Is
H1N1 Virus Media Hype Scaring People Into Sickness And Death?
By
Sheryl Stanton R.N., Stress Relief Coach. The constant media
bombardment of information – and misinformation –
about H1N1 has people scared to death that they, or their loved
ones, are going to get this ‘killer’ virus.
Prolonged stress, like fear, lowers the immune system’s
ability to fight infections
Distraught
women wear masks when shopping, pull their kids from school
and running to their local hospitals Emergency dept. when one
of their family members get a runny nose.
Media
hype reports on death and hospitalization, further raise the
fear level. Knowing, they fail to report on the effect that
regular strains of influenza have had on the public in previous
years.
stress2
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, between 2,000
to 8,000 Canadians die each year from different strains of flu.
As of Nov. 5th, only 115 people in all of Canada have died from
the H1N1 virus.
There
are two serious consequences of this kind of “fear”
stress.
1.
The body’s first line of defence is its immune system.
Prolonged stress actually will weaken the immune system’s
ability to respond to an invader, like the H1N1 virus.
Constantly
being afraid that you will get sick, could actually cause you
to get sick!
2.
When a person is in stress mode, their blood is going to their
back “survival” brain, not their front “thinking
brain”. That means they are reacting out of fear instead
of thinking rationally about how to protect themselves.
What
are the facts about H1N1?
H1N1
is not a new virus. According to the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention, H1N1 caused roughly half of all human cases
of flu in 2006. The World Health Organization states that the
majority of people who do get the H1N1 virus, will only have
mild symptoms.
For
the people whose symptoms are severe enough to require hospitalization,
over half of them have underlying health conditions or weak
immune systems.
So
what can we do to protect ourselves?
1.
Calm down. De-stress. The sky is not falling! We’re not
all going to die!
2.
Follow the regular health protection suggestions: wash your
hands, cough or sneeze into a tissue or your arm, don’t
share drinking glasses, cups or utensils.
3.
Get adequate sleep and eat properly.
For
more information on how stress can affect your health please
call Sheryl Stanton R.N., Stress Relief Coach: (604) 820-8439
or cell (604) 302-6374 or email stressrelief@shaw.ca
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