 10 days. The flu is shorter but carries a bigger wallop. It tends to clear up after two to five days, but sufferers may feel drained and exhausted for another week.
Want to avoid all this?
Here are a few simple tips for staying healthy this season from the experts (CDC, doctors, infectious-disease researchers).
The No. 1 preventive measure for killing germs is washing hands, said Dimond.
“If you think about where you put your hands, you wipe your nose then touch the elevator,” Dimond said. “A virus can last for six hours on those elevator buttons. If you have bowls of nuts or M&Ms out and everybody is dipping their hands into it, germs get passed around.”
Not very appetizing? The CDC recommends washing hands, both tops and palms, for about 20 seconds with soap, then rinsing. Wash before eating and preparing food. Wash after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, changing a diaper and caring for a sick person, to name a few common situations.
If washing your hands with soap is not doable, slather on hand sanitizer, Dimond said. “Part of working here at the CDC [in Atlanta], we are highly aware of hand hygiene,” he said. “At every floor there is a hand sanitizer and a big sign at the front door to wash hands.”
Secretions from your nose are often clear in the beginning of a cold and thicken as the cold progresses, said Ann Rixinger, an infectious-disease specialist in Annandale. “But be careful not to wipe your eyes, as germs can go into tear ducts and then get in the lymphatic system,” she said. “We will assume no one picks their nose. For little kids we have to teach good hygiene, using tissues and keep extra containers of Purell around.”
2011年11月27日星期日
Police boot 26 troublemakers off Rottnest Island during schoolies
The mass evictions came just hours after a 17-year-old youth was rushed to the Rottnest Nursing Post following a suspected drug and alcohol overdose about 7pm.
Witnesses said the teen had ingested two or three ecstasy pills and had been drinking heavily before an ambulance was called to his unit.
Police sweeps of chalets unearthed youths on the island without authorised accommodation. They were aged 17 and 19.
Five males - including two schoolies - were shipped back to the mainland on the Water Police boat, while a 17-year-old youth was put on the 4pm ferry after drunkenly giving police a false name and abusing nursing post staff.
By 9.30pm, police had issued 20 "toolies'' - older people who prey on school leavers - with orders to leave the island on the 8.30am (WST) ferry this morning.
Under the Rottnest Island Authority Act, people can be removed from the island for committing non-criminal offences and ordered not to return for seven days. If they fail to adhere to the instruction they can be arrested and fined $1000.
About 10,000 Year 12 students descended on Rottnest and Dunsborough as the annual leavers pilgrimage got into full swing, while smaller contingents of revellers headed to Mandurah and Lancelin.
At Rottnest, police used sniffer dogs and searched luggage at the main jetty as about 1500 teenagers arrived on ferries ready to party.
Another 400 teenagers are celebrating aboard an armada of private boats moored around the island, while 8000 are in Dunsborough and across WA's South-West.
In Dunsborough, officers issued 10 move-on notices on Friday night, seven to "toolies'' and three to leavers.
Another "toolie'' was taken to hospital with minor injuries when he was hit by a slow-moving bus in Dunsborough.
Police said 5400 wristbands were sold for special events on the Friday night and it was shaping up to be the biggest leavers gathering in the South-West.
Sgt Peter Bahen, officer-in-charge of Rottnest Island, said police would continue their zero tolerance towards "toolies'' and would evict any adults who were on the island without a legitimate reason.
"We have quite a few toolies on the island and I think that is because this year's leavers event falls on a weekend,'' Sgt Bahen said.
"They are posing a bit of a problem because they have nowhere to stay.
"They have no business being around these kids - it's their weekend.
"Some have been taken off by our police vessel but we can't continue that all night and it becomes a Rottnest Island Authority issue, not a police issue because they are not breaking any laws.''
Sgt Bahen said the behaviour of school leavers had generally been pleasing.
Police had a strong presence on the island, backed up by the Dog Squad, Water Police and Liquor Enforcement Unit. Leavers intent on causing trouble would be immediately evicted from the island, Sgt Bahen said.
"What will happen to them is that they'll be off the island so quickly their feet won't even touch the ground,'' he said.
