Dude, wash your hands

[tk102]

With school resuming, it seems everyone is coming down with a cold or flu. Washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to keep from getting sick and spreading germs to others. Sadly, it seems this habit has been on the decline for the past two years... especially guys.

 

AP News Article

[Pho3nix]

Then I must be pretty abnormal.

 

I wash my hands all the time. I just love the clean feeling when I come home after a long day and wash my hands. It's become kind of a routine.

[Jae Onasi]

I wash my hands a lot--after seeing every patient, which means easily 25-30 times on work days. I found that I get sick a lot less often if I turn the faucet off with a paper towel after I'm done washing up. Why? You turn the faucet on with dirty hands. If you turn off the faucet with your hands, you've put some of the germs you were trying to wash off right back on your hands.

 

I also keep hand lotion around to use right after I wash, particularly in winter, because washing that often can make my hands extremely dry. I don't share my pens with others--first of all, I use a not-so-cheap Auld Pharte arthritis pen because I get thumb tendinitis flaring up if I use skinny pens because of all the writing I do at work (charting on those 25+patients). The pens disappear if I loan them out. Secondly, whatever germs they have on their hands, they've just given to me, and whatever germs I have on my hands or the pen, I've just given to them. No one washes their pens (well, I do occasionally, but pretty infrequently). If that sounds retentive, it may well be, but since I get a bad asthma flare-up every time I get a cold, I'd rather take some extra steps to avoid getting sick in the first place than to have to deal with a cold and possibly lose work days due to a bad asthma attack. I'd also like to make sure that if I'm working with someone who's immune suppressed that I don't give them a germ they can't fight off.

[Sabretooth]

I regularly wash my hands, and even my feet. It's unnatural, but I like the little cleany-weeny feeling.

[stoffe]

With school resuming, it seems everyone is coming down with a cold or flu. Washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to keep from getting sick and spreading germs to others.

 

I've noticed, even though I don't go to any school and wash my hands regularly, so I don't know how much that really helps. Had a rather nasty cold/flu/pneumonia/whatever thing the past few days with fever, violent coughing, sore throat, headache, swollen respiratory tracts etc. Feeling quite knocked out.

 

(Anyone know what could be done about that, other than endure? )

[tk102]

^^^ Sleep and keep hydrated.

[Achilles]

I found that I get sick a lot less often if I turn the faucet off with a paper towel after I'm done washing up. Why? You turn the faucet on with dirty hands. If you turn off the faucet with your hands, you've put some of the germs you were trying to wash off right back on your hands.

Also, use a paper towel to open the restroom door when you leave. You may have just cleaned your hands, but if the guy (or gal, in Jae's case) before you didn't, then you just got them dirty again.

 

Finally, a "courtesy rinse" isn't the same thing as washing, guys.

[Rogue Nine]

After I go to the bathroom, I never wash my hands and then I make sure I touch everything around me that isn't mine.

 

[Rogue15]

hand sanitizer ftw

[Titanius Anglesmith]

I wash my hands all the time, and I shower everyday, sometimes twice in one day. I just the hate the feeling of being dirty.

[Bob Lion54]

I like Hand Sanitizers. I keep one in my car so when I pick up food, I can sanitize my hands before I eat. Its especially important after handling money.

 

The most common named one is made by Purell, but many stores have their own brand. They're all the same. Its just rubbing alcohol in a gel so it doesn't dry out your hands.

 

Also, antibacterial soap is really no better than regular soap. Triclocarban is the most common germ killer used in antibacterial soap, but it can take up to two minuets to kill germs. So, if you don't keep the soap on your hands for two minuets, you won't get any benefit from it.

