Reduce your risk of getting sick

April 15th, 2017

Our world is filled with germs just waiting to get us sick.  Here are some tips I recommend to reduce your risk of getting sick and getting other sick.

• Take off your shoes before you enter your home.  Many studies have shown that bacteria, including dangerous ones such as C. difficile (known for causing severe chronic diarrhea), can be tracked in on the soles of your shoes.  The surfaces of the streets in your neighborhood are covered in bacteria from animal wastes and people.
• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer AFTER touching a restaurant menu.  Almost all menus are handled hundreds of times each day, but are rarely washed appropriately.
• Avoid touching your face excessively.  Most germs will not harm us unless we introduce them to “points of entry” such as our mouths, nose, and eyes.  If you must touch your face (to scratch an itch), use a tissue.
• Wipe down the airline seat, tray table, belt buckle, and arm rests.  When I was a kid, I remember clearly waiting at the gate for the plane trip.  People would come off the plane and the gate attendant would announce that before we could board, the plane needed to be cleaned, which would usually take 20 minutes.  Nowadays, you hardly ever see this.  Instead, just after the last person trickles off the plane, they announce boarding.  They do NOT clean planes regularly.  In fact, on a recent plane trip I found a magazine that was 3 months old in the seat back pocket!  I imagine that the seat may have not been fully cleaned for that amount of time!  How many people’s germs have accumulated in those seats during that time?  I’m always amazed at how the antibacterial wipe (I prefer WetOnes) starts off white and after I clean, ends up being dark grey or brown!
•  Cough into your elbow.  We used to tell people to cough/sneeze into your hands, but this can transmit germs easier since we  use our hands to open doors, prepare food, and shake hands.
• Keep your nails trimmed and clean.  A multitude of bacteria including Stapholococcus aureus (notorious for “Staph” skin infections) can live in the tiny space under the fingernails.  When you scratch yourself, this bacteria can become enter into the skin.  I find an old toothbrush and antibacterial hand soap are great for cleaning under the nails.
• Do a sinus rinse.  The nose and sinuses are common entry points for viruses and bacteria.  Sinus rinsing is akin to brushing your teeth.  I do it every day, or if I feel like I have been around a lot of sick people, I will do an additional rinse at the end of the day.  Make sure you use sterilized water and change the sinus rinse bottle every 3 months!
• Wash your hands the proper way.  Start with lukewarm water, use enough soap to create a lather, rub every surface especially the fingertips.  You should be able to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice for effective cleaning.  Many studies have shown that any soap is effective and specific “antibacterial” soap is not necessary.  Thoroughly dry off your hands.
• Do not share food too often.  Many times, we share drinks or food with others.  We usually know to avoid doing this when someone is obviously sick (has a cough, sore throat, cold sore, etc.) Unfortunately, a lot of times we can transmit viruses during the “prodrome” phase of an infection when we feel perfectly fine.  If you eat “family style”, be sure to have a separate spoon to portion the food onto your own plate.
• Clean your phone often and avoid touching other people’s phones.  We are inseparable from our phones and hold them near and dear all day.  They can accumulate germs from the foods we eat and sometimes even fecal bacteria from the bathroom (I won’t say how that happens, but use your imagination!).  I will often use the antibacterial WetOnes to clean off my phone.
• Clean your jewelry.  Rings and bracelets can accumulate germs and fungi. You can use hot soapy water and a toothbrush to clean them off.