7 Step Action Plan for a Healthy Heart

Check out this simple healthy-heart plan

When it comes to the health of your heart, what you do and what you don't do can truly make a difference. That's because lifestyle choices -- like smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise -- can be far more dangerous than hereditary factors.

Here's a step-by-step plan that will help you make smart choices and help get your ticker in top form.

Action 1: Pump Your Heart

For optimal health, you'll need to do enough physical activity to burn between 3,500 and 6,500 calories a week (or roughly 500 to 950 a day). Most of that calorie loss comes from everyday tasks, but science shows that you'll also need about 60 minutes a week of stamina training -- cardiovascular exercise that gets your heart rate up and makes you breathe harder. Here's what to do:

· Do at least three 20-minute cardio workouts a week. A few brisk walks will do it

· Add strength training.

Action 2: Know Your Numbers

We're talking the big three -- cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar -- plus, two more you should probably know: homocysteine and C-reactive protein. Consider these numbers a stock ticker for your ticker. They tell you how you're doing, and when you need to do more. When you have them measured, make sure your doctor also tells you what your goal levels should be and what you can do to get there. Getting more active, losing weight, and making smart food choices can help get these numbers in a healthy range.

Action 3: Get Happy

There are lots of reasons to be happy, including your heart health. Negative emotions like anger and hostility can raise blood pressure. People with depression are four times more likely to have a heart attack. And while we don't understand how emotional stress causes physical stress, we do know there's a powerful connection. To get yourself in a better mind-set, adopt a more positive outlook and manage daily stressors.

Action 4: Eat Your Heart Out

When making out your grocery list, follow this simple rule of thumb: opt for foods with healthful fats, fiber, and good-for-you nutrients like flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. And nix the salty, sugary, sat-fat-laden, or processed stuff.

Action 5: Learn from Your Relatives

Even though you have a lot of control over your own heart-healthy destiny, a family history of heart disease does raise your risk significantly. So, along with talking to your doctor about a schedule of heart screenings, talk about your family health history, too. And if Mom, Dad, or a sibling developed heart disease, you'll want to be extra vigilant about screenings and about adopting heart-smart habits.

Action 6: Pop Some Pills

Certain nutrients, supplements, and occasional medications can work preventive wonders for your heart. Here are the top picks:

Aspirin: Taking aspirin regularly may reduce the incidence of heart attack by making blood platelets less sticky and decreasing arterial inflammation. But it only makes sense for men over the age of 35 and women over the age of 40. And even then, check with your doctor first, because aspirin can have side effects like stomach irritation and bleeding.

A multivitamin: Your multivitamin is chock-full of heart-healthy micronutrients, like magnesium, calcium, and vitamins D, C, E, and A.

Folate: This B vitamin lowers homocysteine to healthy levels. Since folate from food is only partially absorbed by your body, take a 400-microgram (folic acid) supplement. But make sure you're getting enough B6 and B12, too, because folate can mask a deficiency in these vitamins.

Action 7: Schedule Sleep

If you don't snooze 6 to 8 hours a night, you increase arterial aging and raise your risk of a heart attack. Inadequate sleep will also cause you to release less serotonin (the feel-good hormone) in your brain. The result: You may seek out other, less healthful ways to feel good, like noshing on sugary foods or tipping too many martinis.

Think you know how your heart really works? Get a better idea here.

Article By RealAge

Wellness statistics and how walking can help

FOCUS ON WELLNESS – Prevention and Wellness Statistics

55% of recommended preventive care is administered, and only 52% is performed

38% of all deaths are due to avoidable factors: tobacco use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity and alcohol consumption

More than 60% of American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide the health benefits (CDC)

Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity play an important role in many chronic diseases and conditions including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, colon cancer, gallbladder disease and arthritis (CDC)

According to the US Department of Health & Human Services, for every 100 employees in this country:

• 27 have cardiovascular disease
• 24 have high blood pressure
• 50 or more have high cholesterol
• 26 are overweight by 20% or more
• 10 are heavy drinkers
• 59 don’t get adequate exercise
• 44 suffer from stress

If a daily fitness walk could be put in a pill, it would be one of the most popular prescriptions in the world. It has so many health benefits. Walking can reduce the risk of many diseases — from heart attack and stroke to hip fracture and glaucoma. These may sound like claims on a bottle of snake oil, but they're backed by major research. Walking requires no prescription, the risk of side effects is very low, and the benefits are numerous:

A steady routine is the most important factor in getting the most out of your exercise program. Walking for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week is recommended.

