Cold & Flu Season

The long winter months between November and April bring with them the dreaded Cold & Flu season, a time when more people are picking up hankies, popping over-the-counter remedies, and missing many days of school and work. What are these diseases? How are they spread? What can you do to protect yourself against them? What's the best treatment if you get sick?

There are plenty of myths about these diseases, but plenty of facts, too. You just need to know where to look.

Influenza 101

If you want to learn about Influenza or "flu", one good way is to enroll in Influenza 101, a Web site sponsored by ZymeTx, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops "diagnostic and therapeutic products for the management of viral diseases." Visit their Influenza 101 site and follow the Perception v. Fact link, where you will learn the difference between the facts and common misperceptions about flu. Click All About Flu to get the nitty-gritty facts about this potentially fatal virus, or find out who's at high risk.

Still have questions? Ask Dr. Bob (Robert J. Hudson, MD) using the form at this link..

FluNet

Have outbreaks of flu been reported in your area? The World Health Organization tracks the annual Influenza epidemic on its FluNet site. Read current reports & news about Influenza, or view epidemic activity in the form of animated maps, charts, or tables.

National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

The most authoritative Internet source of information on Influenza and a host of other infectious diseases is the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. New to the site is a section about Influenza prepared by William J. Martone, M.D. When you follow the graphic link to the Influenza page, follow the navigation links on the right to learn what Influenza is, what you should know about Influenza, how to diagnose, prevent, and treat Influenza, and information about the virus itself.

When you're finished learning about Influenza, go back to the main NFID site and click the Virtual Library of Diseases link. There may be other diseases you'd like to know more about.

The American Experience

Doctors puzzle over a mysterious illness In the autumn of 1918, the Spanish Influenza "cut its deadly path across the US." The American Experience, public television's only regularly scheduled prime-time historical documentary series, focused on this deadly outbreak in "Influenza 1918."

You don't have to see the episode to learn about this tragic period in American history. Follow the Web link to Influenza 1918 and click the About the Program link. Here you can read about the epidemic and see still photos featured in the documentary. Click the City Snapshots link and see how the cities of Boston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco were affected.

Could the outbreak of 1918 happen again? Follow the link and find out as you read how Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger is looking for answers.

The Common Cold

Far less dangerous than Influenza, but certainly infectious (and annoying), is the common cold. You can read more about The Common Cold on this page developed by KRT. Click the About Colds link to find out what colds are, how they are caused, and why there may never be a cure.

Even if there is no cure, you can treat the symptoms of a cold. Besides good information about caring for yourself when you're sick, the Treatment link features a QuickTime move you can download and watch.

The best treatment, of course, is prevention. Learn how to reduce your changes of catching a cold by clicking the Prevention link.

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