The Search for a Swine Flu Vaccine - Novartis to the rescue?

Novartis - a leading laboratory - is among those given the crucial task of developing a swine flu vaccine. The trick is, they have to do it speedily and satisfactorily.

There are rumors that up until now, global efforts to make the swine flu vaccion, have proven to make a concoction more dangerous and contagious than the flu virus itself.

A spokesman for the Novartis group says that 'good progress' is being made in developing the vaccine.

Fingers crossed that this time, it may actually help to curb the rampant virus.

Seasonal Handbag Tips

Are you struggling with the monsoon because every time you step out of office for a bit, your handbag gets completely wet along with the things in it? Here's a little trick I use to keep things like my phone dry.

I have a little zip-lock bag in which I put my phone, its charger, the headset, etc. Along with that, I keep a nice looking plastic bag folded and stored neatly in one section of my bag. When it begins to drizzle, I just take out the plastic bag, put my handbag in it, and voila! My things are kept safe from the rain!

Of course, this helps only if your handbag is small enough to be managed in such a way. While I used to carry a bigger bag for summer (to put an extra shirt in, wet wipes, etc), I switched over to a smaller one for the monsoon. For the winter, I may very well go back to a bigger bag so I can carry along a light sweater and/ or a scarf, mittens, etc.

Body Piercing

Are you planning to get a body pierce sometime soon? Here are a few tips to make sure it's been done neatly and is infection-free.

1. Ask around for a referral. Is there someone that has been to one and would recommend their expertise? If not, and you're looking online, check for client reviews. That helps too.

2. Check that the person at the store has got clean hands and groomed nails before you allow them to insert that piercing needle into your skin.

3. Is it a fresh needle? If it's not in a fresh plastic-wrap, chances are, they're not new. You don't want to risk contamination and infection from a simple piercing. This is an important point!

4. Use surgical steel to allow your body the time it needs to adapt to the foreign object inside of it. You may be unknowingly allergic to gold or silver. Some people just are.

5. Keep your pierce clean. It doesn't HAVE TO get infected just because it's new. Keep it clean and avoid the pain and extra medications an infected pierce will bring.

6. Use a salt-water solution to bathe your pierce at least once a day. If you can, twice a day is ideal. This will keep it clean and infection-free.

7. Take extra vitamin C in your diet. Vitamin C is important with aiding your body in its fight against infection. Take up to 500 mg supplement in your daily diet.

8. Use an antiseptic powder to keep your pierce clean and dry.

9. Do not bandage it up. Piercings need air to dry and heal.

10. Move the ring in your pierce up and down at least twice in a day. This helps the skin around the area to be pliable and elastic, rather than closing up tightly in a scab around the ring inserted.

Piercings aren't hard to take care of. If you are dead-set on getting one, don't mind the pain and the extra care. It takes work, but if you've gotten one, you'll know, it's worth it.

Happy Piercing!

Avoid Monsoon Infection and Disease

The monsoon is here and shouts of joy can be heard through the streets! As the rain washes away the waves of heat, the crowds are simply loving the clear, clean, cold, windy weather.

This season is a risky one as far as infection and disease is concerned. Until now, I'd known that it was easy to get throat infections, colds, coughs, bronchitis, viral fevers and the like, in this rainy weather.

Yesterday however, I called up my tattoo-artist friend from Dragonfly Tattoo Studio (he's got a tattoo studio in G.K. Market, Delhi) to ask him about navel piercings. He advised me that this wasn't the right time to get that sort of stuff done, as the moisture in the air is perfect for infections to breed. He added that the best time during this season, would be in the end of August as the air is drier then and a piercing would heal quicker.

By the same token, my dentist advised me to allow extra recovery time for my scheduled surgery this weekend, as the rainy weather is perfecting for breeding infection.

So, be advised, and take care of your bodies this season. Now you know!

Fighting the period cramp blues

I've often found that the most comfortable wear during ones period, is a loose fitting outer covering, and a figure hugging - though not tight inner wear. Sounds like gibberish? Here's what I mean.

A while ago Mom sent over some undergarments she'd bought for me. Now I wasn't gonna complain, but I looked at the second half and rolled my eyes when I thought of how it would reach till my belly button when I wore it. Those are now my favorites when my monthly blues comes around. I found that holding my tummy in with these cotton wears, actually make the cramps less dramatic, and I feel less bloated.

Of course, I also make it a point to drink/ eat extra milk products. I sleep extra, and on the first day, I more often than not, take a MeftalSpas tablet (which by the way, I am NOT promoting). I heard it is a banned drug in the first-world countries due to the damage it does to your liver. All I know is that without them, I wouldn't be able to come to work.

Swine flu on the decline?

Has the human race has proven to be resilient yet again? Rumors are surfacing that while scientists are struggling to find a cure for swine flu, many are recovering on their own.

It is whispered that thousands around the world are being found to recover on their own with just bed rest and isolation. Although they still say that there are those at risk of it being fatal, such as the pregnant and those who have other resistance-weakening diseases.

Treat your dandruff, treat your acne

It sounds simple, but it's really easier said than done. If you find that you're constantly breaking out with blackheads, pimples, boils, etc, try washing your hair every second day to keep oil and dander off of your face.

Earlier I'd written on how it's important to change your pillowcases and sheets often to cure dandruff. The same remedy can be applied to treating acne.