Use these tips to keep you on track:

• During your walks, you should be able to maintain a conversation. If you're breathing too lightly, increase your pace. If you can't catch your breath, slow it down.
• Walk around the local area after lunch or dedicate 15 minutes to walking up and down stairs. Climbing is an excellent way to strengthen your heart.
• At night, trade a half hour of TV for a brisk stroll around the block. Take a friend with you for company or get the whole family involved.

Hug to health

Cheap, Quick Way to De-stress

Next time someone you know acts a little stressed out, give 'em a hug.

Like a Snuggie for your insides, hugs are linked to warm, fuzzy feelings. Even better, those good feelings translate into lower heart rate and blood pressure. Studies show a hug from a loving partner dampens stress in people both before and after a difficult time.

Hug It Out
In a world where so many things send stress levels soaring, you can never get too many hugs. In a study of premenopausal women, those who received the most hugs and massages from their significant others had the highest levels of oxytocin -- a hormone and brain chemical linked to happy feelings and security in relationships. And even better, oxytocin is related to lower heart rate and blood pressure.

Oxy-cise Every Day
Another good thing about oxytocin: It helps keep your blood pressure in check when you're stressing about an upcoming event or trying to recover from a nerve-wracking experience. Seems oxytocin somehow puts the brakes on the branch of the nervous system that ramps up heart rate and blood pressure. Or it may be that oxytocin works directly on the heart and blood vessels to keep them calm when tensions rise. Bust stress further with these relax-already strategies:

By RealAge

Laughter Can Boost Heart

HealthResearch finds it improves blood flow and may help ward off high blood pressure

New research lends weight to the old adage that laughter can be powerful medicine, particularly when it comes to your heart.

Two studies presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting in Seattle found that laughter not only can reduce stress, which can damage the heart, it can lead to improved blood flow, which can help ward off high blood pressure.

The first study included a small group of healthy adults who were asked to watch either a comedy or documentary film. They were then checked for activity of the carotid arteries -- the main arteries in the neck that bring blood to the brain and face -- during the films.

People who watched the comedy displayed improved "arterial compliance" -- the amount of blood that moves through the arteries at a given time. Decreased arterial compliance is often linked with high blood pressure and heart disease, according to an American College of Sports Medicine news release.

"Arterial compliance was improved for a full 24 hours after subjects watched a funny movie," said lead researcher Jun Sugawara. "Laughing is likely not the complete solution to a healthy heart, but it appears to contribute to positive effects."

The second study focused on vascular function and the dilation of blood vessels. When a second group of adults watched either a comedy or a serious documentary, there was more dilation of blood vessels during the comedy. Constricted blood vessels can be a cause of high blood pressure, the news release said.

"Not only did comedies improve vascular dilation, but watching a documentary about a depressing subject was actually harmful to the blood vessels," said Takashi Tarumi, lead researcher on the second study. "These documentaries constricted blood vessels by about 18 percent."

HealthDay News © MyOptumHealth.com

Citrus Tree care in Arizona

Disclaimer: Let me start by saying, I am not an expert by any means. I am simply summarizing information from people that DO know what they are talking about.

What to Trim

The short answer is don’t trim. It is not needed unless the branches are rubbing on each other. If you want to do it for aesthetic reasons this is ok, but don’t due it in the cold winter or host summer.
The most important thing to remember is that you don’t want to expose branches to the hot sun. It can damage the tree. Keep in mind that citrus tree are really a giant shrub. Mother nature intended them to have branches that nearly touch the ground to protect the bark from the sun. If you have a citrus tree that has been trimmed up to look like a tree and the trunk receives direct sun, you should cover it. I don’t recommend painting it because paint is very toxic and the tree absorbs it which is then in the fruit you will be eating.
You don’t even need to trim the dead wood says Claire Charlton. If you want to trim the dead wood, make sure to do this after the new growth in the spring has started so that you can see how much of it is actually dead. For example, if new growth is coming out of the “dead” wood, it probably only looks dead and is still alive.

When to Trim

Do it when the temperatures are mild (not too hot and not too cold). In Arizona the best time is in the spring (March to early May). You can do minimal pruning during the late fall (November to February). Try not to do the pruning around times of frost, this is what can damage the trees.

