As if this country needs another stressor on top of a bad economy and political unrest, swine flu has come to light and topped the nation’s list of worries. Why are people startling when they hear the words “swine flu?” Is it just the word “swine?” Is is really a new phenomenon which everyone must stress over? Do people really know what they are so concerned over?

Swine flu is just another strain of flu, only with a few different symptoms present. That’s it- just a flu to make you a little more than run down for a week. Unusual tiredness, headache, loss of appetite, and soreness of muscles are some of the miserable symptoms which may make you unable to carry out your daily routine with the same energy as usual. Swine flu is bothersome to deal with (and to wait out a week), but have some faith in the body’s immune system. Only people who are pregnant, have respiratory problems, or a deficient immune system, and receive the H1N1 virus, are in potential danger and need to be assessed by a professional medical team.

The big deal that the media (and society in general) puts forth, is that swine flu is something you do not want to get at all costs. It’s out there, and it’s just waiting to rattle your immune system.

The media is mostly responsible for hyping the public, but the public are responsible for their decisions on whether or not to take all the news from the media seriously. When vaccines were first issued, there were concerns of shortage, so not everyone was able to receive the vaccine.  Generally, that is when the worrying over swine flu began.  Panic snowballed quickly, because if not everyone is protected, everyone is going to get it. We’ve been told to wash our hands after everything and be careful not to come into close contact with anyone suspected of sickness. Luckily, soap companies have been able to take the benefit from all the worrying and hyper- hand washing.

What's the bottom line? The best thing to do to avoid swine flu is to just practice good hygiene and live healthy. Otherwise, worrying about swine flu will only make you sick.