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After being very sick several winters in a row, I started to look around for easy, frugal, and green ways to stay well. What I found I could improve at work surprised me, but (knock on wood) but by following these 10 simple steps, I have gone two seasons without getting sick:
By pghgirl40 from Pittsburgh, PA
By
09/06/2010
When I worked at my desk, I had a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and paper towels which I wiped off phone, keypads and desk daily all year. Also, the filing cabinet handles and at the switchboard desk to wipe off the phone even to use it while covering someone's lunch break. Germs are everywhere in an office setting. You need to only see high absentees in the winter time where you work to know they are about.
By
09/05/2010
I have been told by a coworker that the germiest part of the office is the computer keyboards...and the more I thought about it, it really makes sense. First of all in my office we share all of our equipment and desks. We do wipe down the phones but not the keyboards. I have purchased a keyboard and I think that when I am scheduled to work I will bring it and use it.
By
09/04/2010
An important point to remember is a person with a normal immune system does not have to worry about germs on door knobs etc. Infact said germ exposure helps build the immune system stronger. That said someone with an impaired immune system needs to take precautions. I too had a child with cancer and the biggest fear was from chicken pox and other infections. Of course if you are sick you should stay home.
By
09/03/2010
Great Granny Vi, Louel53 and lyonpridej,
Thanks for the feedback and additional info/support! May you and your families be blessed with good health!
OCD, maybe, but having been so sick and hearing stories like lyonpridej. I am convinced that a little germ proofing common sense can go a long way to keeping everyone healthy!
Without our health what are we, unfortunately sick or dead. Life is too short, enjoy every day and as the late great Warren Zevon said: enjoy every sandwich, just make sure that you had clean hands when you made it. :)
By
09/02/2010
You probably wouldn't think it was OCD to not want to touch buttons & to wash your hands if you do, if you really thought about how many dirty hands touched that stuff! I've seen people not wash their hands after: going to the bathroom, changing dirty diapers, coughing/sneezing into their hands, sticking their fingers into their mouths, picking their noses (adults too), scratching their butt, letting the dog lick their fingers after it licks its butt, etc! My step-dad almost never washed his hands after doing any of the above plus working outside on his little farm getting dirt, fertilizer, oil, antifreeze & weed poison on his hands -gee, he shared a whole cornucopia of stuff every time he went to town to buy something or have a cup of coffee at the corner cafe!
I hate to be graphic, but imagine a man, who has to touch himself when he urinates, not washing his hands, then touching everything before you do!! Or someone who changes a dirty diaper,gets poop on their hand & wipes it off with a paper towel! That is how people get staph infections!
I wish these people who don't think they need to wash their hands (can't see any germs after all, so what harm is it) & the people who think that it strengthens your immune system to be exposed to those germs could see what kind of affect is has on someone with a weakened immune system! Make them sick or cause an infection at best, put them in the hospital or kill them at the worst!
I wasn't so paranoid until my son was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 2 & we found out that what was more dangerous than the cancer was what could happen to him when he had no immune system! Just going to the store or to dinner, or letting him play on a playground could put his life in danger! He had to be hospitalized on antibiotics from fever if he got sick. Staph infection was our greatest enemy, and that is a direct result from people not washing their hands after going to the bathroom! I watched a little boy nearly die & spend nearly 3 months in the hospital because he got an infection he picked up at school!
My mother had a life-threatening illness & kidney disease.She had to take massive amounts of steroids-reducing her immune system. For a year she had to battle the illness & infections from what she caught from other people-on top of battling her disease.
I used to work at my children's school & was hardly ever sick also. Then I began catching everything that went around, it seemed like I was always sick, even after I quit working at the school to babysit my grandkids. I noticed that after I went grocery shopping, I nearly always got sick within the next few days-of course,look at all those germs & bacteria that people so generously share with me. I began santizing the cart handles before using it, then cleaning my hands after I loaded everything into the car,then again after unloading it at home. I don't touch any button with my finger unless I have took, I use the a knuckle or my key. I don't touch the keys on the card swiper (I use the corner of my card) & I don't use the pens at the store & most especially the doctor's office that they give you to sign your credit slips, I use my own. I always wash my hands as soon as I get home & make my family also.
I was eventually diagnosed with diabetes, something else that weakens your immune system. I follow the precautions above & hardly ever get sick. When I forget, sure enough.
There are people all around you who look healthy but have weakened immune systems for various reasons. I for one am very grateful not just to people who wash their hands, but also to the people who don't like to touch things other people touch & clean their hands if they do because by doing that, they aren't sharing the germs & grime from every single person who touched that object before them!
So maybe I have become a little OCD myself-but only because I know what can happen to me & someone I might not ever meet,but pass those 'creepy-crawlies' on to!
And now, I'll step down from my soapbox! LOL!
By
09/02/2010
I agree with the washing hands, but don't you think not touching any of the buttons on anything is a little bit obsessive-compulsive? And sneaking off to wash your hands after shaking hands? I taught school for 35 years, and no one is germier than children, but all I did was wash hands before lunch and after using the washroom, and I was sick maybe once every 3 years.