Fruit / Harvest

Fruit ripens in the late fall (November to February for most varieties). This is when you will want to harvest (pick) you citrus fruit.
In general oranges can be harvested in December through February, with the exception of Valencia oranges which are later and good through May.
Pink Grapefruits can be harvested Nov – May or Jan - April you have the Texas Star Ruby grapefruit.
Tangerine can be harvested in December and January.
Click here for a detailed document on harvest dates for the different types of citrus.

Watering

The most comprehensive guide to water citrus trees in Arizona I have found is an article called Irrigating Citrus Trees by the University of Arizona.

Tips

• Reduced fruit size – this is the first sign of water stress, but can be difficult to notice.
• Leaf curling – 1st noticeable sign of water stress. Starts by turning dull green and curling from the outer edges of the leave inwards.
• Crispy leaves – After leaves turn dull green and begin to curl water is needed. If no water is added, the leaves will become crisp and brownish. It will start at the leaf tip and progressing until the entire leaf is dead.
• Slow water – from the trunk of the tree to just beyond the drop line to a depth of two feet. Do slow watering less often, but run for many hours to allow it to get to the depth of 2 to 4 feet.
• 7 to 28 days – days between watering depending of season and soil conditions. See chart in the referenced article for specifics.
• Grapefruit and lemon trees require 20% more water than orange trees
• Allow soil to dry – Don’t water unless the soil is dry to a depth of about 6 inches to limit soil-borne disease.
• Probe for wetness - Use a rod (metal, wood, soil probe, etc) to determine how deep your water is going. The probe will move easily through wet soil (unless clay), and stop when it reaches dry soil. Regardless, you should be able to feel the difference between dry and wet soil just after watering.

Application Methods

Typically a building a basin about 1 foot beyond the canopy and about 4 to 8 inches high is the easiest for home owners. The basin can then be filled with water when it is time to water the tree. Water can safely touch the trunk of the tree if it is not damaged or planted too deeply. Do NOT pile dirt around the trunk.
You can also use bubblers, drip systems, soaker hoses, etc. The trick is to make sure that the water is distributed (at least around the drip line), not just in select areas. For more info on deep watering, click here.
If you are going to use a soaker hose, then position it under the drip line (the imaginary area just below the outer branches). If in doubt spray your trees leaves (not in the hot summer sun) and watch where the water drips. You should see a ring around the tree. Keep in mind that soaker hoses are not recommended for locations that have a lot of minerals deposits in the water because they can become clogged over time. A filter may be needed. Try to limit any particular run of soaker hose to 15 feet and 8 to 10 psi. A soaker hose will give you about 12 GPH at 10 psi, less for 8 psi. For more info on soaker hoses, click here.

How often to water

My trees are all well over 3 years old (if yours aren’t check here), so here is the schedule I follow. Please remember, this is for Arizona only.
Jan – every 21 to 30 days
Feb – every 21 to 30 days
Mar – every 14 to 21 days
Apr – every 14 to 21 days
May – every 14 days
Jun – every 14 days
Jul – every 10 to 14 days
Aug – every 10 to 14 days
Sep – every 10 to 14 days
Oct – every 14 to 21 days
Nov – every 14 to 21 days
Dec – every 21 to 30 days

How much to water

You really have to know the diameter of the CANOPY of your tree in feet. A tape measure is the easiest way to determine that. Just measure from one side to the other and going as close to the center of the tree as possible.
If you look at the chart here for oranges (remember grapefruit take 20% more water), you will see that the number of gallons required varies greatly depending on the month and also by tree diameter.
I have four very mature citrus trees. They are tangerine, grapefruit, ornamental orange, and orange. Their canopies have the following diameters (in feet): 21, 15, 22, 17ft respectively.
That means I need the following number of gallons per day (but only water at the interval show earlier in the How often to water section of this blog).
Now that we know how much water our tree needs, we need to determine how long we need to leave the water on in order for that much water to be emitted. Ideally, you would adjust the amount of water being emitted so that it needs to run for about 6 to 7 hours. This allows for it to soak in slowly. At the very least, try for an hour or more before turning it off. In the end, you want to make sure the water makes it 2 feet deep. You can dig down to verify this if you like.
The easiest way to do this is to run your hose, sprinklers, etc in a bucket with a known measure such as 5 gallon bucket. Time how long it takes in hours to fill up the bucket. Now divide 5 by the number of hours it took to fill the bucket to get your gallons per hour (gph).