Sgt Bahen said police sniffer dogs had detected traces of drugs on day-trippers, but bag searches had not revealed anything untoward and no charges had been laid.
"The operation of the dogs here is as a deterrent and I'm happy enough to say they've had no hits on any schoolies,'' he said.
In Dunsborough, temporary accommodation was provided to about 140 schoolies in the Dunsborough Playing Fields after fire forced the closure of the Prevelly Park Caravan Park in Margaret River.
However only about 30 schoolies took up the offer last night by staying at the site.
"I'm feeling pretty cut...and I've got a sore throat from drinking," said one Dunsborough school leaver this morning who wished not to be named.
In his third night sleeping under the stars, Ben Pearson,18, said he was "happy but cold" sleeping at the playing fields.
Witnesses said the teen had ingested two or three ecstasy pills and had been drinking heavily before an ambulance was called to his unit.
Police sweeps of chalets unearthed youths on the island without authorised accommodation. They were aged 17 and 19.
Five males - including two schoolies - were shipped back to the mainland on the Water Police boat, while a 17-year-old youth was put on the 4pm ferry after drunkenly giving police a false name and abusing nursing post staff.
By 9.30pm, police had issued 20 "toolies'' - older people who prey on school leavers - with orders to leave the island on the 8.30am (WST) ferry this morning.
Under the Rottnest Island Authority Act, people can be removed from the island for committing non-criminal offences and ordered not to return for seven days. If they fail to adhere to the instruction they can be arrested and fined $1000.
About 10,000 Year 12 students descended on Rottnest and Dunsborough as the annual leavers pilgrimage got into full swing, while smaller contingents of revellers headed to Mandurah and Lancelin.
At Rottnest, police used sniffer dogs and searched luggage at the main jetty as about 1500 teenagers arrived on ferries ready to party.
Another 400 teenagers are celebrating aboard an armada of private boats moored around the island, while 8000 are in Dunsborough and across WA's South-West.
In Dunsborough, officers issued 10 move-on notices on Friday night, seven to "toolies'' and three to leavers.
Another "toolie'' was taken to hospital with minor injuries when he was hit by a slow-moving bus in Dunsborough.
Police said 5400 wristbands were sold for special events on the Friday night and it was shaping up to be the biggest leavers gathering in the South-West.
Sgt Peter Bahen, officer-in-charge of Rottnest Island, said police would continue their zero tolerance towards "toolies'' and would evict any adults who were on the island without a legitimate reason.
"We have quite a few toolies on the island and I think that is because this year's leavers event falls on a weekend,'' Sgt Bahen said.
"They are posing a bit of a problem because they have nowhere to stay.
"They have no business being around these kids - it's their weekend.
"Some have been taken off by our police vessel but we can't continue that all night and it becomes a Rottnest Island Authority issue, not a police issue because they are not breaking any laws.''
Sgt Bahen said the behaviour of school leavers had generally been pleasing.
Police had a strong presence on the island, backed up by the Dog Squad, Water Police and Liquor Enforcement Unit. Leavers intent on causing trouble would be immediately evicted from the island, Sgt Bahen said.
"What will happen to them is that they'll be off the island so quickly their feet won't even touch the ground,'' he said.
Sgt Bahen said police sniffer dogs had detected traces of drugs on day-trippers, but bag searches had not revealed anything untoward and no charges had been laid.
"The operation of the dogs here is as a deterrent and I'm happy enough to say they've had no hits on any schoolies,'' he said.
In Dunsborough, temporary accommodation was provided to about 140 schoolies in the Dunsborough Playing Fields after fire forced the closure of the Prevelly Park Caravan Park in Margaret River.
However only about 30 schoolies took up the offer last night by staying at the site.
"I'm feeling pretty cut...and I've got a sore throat from drinking," said one Dunsborough school leaver this morning who wished not to be named.
In his third night sleeping under the stars, Ben Pearson,18, said he was "happy but cold" sleeping at the playing fields.
2011年11月24日星期四
Tips to help you escape flu Jersey
Flu season generally starts in October, can run as late as May, and peaks in January to February, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
While for the most part it results in symptoms similar to those of a cold — cough, sore throat, runny nose and headache — the flu also has symptoms like fever, achiness, tiredness, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. It should be noted that unlike a cold, the flu can cause "mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death."
