Want to avoid getting
ill? Find out how to sidestep cold and flu germs you come across in unexpected
places.
What started with a
few sniffles and a sneeze from someone who crossed your path could unleash
mayhem, leading to days or weeks of missed work, doctor visits, and canceled
social events. It goes without saying that no one likes to get sick, and there
are some germ-ridden situations you simply can't avoid, such as having a child
in daycare or sitting on a plane next to a traveler who's hacking the whole
time. But you can avoid certain situations that make you more vulnerable to catching
the common cold, influenza, and other illnesses.
Using an ATM
"ATMs are
hotbeds for germs and viruses," says Jock Lawrason, MD, pulmonary medicine
physician at Nantucket Cottage Hospital in Massachusetts. Watch a popular ATM
for 15 minutes, and you'll see the number of people who touch the buttons. If
any of those people were recently ill, they can pass on their germs for cold
and flu for weeks afterward. "The influenza virus, for example, can stay
on an inanimate object for one to two days, and strep pneumonia can last
anywhere from two to three and a half weeks," Dr. Lawrason says. "The
longer objects are touched without being washed, the higher the risk of someone
getting sick," he said. But you can take some precautions. "You should
be conscious to wash your hands after using them," said Dr. Lawrason, and
"keeping hand sanitizer around would be the best way to ensure the germs
are killed immediately after exposure."
Touching Your Own
Stuff
You may be cautious
about touching a grocery cart at the supermarket to avoid a case of the
sniffles, but you may be more likely to get ill from your own things.
"People are susceptible to germs that can make them ill everywhere and
from everything," says Alexander Tomich, RN, MSN, manager of infection
control at Loyola University Health System, in Maywood, Ill. "Your cell
phone, car keys, purse or briefcase, gym bag, kids' backpacks, money, and your
pets are all germ-infested," he says. Not to mention the germs on your own
skin — the more than 200 different cold viruses can live on you for a few
hours.
Being in Crowds
Want to avoid
influenza or that stomach bug going around? Avoid crowded places. "Large
gatherings of people will always enhance a person's chances of getting
sick," Lawrason says. "The exposure to influenza and other viruses is
greater, and shaking a lot of hands or being near someone who is sneezing or
coughing will raise your odds of becoming ill." Viruses like cold and flu
are particularly likely to run through offices and daycares because many people
are gathered there, interacting with one another, but they're not the only
germy congregating spots. Grocery stores, hotels, and the gym are also
particularly germ-infested, Lawrason says.
Staying Indoors in
the Winter
On the flip side, you
can't hole up at home all the time either to dodge the sniffles or influenza.
Contrary to popular belief, it's not being outside in cold weather without a
coat that makes you more likely to catch cold and flu — it's being bundled up
inside. "Illness tends to be seasonal, and people are more likely to get
sick when the seasons change," Lawrason says. "For example, influenza
tends to strike during the winter months." The reason people are more
vulnerable to viruses such as cold and flu in the winter? "People are
generally cooped up together indoors in an enclosed space trying to keep warm,
which increases their chances of spreading germs and getting ill," he
explains.
Swimming or Using a
Hot Tub
If you think the
chlorine and chemicals in pools and hot tubs will kill everything, think again.
Fecal matter can make its way into pools and hot tubs, making bathers ill.
"In general, bacteria and germs can easily be transmitted around water, so
avoid hot tubs and pools if you don't want to get sick," Lawrason says.
Right After Being
Sick
Talk about a double
whammy! You're more likely to get an illness after just being sick. "We
have cilia lining in our respiratory systems, which are tissues that can
control what goes in and out of our bodies," Lawrason says. When you're
ill, the cilia can be temporarily damaged or weakened, which allows new
bacteria or viruses like cold and flu to enter. "Furthermore, illness in
general can temporarily lower immunity, creating a better chance of getting
sick after the body has already been sick," he says.
Neglecting Your
Health When You're Well
Don't take your
immunity to cold and flu for granted. "Eating healthfully to maintain a
good immune system, drinking lots of water, not drinking too much alcohol, and
sleeping appropriately are all common sense ways to avoid getting sick,"
Tomich says. "It's also very important to stay up on your immunizations
and get an influenza shot during flu season. Vaccinations save lives."
Not Being Mindful of
the Germs
It may sound like
common sense, but in the hustle and bustle of busy life, it's easy to forget
the most effective ways to avoid getting ill. "Washing your hands is
extremely important because the hands are the most common vehicle for
transmitting illnesses," Lawrason says. "Hand wipes and bacteria hand
sanitizers can also keep germs and bacteria that can make you sick off your
hands." But how you use it is important: If your hand sanitizer dries on
your hands in less than 20 seconds, you're not using enough of it to keep from
getting sick. "And finally, if you yourself are sick, try to avoid public
places to prevent others from becoming ill," he says.
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