Example

Now let’s assume it is July and my ornamental orange tree with a canopy of 22 feet. In July it needs to be watered every 10 to 14 days. It is a cooler July, so let’s go to 14 days. At the end of 14 days, I need to give the tree 14 days * 72.9 gals / day = 1020.6 gals. My soaking hose emits 320 gallons per hour on HIGH, so I need to let the water run for 1020.6 / 320 =  3.2 hours. Soaker hoses typically should be run on about 1/4 of HIGH, so I estimate about 15 hours of soaking.
NOTE: If I go by the manufactures estimate of 12 GPH for a Mr. Soaker hose, then that would be 1020.6 / 12 = 85 hrs. As you can see there is a bit of discrepancy, so do your own tests on GPM.
Tangerine Tree (21 ft canopy, but round to 22 to make it easier)
Jan – 9.1 gals per day
Feb – 13.3 gals per day
Mar – 27.8 gals per day
Apr – 39.8 gals per day
May – 49.0 gals per day
Jun – 63.4 gals per day
Jul – 72.9 gals per day
Aug – 67.9 gals per day
Sep – 53.0 gals per day
Oct – 31.0 gals per day
Nov – 13.3 gals per day
Dec – 9.1 gals per day
Grapefruit Tree (15ft canopy, but round to 16 to make it easier)
NOTE: I would normally add 20% to these values, but as it turns out I am pretty close to that just by rounding up to the 16ft canopy.
Jan – 4.8 gals per day
Feb – 7.0 gals per day
Mar – 14.7 gals per day
Apr – 21.0 gals per day
May – 25.9 gals per day
Jun – 33.5 gals per day
Jul – 38.6 gals per day
Aug – 35.9 gals per day
Sep – 28.0 gals per day
Oct – 16.4 gals per day
Nov – 7.0 gals per day
Dec – 4.8 gals per day
Ornamental Orange Tree (22ft canopy)
Jan – 9.1 gals per day
Feb – 13.3 gals per day
Mar – 27.8 gals per day
Apr – 39.8 gals per day
May – 49.0 gals per day
Jun – 63.4 gals per day
Jul – 72.9 gals per day
Aug – 67.9 gals per day
Sep – 53.0 gals per day
Oct – 31.0 gals per day
Nov – 13.3 gals per day
Dec – 9.1 gals per day
Orange Tree (17ft canopy, but round to 18ft to make it easier)
Jan – 6.4 gals per day
Feb – 8.9 gals per day
Mar – 18.6 gals per day
Apr – 26.6 gals per day
May – 32.8 gals per day
Jun – 42.4 gals per day
Jul – 48.8 gals per day
Aug – 45.5 gals per day
Sep – 35.5 gals per day
Oct – 20.7 gals per day
Nov – 8.9 gals per day
Dec – 6.1 gals per day

Fertilization

If you want good fruit, you will need to fertilize your fruit.
It is possible to over fertilize your fruit also. Feeder roots are just below the surface of the soil and can be burned by over fertilization. So, be sure to not over fertilize.
Established grapefruit trees only need half the amount of fertilizer normally given to other varieties of citrus trees.
Also, you may want to test the pH of your soil. If the soil has a pH level of 7 or above then the soil is too alkaline and the fertilizer can’t be absorbed by the tree. If this is the case, add Chelated iron tablets to the soil to lower the pH.

Overview of Fertilization Process

1. Water the tree before applying the fertilizer. Best if do this a day before you fertilize.
2. Apply fertilizer evenly beneath the tree’s canopy as instructed by the fertilizer.
3. Water the tree after fertilizer is applied to wash nutrients into soil. Be sure to wash all areas that have fertilizer so that it will be washed into the soil where the feeder roots can access it.

Fertilization Schedule

In general the tree needs the most fertilizer from the time they bloom until they have firmly set fruit. It is very unlikely that a tree will starve to death. Trees can survive years without fertilizer. I take that to mean when in doubt do less.
This seems to depend on who you ask, the soil, where you live, etc. General advice seems to be that you can do it as often as every 4 to 8 weeks in the Spring and Summer (the growing season) which is from February through August. Then in the fall and winter do it every 2 to 3 months.
The direction above don’t appear to be specific to Arizona. In Arizona, the advice seems to be three times a year. The recommended times are March, late May, and September or better yet, use the holidays as a reminder: Valentines Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day.

Is all citrus fertilizer the same?