In fact, the CDC estimates that over a 30 year period, "influenza-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. And, on average, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized in the United States each year due to complications related to seasonal influenza."
The best way to prevent getting the flu, experts agree, is to get vaccinated every year.
Seasonal vaccines are developed for the three influenza strains that research predicts will be most prevalent that year. There are two ways to receive the vaccine: via an injection, or through a nasal mist. The injectable vaccine is created using the killed virus and is appropriate for use in anyone over 6 months of age.
The nasal mist is made with live, weakened viruses, and is "sometimes called LAIV for 'Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine'," according to the CDC. The nasal mist can be used on healthy individuals between the ages of 2 and 49, but should not be used by pregnant women.
Be sure to eat a healthy diet, including lots of colorful vegetables and yogurt, which is believed to stimulate your immune system and drink plenty of water, which helps to flush toxins from your system. Also include plenty of ginger, garlic, and dark leafy greens, suggests herbalist Robin Rose Bennett, of West Milford.
"Ginger and garlic can be used in cooking, and ginger tea is also good. Ginger and garlic can both be chopped and infused in a jar with raw local honey, ready to use within 24 hours, but (it) only gets better over months of time...all these are safe for kids, except the usual caution regarding infants not being given honey for one year," says Bennett.
While for the most part it results in symptoms similar to those of a cold — cough, sore throat, runny nose and headache — the flu also has symptoms like fever, achiness, tiredness, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. It should be noted that unlike a cold, the flu can cause "mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death."
In fact, the CDC estimates that over a 30 year period, "influenza-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. And, on average, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized in the United States each year due to complications related to seasonal influenza."
The best way to prevent getting the flu, experts agree, is to get vaccinated every year.
Seasonal vaccines are developed for the three influenza strains that research predicts will be most prevalent that year. There are two ways to receive the vaccine: via an injection, or through a nasal mist. The injectable vaccine is created using the killed virus and is appropriate for use in anyone over 6 months of age.
The nasal mist is made with live, weakened viruses, and is "sometimes called LAIV for 'Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine'," according to the CDC. The nasal mist can be used on healthy individuals between the ages of 2 and 49, but should not be used by pregnant women.
Be sure to eat a healthy diet, including lots of colorful vegetables and yogurt, which is believed to stimulate your immune system and drink plenty of water, which helps to flush toxins from your system. Also include plenty of ginger, garlic, and dark leafy greens, suggests herbalist Robin Rose Bennett, of West Milford.
"Ginger and garlic can be used in cooking, and ginger tea is also good. Ginger and garlic can both be chopped and infused in a jar with raw local honey, ready to use within 24 hours, but (it) only gets better over months of time...all these are safe for kids, except the usual caution regarding infants not being given honey for one year," says Bennett.
2011年11月23日星期三
Cold comfort for psoriasis sufferers
For many psoriasis sufferers, winter brings not only shorter days and colder temperatures but also worsening symptoms.
"About 70 percent of psoriasis patients will experience exacerbated symptoms at this time of year," says Bai Yanping, a skin problem specialist at Beijing's China-Japan Friendship Hospital.
Dry air, colder temperatures and reduced exposure to sunlight can all worsen symptoms, Bai explains.
Psoriasis is caused by a mix of environmental and genetics factors and can appear suddenly or gradually. In many cases, psoriasis goes away and then reoccurs.
Most people with the irritation have thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches on the elbows, knees and trunk, but it can appear anywhere on the body, including the scalp.
Psoriasis sufferers, particularly young people, can also experience anxiety when they suffer from attacks, which makes the situation worse.
"Stress can worsen the situation, and create a vicious circle," Bai says.
"The itchiness almost kills me. I know I shouldn't scratch the sores, but I can't help it," says Zhao Jinsheng, a 50-something Beijinger who has psoriasis all over his body.
"Even if you offered me 1 million yuan ($157,131) you could not stop me scratching."