By
09/02/2010
Dear pghgirl40 from Pittsburgh, PA . I hope people listen to you. You have said everything I have been saying for 50 years or more. Wash those hands! Plus all the the other hints you have suggested. If everyone stayed home when they first start feeling bad and have that touch of sore throat or temp. They wouldn't spread it to others. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. The newest trick is to sneeze into your elbow,so you don't get germs on your hands. Kids are being taught that in kindergarten now. Also be careful when traveling,airlines trains, buses, cruise ships. All breeding grounds for germs that can make you very sick.
Be well everyone. GG Vi
Below you can read previous posts and comments about this topic. The discussions on this page has been archived 1 time. Select a discussion and read the feedback here.
(Archived Sep 01, 2010)Tips For Avoiding Illness
Beginning Oct. 15th each year, until May 15th the following year, we stop eating out, even if we are treated to it because many sick folks are too sick to cook, but not too sick to go out. (I'll never figure that one out, but it's true according to one restaurant owner and his staff.)
We do not drink a lot of fruit juices because it sets us up for a systemic yeast infection without plenty of sunlight and activity available, and because we live in a moist region which feeds yeast/molds which lower the immune system.
We drink much more hot herbal teas and water than milk-based drinks.
When able to purchase, I choose only frozen, low-salt canned, and only very few prepackaged fresh veggies to minimize picking up the uncovered ones coughed on/handled by inconsiderate sick folks and/or their children, or sick employees during flu season.
I seldom purchase anything unpackaged during this time for the same reasons.
We also begin longer handwashing with stronger antibacterial liquid soap if we can afford it, after using bathroom, before entering the kitchen, and before touching our food. Should we have plastic/paper goods to use, it helps to prevent recycling and sharing whatever flu germs might be lurking about. Many bacteria, virus and mutants live longer outside the body than we have been told.
We "pass" on eating anyone else's food, unless as a last resort, because few folks think about the "contagion factor" when cooking and sharing food at holidays.
We have been sick very little since practicing the following additional habits we were taught:
Avoiding anyone who is obviously coughing, sneezing, wheezing, snorting; even if they claim it is only "allergies", especially the checkout clerks who handle money, deal exclusively with the multitudes in public, and then handle purchases. Also avoiding the sackers who have to go out in all sorts of weather and are often ill. Avoid any direct contact with those diagnosed with infection/taking RX meds. Although they may be improving, they may be carriers of the contagion long after becoming well.
We are considerate of others should this ever happen to us, by affording them the same consideration as we would expec from them.
We do not save sacks from purchases during this time period because most germs land on horizontal surfaces where the sacks are placed for loading purchases.
We use rubber gloves to sanitize surfaces during and after someone is ill.
We do not share dishes, confining anyone ill to their special dish set, boiled or disposable until well.
We provide a package of tissue and a wastesack nearby for all who might have a cough, runny nose, fever, vomiting; requesting they dispose of their own used papers, tossing sack daily.
We learn what sensitivities we have and avoid them during this time especially, to give our body's immune system every advantage to do it's protecting against illness as designed. We avoid spray "disinfectants" because the propellant is often Formaldehyde (a poison used for embalming the dead, which has killed many itself.)
We teach children to cough as often as possible within a large plastic sack to contain the spray of their germs rather than to let it go into the air, onto the floor, surfaces and others.
Like hospitals, we keep a lot of cold water bottles available to keep liquids flowing through the sick person to eliminate the medications which are usually constipating.
We place the sick person(s) in the quietest and easiest to clean area of the house to allow for best recouperation/isolation from well people, spreading a plastic dropcloth on the floor by the bed, should there be lots of coughing.
We use all solid white THIN multilayered linens for hot sanitizing and changing every other day, as well as white bed clothes where possible.
The person sanitizing is careful to wear gloves and mask, if available, paying attention to toilet, tub, washer, linens, water, med bottles on papertowel covered tray, and any phone sanitizing if nearby/used by the patient.
Several things we had to relearn: One cannot be too clean during these times, nor too careful, and should move slowly so as to avoid accidents. Dishwasher water is not hot enough to kill most harmful germs, only "household" germs, unless stainless steel interior and extra high heat "sanitation setting" is available.
Also, never give medication to a patient on an empty stomach, but, rather, with crackers or something which absorbs and protects the stomach lining. Coated "over the counter" meds often still cause nausea on an empty stomach.
Lastly, if the patient is a sick child, avoid contact with any stuffed animals you intend to keep because their fleece cannot be adequately sanitized to prevent recontamination later on.
Keep noise at a low level, remembering that the patient needs quiet and prayer for the quickest recovery. God bless and keep you, too.
By Lynda from TX
Feedback:
By sandy63
By loridawn1956
You are doing everyone in your family a HUGE disservice doing all this. I would (nicely) actually recommend some professional help for you if what you've typed is true. Nothing personal, but it sounds like the actions/mind set of a troubled person. (10/25/2006)
By Tammy
By Debbie52
By mef1957
By Linda
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