The short answer is no. You get what you pay for. Just like vitamins for humans it is all about the fillers and how they can interfere with the absorption of the nutrients. The general rule of thumb is that you get what you pay for. The cheaper products bulk up the quantities with fillers and the more expensive products generally have less fillers. With that said, don’t try to compare the costs of name brand to less known brands. Be aware when you are paying for the name, not the product. You want to read the back label and look for products that have as many minor elements as possible (at least 6 elements, but 8,10, or 12 is better).

Fertilizer / salt burn or sun burn?

Sun burn is most severe on parts of the tree that get the most sunshine and will occur on any part of a leaf. Fertilizer/salt burn starts at the tips of the leaves and will be more severe on the side of the tree that gets more sun, but will also be present on parts of the tree that receive less exposure.

How much Fertilizer

Click here for a chart on recommendations for Arizona. You should really use what the fertilizer bag says, but you can use the chart to make sure you are not over fertilizing and at least pretty close. Remember, mature grapefruit trees only need half the shown amounts.

Example

Calculating the diameter of the trunk of your tree
It seems that all fertilizers want to know the diameter of your trunk. So, let’s figure it out.
You could eye ball it, but I prefer using a little math to figure it out. How ever you do it, measure about 4 to 6 inches above the ground to get an accurate measure.
I measured the trunks of each tree with a tape measure you would use to measure your waste line so that I could get an accurate measure of the circumference (the distance around the trunk). The reason I did this is so that I can calculate the diameter of the trunk (assuming that is is mostly circular).
I have four very mature citrus trees. They are tangerine, grapefruit, ornamental orange, and orange. The circumferences are 46, 25, 34, 23 inches respectively. To calculate the the diameter I just divide these number by 3.14 (pie). This gives me 14.6, 8.0, 10.8, and 7.3 inches respectively for the diameters.
From this just follow the instructions on your favorite Citrus fertilizer. Yes, there is special fertilizer that is specially made for Citrus and that is what you should use. Palm fertilizer is an ok substitute if Citrus fertilizer is not available.
If you use the chart described above and assume large fully grown untrimmed trees and a 5-10-5 fertilizer that would mean a 30 lb bag is needed for the entire year. Meaning, for each fertilization, 10 lbs is needed. For me, the chart and the fertilizer bad didn’t match. The chart indicated a bit more for more and less for others depending on the trunk size. When in doubt, I would say follow the instructions on the bag of fertilizer.

 

Certified Arborist

I think it is important to take advise from certified arborists such as Arizona Tree. I have not used them yet, but plan to if/when the time comes.

Sources

When & How to Trim Citrus Trees in Arizona
Irrigating Citrus Trees
How to select the right fertilizers for all your tropical plants
Drought – Watering Trees
Mr Soaker Hose
How to Deep Water Plants
How to Water Citrus Trees
How to Fertilize Citrus Trees
Fertilizing Citrus Trees – Best Practices for Citrus Fertilizing
Citrus Care: How to Fertilize Citrus Trees
Growing Citrus in Phoenix Arizona
Annual Fertilizer Requirements for Citrus (by City of Gilbert, AZ and UofA)
Low Desert Citrus Varieties (by UofA)

Heart Attack Symptoms differ between men and woman

Heart Attack Symptoms Chest pain can be associated with many things. It can be related to your heart, or it can be a sign that there is a problem in another body system, such as your lungs or intestines. The best way to determine the cause of chest pain is to be seen by a doctor. Chest pain can mean a life-threatening condition. So see a doctor immediately. What does a heart attack feel like? The pain of a heart attack differs from person to person. Many people describe it as a heavy pressure or squeezing sensation in the center of the chest. Others report a stabbing feeling. At times the pain may spread to the left arm, jaw or back. The intensity of the pain does not always indicate the degree of heart damage that may be occurring. Some people don't have any symptoms during a heart attack. A characteristic of chest pain associated with a heart attack is that it is often unrelenting. Once it begins, there is usually nothing that you can do at home to stop the pain. Pain does not improve with rest, position changes, over-the-counter medications or even nitroglycerin. Often, people who are having a heart attack describe other symptoms associated with the chest pain. These may include: • Sweating • Dizziness • Shortness of breath • Palpitations • Paleness • Nausea and vomiting An anxious feeling with a sense of impending doom. Some people, especially women, people with diabetes and the elderly, do not have typical heart attack symptoms. While these people often have chest pain, it may be mild. They may more commonly complain of neck, shoulder, and belly pain; breathlessness, heartburn, nausea, and lasting tiredness. © MyOptumHealth.com