Although the ultimate cause of the disease is still unknown, doctors believe psoriasis is an autoimmune disease and probably occurs when the body's immune system mistakes healthy cells for dangerous ones.
"When the disease attacks, the produce of cytokine will be abnormally stimulated, causing inflammation and the rapid production of certain skin cells, as well as the dilation of blood vessels," Bai says.
"As a result, the skin will become red and thick."
Ultraviolet light can slow the growth of the skin cells, and ultraviolet therapy is used in the treatment of psoriasis, Bai says.
Sunlight also causes the body to produce vitamin D naturally, which is good for psoriasis sufferers, and is better than a vitamin D supplement.
"The best way to combat psoriasis is make your body as healthy as possible," Bai says. "Having a balanced diet, doing exercise and staying in good mood are our most effective defense against the disease."
For average psoriasis sufferers, a short and mild-temperature shower is beneficial, while for those with more serious symptoms, a bath with prescribed traditional Chinese medicine is advised, Bai says.
"About 70 percent of psoriasis patients will experience exacerbated symptoms at this time of year," says Bai Yanping, a skin problem specialist at Beijing's China-Japan Friendship Hospital.
Dry air, colder temperatures and reduced exposure to sunlight can all worsen symptoms, Bai explains.
Psoriasis is caused by a mix of environmental and genetics factors and can appear suddenly or gradually. In many cases, psoriasis goes away and then reoccurs.
Most people with the irritation have thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches on the elbows, knees and trunk, but it can appear anywhere on the body, including the scalp.
Psoriasis sufferers, particularly young people, can also experience anxiety when they suffer from attacks, which makes the situation worse.
"Stress can worsen the situation, and create a vicious circle," Bai says.
"The itchiness almost kills me. I know I shouldn't scratch the sores, but I can't help it," says Zhao Jinsheng, a 50-something Beijinger who has psoriasis all over his body.
"Even if you offered me 1 million yuan ($157,131) you could not stop me scratching."
Although the ultimate cause of the disease is still unknown, doctors believe psoriasis is an autoimmune disease and probably occurs when the body's immune system mistakes healthy cells for dangerous ones.
"When the disease attacks, the produce of cytokine will be abnormally stimulated, causing inflammation and the rapid production of certain skin cells, as well as the dilation of blood vessels," Bai says.
"As a result, the skin will become red and thick."
Ultraviolet light can slow the growth of the skin cells, and ultraviolet therapy is used in the treatment of psoriasis, Bai says.
Sunlight also causes the body to produce vitamin D naturally, which is good for psoriasis sufferers, and is better than a vitamin D supplement.
"The best way to combat psoriasis is make your body as healthy as possible," Bai says. "Having a balanced diet, doing exercise and staying in good mood are our most effective defense against the disease."
For average psoriasis sufferers, a short and mild-temperature shower is beneficial, while for those with more serious symptoms, a bath with prescribed traditional Chinese medicine is advised, Bai says.
2011年11月22日星期二
Another bug season is upon us
First the bad news. Another bug season is upon us. That means colds, chills, fever, coughs, sniffles, assorted body aches and flu could catch and zap us, making life miserable.
Now the good news. You might escape these wintertime illnesses. Just use wise common sense, live healthy, get seven to eight hours of sleep nightly, wash your hands frequently, take mega-doses of vitamin C and avoid likely germ hot spots.
My wife and I have been flu-free for 40-plus years. We have skipped serious colds since way back when. We recently increased our daily vitamin C intake from 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams. We'll boost that to 4,000 mg. if cold signs threaten. We got our flu vaccines in September. Have you had your annual flu shot? It's a must-do.
Our goal is to live this season without a cold. I'm sure the chances of catching a cold bug have multiplied by all the new shopping stores plus a more mobile population growth. This combo increases likelihood of exposure and swapping strange new strains of viruses and bacteria for which our bodies haven't an immunity.
As a young boy I became sickly whenever winter northers blew in. I'd come down with sore throats, earaches, coughs and respiratory infections. My mother, bless her soul, made me wear an aviator skull cap with long ear flaps that buckled under my chin. She nursed me with gobs of strongly pungent Vick's salve. She rubbed my chest, filled my nostrils and forced me to swallow chunks of it. But I really didn't get cold relief until my tonsils and adenoids were surgically removed.