[Jae Onasi]

Pneumonia--you must, must see your doctor, even if you hate, loathe, despise, and otherwise bear negative sentiments towards seeing doctors. If you let pneumonia get really bad, you can cause permanent lung damage, and some people (including young people) have actually died from pneumonia after letting it go too long without treatment. I developed full-blown asthma from a bad case of bronchitis that I let go a bit too long. If it's not getting better, you should see your doctor, stoffe. You knew I'd say that, didn't you? No one gets Hero Points for suffering through something that a little medication or appropriate treatment can make much better much more quickly.

 

General info for everyone, not just stoffe (standard disclaimer--this is not medical advice, it's just what I personally do given my particular health situation, see your medical provider if you're having problems or have questions):

You must take all your medications just like your doctor tells you to, especially if you're prescribed antibiotics. If you don't take the complete course of antibiotics, you kill only the weak bacteria, but allow the strong ones to survive, and when they regrow and your condition flares back up, it's even harder to kill the next time. If you have a virus, know that no antibiotic is going to help since antibiotics only kill bacteria. There are some anti-viral medications, but people usually have to start those within about 48 hours of getting sick for it to have an effect.

 

When I'm sick, I have to get a handle on it immediately so I don't get the obnoxious asthma flare-up. So, I rest a LOT. Resting is essential, especially if you're like me and do entirely too much, and I feel a bit guilty just lying in bed doing nothing all day. However, if I don't rest, it usually makes things worse instead of better. If I can't sleep because of non-productive coughing, I talk to the doctor about getting some medication to calm down the coughing. I usually take tylenol (acetominophen) if I have a fever.

 

I drink a lot of fluids to keep from dehydrating particularly if I have a fever. I drink whatever fluid I feel like at the time (7-up, orange juice, decaf coffee or tea, gatorade watered down to half-strength, etc.). It just needs to be a. free of caffeine and b. free of alcohol, because both have a dehydrating effect. I also take a lot of vitamin C, in the 500-1000mg range. If I feel a cold coming on, I will take zinc lozenges--sometimes it'll stop the cold entirely, and if not it seems to shorten the time I'm sick. I will also make chicken soup--either from a can but more often just some homemade soup simmering in a pot. I've heard of a couple studies where chicken soup seems to help, and I don't know how conclusive the studies are, but it's an easy way to get some nourishment that's not hard on the stomach. If I'm coughing or have bad sinus stuff going on, I'll take a warm drink (usually decaf coffee or tea) into the bathroom, turn on the shower to hot, and just sit in the steam for awhile. It seems to loosen the lungs and sinuses up a bit and makes it a bit easier to breathe.

 

And I rest even more. Whether I want to or not.

 

@Achilles--I've tried the paper-towel-on-the-handle thing, but I've usually found the trash can is too far from the door for me to toss out the towel after getting the door open. I don't want to put a germy towel in my pocket or purse, so just opening the door without the towel is the lesser of two evils many times for me.

[tk102]

I like Hand Sanitizers. I keep one in my car so when I pick up food, I can sanitize my hands before I eat.

 

This should save you some time.

[Achilles]

This should save you some time.

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

[mimartin]

I found that I get sick a lot less often if I turn the faucet off with a paper towel after I'm done washing up.

Also, use a paper towel to open the restroom door when you leave. You may have just cleaned your hands, but if the guy (or gal, in Jae's case) before you didn't, then you just got them dirty again.

 

I hate restrooms that only have those hand dryers, they make a real mess when I rip the dryer off the wall to turn off the faucet and open the door. The hand dryers are not very efficient at drying your hands or turning off the faucet, but they can beat the door open real well.

 

I’ve noticed washing my hands and exercise prevents or decreases the servility of regular illness.

[stoffe]

Pneumonia--you must, must see your doctor, even if you hate, loathe, despise, and otherwise bear negative sentiments towards seeing doctors. If you let pneumonia get really bad, you can cause permanent lung damage, and some people (including young people) have actually died from pneumonia after letting it go too long without treatment.

 

Hmm, how can you tell the difference between "common cold violent coughing" and "pneumonia violent coughing"? Feels a bit silly going to the doctor (and non-productive effort traveling there) if it's just a severe common cold.