Learning from the WISE Women: Finding Heart Disease in Women Find out what makes a woman's heart tick. Heart disease often looks different in women than it does in the typical male, researchers say. Because of this, it's not easily seen with the usual tests. Traditional surgical procedures may not work either. For many women, this may mean heart disease goes undetected and untreated. But a landmark study is changing how doctors test and treat women with heart disease. Not your every day plaque The multi-center study is called The Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE). It has found that plaque is different in women. Plaque is the buildup of cholesterol and other substances along the lining of the main arteries in the body, including the heart. We usually think of the plaque building up in the big arteries supplying the heart, creating an obvious blockage that reduces blood flow. At least two things are different in women: • Plaque builds up more evenly along artery walls. So, it doesn't always look like the obvious "roadblock" plaque that's most typical in men. This is due to differences in the cells lining the heart's arteries. The diffuse buildup also makes blood vessels less elastic, so they can't dilate as well for increased blood flow. This form of heart disease is also hard to diagnose using traditional tests such as angiogram, which is designed to pick up the bulging artery-blocking plaque. • Plaque buildup affects the tiny blood vessels in the heart, rather than the major arteries. This is called microvascular or microvessel disease. It's also more common in people with diabetes. Coronary artery disease in the tiny blood vessels in the heart must be treated differently because surgeons can't get in there with angioplasty, stents or bypass surgery. Instead, doctors rely more on medications to control symptoms. What's it mean to you? Heart disease in women may, at best, be harder to diagnose. At worst, it could go unrecognized. If you have symptoms or risk factors for heart disease, be clear about them with your doctor. Learn about your risk factors and how you can take control of those you can change. Meanwhile, researchers are working to find new ways to diagnose and treat heart disease in women. By Geri K. Metzger MyOptumHealth.com

What is the Difference between the Seasonal Flu and H1N1?

The Messenger received the question above as a result of last week’s article on “Knowing the Difference between and Cold and the Flu”. The short answer is that it may take testing to determine if you have seasonal flu or H1N1.

Although there are many similarities between the H1N1 virus and the seasonal flu, they are two different strains of influenza. The H1N1 virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. This virus is sometimes called Swine Flu because testing showed that many parts of this virus were similar to the flu viruses usually found in pigs^[1]. In the spring of 2009, the virus began infecting humans and was called a novel virus, meaning that it is an infectious agent that humans have not ever been infected with before^[2], unlike the seasonal flu, which most people have been exposed to at some point in their life.

Seasonal flu occurs annually and characteristics of strains can vary from year to year, which is why there is a different flu vaccine developed each year to combat seasonal flu. On average, seasonal flu infects between 5 and 20 percent of the population each year, causing approximately 36,000 deaths annually.^[3] An August 7 report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology anticipates the infection rate among the population for H1N1 could be higher than that of seasonal flu, possibly infecting between 30-50 percent of the U.S. population and causing between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths. Unlike seasonal flu, which is responsible for deaths primarily in groups aged 65+, the report anticipates deaths from H1N1 will occur mainly in children and young adults. ^[4]

Similarities

• Symptoms: Symptoms of H1N1 and seasonal flu are very similar, and include fever, body aches, headache, sore throat, cough, runny/stuffy nose, chills, fatigue, and possibly diarrhea and/or vomiting.
• How it’s spread: The spread of the H1N1 virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person-to-person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

Differences

• Who is impacted: While everyone is at risk for contracting H1N1, so far the number of cases and deaths reported from H1N1 are less among the people over the age of 64 than that of the seasonal flu. In addition, the CDC reports that “novel H1N1 flu has caused greater disease burden in people younger than 25 years of age than older people.” (cite: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm)
• Vaccinations: The seasonal flu has a vaccine developed annually in order to help people protect themselves. Find out more information about how to protect yourself against seasonal flu by visiting info.findaflushot.com and read our H1N1 blog for the latest information on H1N1 and vaccine development.

How can I tell if I have H1N1 instead of seasonal flu?

Because symptoms of seasonal flu are very similar to H1N1, you will not be able to distinguish between H1N1 and seasonal flu on your own. If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, you should contact your health care provider who will be able to evaluate your symptoms and possibly test for H1N1.

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 2009.
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

[2] Associated Content, August 2009. Tami Port. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2029750/difference_between_the_new_h1n1_and.html?cat=5

[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 2009.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/index.htm

[4] President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, August 7, 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/PCAST_H1N1_Report.pdf