Wife Rae, who is one-fourth Cherokee, remembers her grandmother treating her with Indian remedies.One was a poultice. This was a soft, warm, moist cloth or gauze filled with herbal medications. It was applied to her chest or hung around her neck at night. It was similar to a mustard plaster.
First and foremost in the battle against wintry maladies is home defense. Topping the list is hand scrubbing. I probably wash my hands 20 times a day. I try not to touch my face, eyes, mouth or nose a lot because that's where germs slip into your body.
Washing hands is a no-brainer. Lather them with soap, we are advised, 15 to 20 seconds. Whisper "Jesus loves me" five times so you'll time yourself correctly. When you use a public restroom, consider choosing a stall on either end of the row since these are used less often than the middle ones. And after washing up, pull a paper towel to exit the door handle.
My wife and I use a plastic container of alcohol wipes when we venture to supermarkets, retail stores or restaurants. We pull out about a dozen wipes and share them on any door surface. Some stores now offer both the wipes and sanitizing gel. I am encouraged to see more customers using them to wipe down door handles and shopping carts. But many folks still pass them by. What's the old saying? "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
True carts are essential items for major shopping to transport your goods until you reach the checkout counter. But they're so risky for snagging and holding diseased bugs. I read where one health study found E. coli or similar bacteria existed on more than 70 percent of shopping carts.
Those plastic covers on the cart seat area are there for holding perishable or breakable goods like eggs, bread, fruit, etc. But they also are used by babies' bottoms. You don't want raw vegetables you eat sharing the same space. Since shopping carts are seldom washed down, rub handles and seats briskly with a disinfecting alcohol wipe. You might even line the seat with a plastic bag before wheeling it around the store.
Now the good news. You might escape these wintertime illnesses. Just use wise common sense, live healthy, get seven to eight hours of sleep nightly, wash your hands frequently, take mega-doses of vitamin C and avoid likely germ hot spots.
My wife and I have been flu-free for 40-plus years. We have skipped serious colds since way back when. We recently increased our daily vitamin C intake from 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams. We'll boost that to 4,000 mg. if cold signs threaten. We got our flu vaccines in September. Have you had your annual flu shot? It's a must-do.
Our goal is to live this season without a cold. I'm sure the chances of catching a cold bug have multiplied by all the new shopping stores plus a more mobile population growth. This combo increases likelihood of exposure and swapping strange new strains of viruses and bacteria for which our bodies haven't an immunity.
As a young boy I became sickly whenever winter northers blew in. I'd come down with sore throats, earaches, coughs and respiratory infections. My mother, bless her soul, made me wear an aviator skull cap with long ear flaps that buckled under my chin. She nursed me with gobs of strongly pungent Vick's salve. She rubbed my chest, filled my nostrils and forced me to swallow chunks of it. But I really didn't get cold relief until my tonsils and adenoids were surgically removed.
Wife Rae, who is one-fourth Cherokee, remembers her grandmother treating her with Indian remedies.One was a poultice. This was a soft, warm, moist cloth or gauze filled with herbal medications. It was applied to her chest or hung around her neck at night. It was similar to a mustard plaster.
First and foremost in the battle against wintry maladies is home defense. Topping the list is hand scrubbing. I probably wash my hands 20 times a day. I try not to touch my face, eyes, mouth or nose a lot because that's where germs slip into your body.
Washing hands is a no-brainer. Lather them with soap, we are advised, 15 to 20 seconds. Whisper "Jesus loves me" five times so you'll time yourself correctly. When you use a public restroom, consider choosing a stall on either end of the row since these are used less often than the middle ones. And after washing up, pull a paper towel to exit the door handle.
My wife and I use a plastic container of alcohol wipes when we venture to supermarkets, retail stores or restaurants. We pull out about a dozen wipes and share them on any door surface. Some stores now offer both the wipes and sanitizing gel. I am encouraged to see more customers using them to wipe down door handles and shopping carts. But many folks still pass them by. What's the old saying? "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
True carts are essential items for major shopping to transport your goods until you reach the checkout counter. But they're so risky for snagging and holding diseased bugs. I read where one health study found E. coli or similar bacteria existed on more than 70 percent of shopping carts.