[Jae Onasi]

Hmm, how can you tell the difference between "common cold violent coughing" and "pneumonia violent coughing"? Feels a bit silly going to the doctor (and non-productive effort traveling there) if it's just a severe common cold.

 

Here's some information and some more information on pneumonia--however, all the sites will tell you not to depend on that as a medical diagnosis.

It's really hard to tell without an x-ray or listening to the lungs. I will get violent coughing from a mild cold when the asthma flares up, and I have to treat the asthma part of it and end up in the doc's office anyway (I hate having to do a breathing treatment since sitting for half an hour in an office breathing a medicated mist is incredibly boring, but it works fantastic and I feel much better when done). So the coughing can be from a lot of things, some of which really do need treatment, and without listening to the lungs and maybe having you do a quick puff into a little meter to see how much air someone is moving in and out and possibly a chest x-ray to see if the lungs have a lot of fluid in them, it's almost impossible to tell definitively. If someone has been sick for several days and they aren't getting better but instead are getting worse, it usually means they need some medical attention.

 

If you think you might have pneumonia, you should go see a doctor today. If I were coughing up a lot of mucus, had a high fever, chest pain, felt extremely weak with the coughing, and especially if I were coughing up blood, I would go in as soon as possible. If I had trouble breathing, I would go to the emergency room immediately. If I were coughing so badly that I had trouble sleeping or it caused sore muscles in my stomach or rib cage, I would also go--even if it's not pneumonia, it's much harder to get better if you can't sleep or if it hurts from sore muscles, and some prescription cough medicine can make life much, much better.

 

@mimartin-- I can just imagine you ripping a hand dryer out of the wall, bashing the faucet with it....

[Q]

@stoffe: If you're coughing up lots of green luggies over and over, then there's a good chance that it's bronchitis or pneumonia, and not just a common cold.

[JoeDoe 2.0]

I watched the news and they said that 54% of dudes only wash their hands after going to the bathroom, while 88% of girlz wash their hands after using the restroom.

 

Seems that we men are pigs, go figure...

[Jae Onasi]

I put the recipe for Chicken soup in The Ahto International Cooking School thread.

 

Yeah, if anything, you guys need to wash even more. Think about it--you've just handled your privates, and now you want to go touch everything else? We girls at least use toilet paper.

 

@ Prime below: Yes, but are your hands clean?

[Prime]

I heard this report on the radio this morning. I am shocked and appalled.

[Master Zionosis]

You know, now that I think about it, today I was walking through college, put my hand on the railing and it was all wet, like someone had sneezed on it, ughh, I washed my hands immediately.

[PoiuyWired]

 

Yeah, if anything, you guys need to wash even more. Think about it--you've just handled your privates, and now you want to go touch everything else? We girls at least use toilet paper.

 

@ Prime below: Yes, but are your hands clean?

 

Actually, if you think about it, washing your hands BEFORE going weewee is even MORE IMPORTANT (for guys). I mean, at least you probably know where your lightsaber is all day, but your hands can be touching anything. Thats one hardware you don't want to get dirty the wrong way.

 

I actually like it now that many washrooms have automatic forcets. yes its sometimes a PitA, but it saves alot of paprt used to turn that thing off. Then again, you probably use paper towel to open the washroom door anyways.

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

said the researchers who spy on people in public restrooms.

I wonder if they have any statistics on how far their life expectancy drops when I discover them doing this?

 

Right now I'm getting this dark colored dust stuff all over my mouse from the crawlspace I was just working in. I often use the ground as a plate for my sammiches. Tend to wear the same clothes for a few days (who cares about you, they're comfortable! ).

If someone wants my hands clean, they can clean them, but only with the finest imported australian water.

[mimartin]

I heard this report on the radio this morning. I am shocked and appalled.

Makes you think a little before shaking someones hand.