MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'cold and flu'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:26:32 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107522&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fconsumer-reports-promotes-alternative-medicine-with-questionable-research%2F2011.08.07 Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve intermittently read Consumer Reports, relying on it for guidance in all manner of purchase decisions. CR has been known for rigorous testing of all manner of consumer products and the rating of various services, arriving at its rankings through a systematic testing method that, while not necessarily bulletproof, has been far more organized and consistent than most other ranking systems. True, I haven’t always agreed with CR’s rankings of products and services about which I know a lot, but at the very least CR has often made me think about how much of my assessments are based on objective measures and how much on subjective measures. Until now. I just saw something yesterday on the CR website that has made me wonder just how scientific CR’s testing ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107522 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:00:43 +0100 5107522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507282&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fkids-upper-respiratory-viruses-and-ear-infections%2F2011.02.22 According to a new study published this month, more than 20 percent of young children with colds or other upper respiratory viruses will develop middle ear infections. This finding isn’t that surprising. Eear symptoms along with a viral upper respiratory infection (URI) are common, including ear fullness and difficulty popping the ear. Although adults tend to be able to keep their ears clear by swallowing, chewing gum, yawning, or ear popping, most kids don’t know what to do when their ears feel full. Whether in adults or kids, when the ears don’t ventilate or clear properly it can lead to ear problems including fluid buildup and middel ear infection. Why does this occur? With a viral URI the lining of the nose swells, leading to symptoms of runny nose, nasal congest... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507282 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4507282 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495206&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fapp-tracking-the-flu%2F2011.02.18 As a part of the TheraFlu campaign, Novartis has developed free Android, Blackberry and iPhone applications for tracking flu outbreaks in the U.S. These days it’s become inevitable to develop free apps on all platforms in order to promote your product. From Novartis: Keep up-to-date on the most active cold and flu reports around the country. The WheresFlu™ app follows sickness incidence levels from week to week and keeps track of the current top 5 affected cities in the nation. The WheresFlu™ app will find your current location and provide you with results for that area. Or you can enter a ZIP code to get information for that area. If you’re wondering how it actually works and how it differs from Google Flu Trends, here it is: WheresFlu™ measures weekly activity for cold ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495206 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:00:39 +0100 4495206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489673&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftreating-the-common-cold%2F2011.02.17 For the last week I have had a cold. I usually get one each winter. I have two kids in school and they bring home a lot of viruses. I also work in a hospital, which tends (for some reason) to have lots of sick people. Although this year I think I caught my cold while traveling.  I’m almost over it now, but it’s certainly a miserable interlude to my normal routine. One thing we can say for certain about the common cold — it’s common. It is therefore no surprise that there are lots of cold remedies, folk remedies, pharmaceuticals, and “alternative” treatments. Finding a “cure for the common cold” has also become a journalistic cliche — reporters will jump on any chance to claim that some new research may one day lead to a cure for the common cold. Just about any re... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489673 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:00:17 +0100 4489673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4302123&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fechinacea-for-colds-does-it-really-work%2F2010.12.31 This study is unlikely to change minds about whether to take this remedy. Have you tried echinacea as a cold remedy? Has it worked? How do research findings, pro and con, affect your opinion of so-called alternative medicines? Many of the echinacea studies, especially early on, were sponsored by companies making or selling the product. This study was supported by a grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. - Peter Wehrwein, Editor, Harvard Health Letter *This blog post was originally published at Harvard Health Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4302123 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 20:00:12 +0100 4302123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230159&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhaving-diabetes-and-being-real-people-sick%2F2010.12.04 Since the beginning of November, I’ve been dealing with a random few weeks of feeling “real-people sick” (RPS). Like I wrote about last week, diabetes is something I’m used to and can deal with pretty well, but the common cold knocks me right on my end. I deal with colds like a guy. I hate being RPS: Real People Sick: The differentiation between blood sugar issues and the common cold. Phrase slips out most often when the diabetic admits to not feeling well and must specify that it is not blood sugar related. This month’s Animas “Life, Uninterrupted” vlog is about being “sick” on top of having diabetes, and about how cracked-out squirrels and I sometimes share the same vocal patterns. Unfortunately, there’s another cameo by Abby... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230159 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 00:00:05 +0100 4230159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183295&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fits-cold-and-flu-season-snls-hibernol%2F2010.11.19 Thanks to former student Allison Miller for reminding me about this clip from the Saturday Night Live (SNL) archives: *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183295 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:00:54 +0100 4183295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479641&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fdavid-duchovny-and-demi-moore-sickened-by-a-smooch%2F David Duchovny and Demi Moore (photo: WENN.com/FayesVision) Word at Starpulse is that David Duchovny initially refused to kiss Demi Moore while filming their new movie The Joneses, because the actress had what he calls a “raging cold.” Duchovny eventually relented and locked lips with Moore to keep the filming schedule on track. The former X-Files leading man claims that he did get sick from the smooch, and he doesn’t seem happy about it. With a cold season this year that never seems to end, we’re wondering, how far do you go to avoid germs? If it were your job to tongue someone with the sniffles, would you do it? Do you steer clear of your loved ones when they’re sick? Drop us a note in the comments section, below, and let us know. Post from: BlissTree D... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479641 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:14:36 +0100 3479641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920180&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=38261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vibrantglow.com%2F2009%2F10%2Ffight-flu-with-black-elderberry.html When my husband recently returned from a business trip overseas he called me before coming home from the airport to warn me that he had became very ill while flying. It sounded like he was bringing a dreadful form of the flu home to me and our two little ones. Well prepared for such a situation, I immediately reached for vitamin C and D, my favorite herbal immune tonic, and for a bottle of Sambucus--a syrup containing black elderberryextract.For those who choose not to be vaccinated against the flu of any strain, the black elderberryis really the best natural weapon to fight influenza. A double blind study conducted during a flu outbreak in Panama found that the standardized elderberryextract stopped the replication of at least 10 different human influenza A/B viruses. More than 90% of the... Vibrant Glow blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920180 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2920180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405517&cid=t_356234_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F5CNF50H_Nh0%2F With the common cold and the seasonal flu making their rounds regularly, it’s still surprising how many people don’t know the difference between the two. Here in northern hemisphere, seasonal flu season is ending. It runs from late fall to spring, with the peak usually being in January and February. But, with the advent of the H1N1 virus, people are talking more about the flu than usual. There seems to be two distinct camps of people when it comes to influenza and it’s hard for anyone to fit in the middle. Either you’re one of those people who feel that you’ve been sick enough in the past and you survived, so what is everyone whining about or you’ve had the flu and you don’t ever, ever, ever want to experience that again. First, let’s get one... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405517 Wed, 13 May 2009 11:18:04 +0100 2405517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2144562&cid=t_356234_135_f&fid=35274&url=http%3A%2F%2Facidrefluxweb.com%2F%3Fp%3D2297 “I’m home sick feeling like a hag, the sick part will pass, the hag part will most likely remain for a long time.” Me, January 29, 2009 (Source: acidrefluxweb.com) acidrefluxweb.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2144562 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:52:15 +0100 2144562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067911&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2FYv1BonvA920%2F Whom do I call to notify that I am taking a sick day from this motherhood gig? I know it’s only a cold, and I will get over it eventually, but in the thick of it I find it very difficult! Not only am I sick, but my baby is sick too, and that’s when I am on extra duty, not less! When she wakes, she wants ME — after all, I am her primary caregiver, and her dad just doesn’t have the super ability to comfort her at his breast! If only I could have a day filled with naps (mine, not the baby’s!) alternating with hot baths to steam my sinuses! And then a good night’s sleep! Don’t get me wrong. I am happy to be breastfeeding during these times. I shudder to think that my baby could be even more sick if she weren’t getting antibodies from my milk. My... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067911 Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:08:40 +0100 2067911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947120&cid=t_356234_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F11%2F10%2Fdeal-with-winters-aches-and-ills-the-natural-way%2F                        (Image Credit: Newscom) With winter on it’s way, now’s the time to look at ways of dealing with those aches and illnesses that seem to hang around. the daily green has put together a slideshow highlighting ‘12 natural remedies for winters aches and ills’ that are worth bookmarking for future reference. They suggest the following… …Vitamin C to Prevent Colds …Thyme for a Cough …Garlic for a Runny Nose …Leafy Greens for Nosebleeds …Tea for Sore Throats …Carrots for Headaches …Nuts for Energy …Lavender for Anxiety …Pineapples for Better Digestion …Tomatoes for Burns …Celery for Better Sleep …Walnuts for Dry Skin …Honey Yogurt Lotion for Dry Sk... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947120 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:38:43 +0100 1947120