Those plastic covers on the cart seat area are there for holding perishable or breakable goods like eggs, bread, fruit, etc. But they also are used by babies' bottoms. You don't want raw vegetables you eat sharing the same space. Since shopping carts are seldom washed down, rub handles and seats briskly with a disinfecting alcohol wipe. You might even line the seat with a plastic bag before wheeling it around the store.
2011年11月21日星期一
Cold Or Flu? You Decide
A new leaflet from the NHS - Handy Advice about Flu and Colds can help you decide whether you have a cold or flu as well as help you understand and manage your symptoms this Self Care Week.
On average, adults can expect two colds a year and children as many as ten, until they develop immunity. Sometimes bad colds can be mistaken for flu, but how do you tell the difference?
Flu's biggest symptom is a sudden high temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius and a sudden cough. Other symptoms include headache, chills, aching muscles, limb or joint pain, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, loss of appetite and diarrhoea or stomach upset.
A cold on the other hand may present some of the same symptoms but these will appear at different stages. Usually, with a cold adults will not run a high temperature, but children might.
If you have flu this is the time when you will have a high temperature and symptoms that come on quickly. You will be shivering with a headache, muscle aches in the back and legs and you may feel dizzy. The high temperature should go down within 48 hours.
If you have a cold, this is the incubation stage, and there are no symptoms to tell you that you have been infected.
If you have flu, your temperature should be dropping now and from here on your symptoms will be similar to those you get with colds.
If you have a cold, the first signs appear on day two with a tickle or soreness in the nose and/or throat and sometimes in the eyes. The sore throat gets worse and a dry cough might start. You start sneezing and your nose starts to run.
From day three the symptoms for both flu and colds are very similar. The discharge from the nose may change from clear and watery to thicker and yellowish in colour. Your nose starts to feel very stuffy and blocked up, and you might get pain in the forehead and around and behind the eyes. If the infection is a really nasty one, adults may still have a slight fever.
Try not to attend A&E as there's nothing the healthcare professionals can do for colds and flu and you run the risk of spreading the virus to other patients.
The best thing you can do is rest, drink plenty of fluids and help ease sore throats with cough lozenges, mixtures or sprays. Make sure you check with your pharmacist whether any cold or flu remedies can be used with medication you're already taking.
On average, adults can expect two colds a year and children as many as ten, until they develop immunity. Sometimes bad colds can be mistaken for flu, but how do you tell the difference?
Flu's biggest symptom is a sudden high temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius and a sudden cough. Other symptoms include headache, chills, aching muscles, limb or joint pain, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, loss of appetite and diarrhoea or stomach upset.
A cold on the other hand may present some of the same symptoms but these will appear at different stages. Usually, with a cold adults will not run a high temperature, but children might.
If you have flu this is the time when you will have a high temperature and symptoms that come on quickly. You will be shivering with a headache, muscle aches in the back and legs and you may feel dizzy. The high temperature should go down within 48 hours.
If you have a cold, this is the incubation stage, and there are no symptoms to tell you that you have been infected.
If you have flu, your temperature should be dropping now and from here on your symptoms will be similar to those you get with colds.
If you have a cold, the first signs appear on day two with a tickle or soreness in the nose and/or throat and sometimes in the eyes. The sore throat gets worse and a dry cough might start. You start sneezing and your nose starts to run.
From day three the symptoms for both flu and colds are very similar. The discharge from the nose may change from clear and watery to thicker and yellowish in colour. Your nose starts to feel very stuffy and blocked up, and you might get pain in the forehead and around and behind the eyes. If the infection is a really nasty one, adults may still have a slight fever.
Try not to attend A&E as there's nothing the healthcare professionals can do for colds and flu and you run the risk of spreading the virus to other patients.
The best thing you can do is rest, drink plenty of fluids and help ease sore throats with cough lozenges, mixtures or sprays. Make sure you check with your pharmacist whether any cold or flu remedies can be used with medication you're already taking.
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