Wellness Company Offers Free Flu CareKit at a Time When Public is Deprived of Flu Vaccine
To help the public combat the flu at a time when there is a shortage of flu shots, the American Institute for Preventive Medicine (AIPM) in Farmington Hills is making its Cold & Flu CareKit available free of charge to the public.
Farmington Hills, MI (PRWEB) October 25, 2004 -- To help the public combat
the flu at a time when there is a shortage of flu shots, the American Institute
for Preventive Medicine (AIPM) in Farmington Hills is making its Cold & Flu
CareKit available free of charge to the public.
This credit card-sized
booklet provides handy information on how to prevent a cold or flu, how to tell
whether you have the flu or a cold, and how to treat both.
This year
there will be 1 billion cases of the cold and 95 million cases of the flu
causing 36,000 flu-related deaths. Because both the cold and flu can have
serious consequences, the public is encouraged to become informed about both
ailments and to take advantage of the offer for this free kit.
To receive
the free Cold & Flu CareKit? booklet, send a stamped, self-addressed
envelope to the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, 30445 Northwestern
Highway, Suite 350, Farmington Hills, MI.
On any given day, 30 million
people in the United States will have the common cold,” points out Dr. Don R.
Powell, President and CEO of the AIPM. Colds are caused by more than 200
different cold viruses which are very contagious. The average person gets 3-4
colds a year.
The common cold can be prevented by:
• washing your hands often;
• trying
not to touch people who have a cold;
• getting regular
exercise,
• eating and sleeping well;
• using a tissue when sneezing, coughing, or blowing your
nose;
• using a cool-mist vaporizer in your bedroom during
the winter months.
The flu is a virus that affects the nose, throat,
breathing tube and lungs, adds Dr. Powell. Stomach flu, an upset stomach and
diarrhea caused by a virus in the stomach and intestines, is not a true
flu.
The best prevention for the flu is a vaccination. Those unable to
get a vaccination should avoid people with the flu, wash hands often, eat well,
get plenty of rest, and exercise regularly. Besides the flu vaccine, a physician
can prescribe medicines to relieve flu symptoms.
Self-care steps for
persons afflicted by the flu include: rest and drink plenty of liquids; gargle
every few hours with warm salt water (1/4th teaspoon salt dissolved in 1 cup
warm water); suck on lozenges or hard candies to lubricate throat; take an
over-the-counter pain reliever if 19 or older.
Dr. Powell suggests that
cold and flu sufferers should not suppress a cough that produces mucus but
should ask their pharmacist for an over-the counter expectorant after checking
with their doctor.
The Cold & Flu CareKit gives advice about what
symptoms warrant a person contacting their doctor and what symptoms should cause
a person to seek immediate care.
Founded in 1983, the American Institute
for Preventive Medicine is an award winning developer and provider of medical
self-care guides and wellness programs and publications.
AIPM works with
more than 11,500 corporations, unions, hospitals, MCO's, government agencies and
colleges to reduce health care costs, lower absenteeism and increase
productivity.
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/10/prweb171063.htm