topic Re: Friendly Reminder in Wellness

Friendly Reminder

HonnyBrown — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 17:59:48 GMT

Everyone, this is a friendly reminder at the start of flu season: please wash your hands!

Soap, water and friction remove most bacteria, viruses, fungi and dirt. Hand sanitizer removes some bacteria and is not a replacement for handwashing.

Also, if you cough or sneeze, don't cover your mouth! Huh? Instead use the crook in your elbow to shield those around you.

Re: Friendly Reminder

Nightowlz — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:12:56 GMT

Flu season or not I'm constantly washing my hands. That's the 1st thing I do when I come in the front door after running errands. When I'm out shopping if I hear anyone sneeze or cough I turn & go the other direction. LOL!!!

Re: Friendly Reminder

ValuSkr — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:18:18 GMT

@Nightowlz wrote:
Flu season or not I'm constantly washing my hands. That's the 1st thing I do when I come in the front door after running errands. When I'm out shopping if I hear anyone sneeze or cough I turn & go the other direction. LOL!!!

I'm the same way, don't need to change anything I do for winter months. And, by the way, I think "hand sanitizer" is overdone - a marketing success. Plain old soap works just fine.

Re: Friendly Reminder

Chrystaltree2 — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:53:40 GMT

If you want to reduce your chances of getting the flu, get a flu shot. We should all be washing our hands with warm, soapy water after we use the bathroom and several times a day all the time anyway. Not just during flu season. There's nastier stuff out there that can make you sicker than the flu.

Re: Friendly Reminder

HonnyBrown — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:58:44 GMT

@ValuSkr wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
Flu season or not I'm constantly washing my hands. That's the 1st thing I do when I come in the front door after running errands. When I'm out shopping if I hear anyone sneeze or cough I turn & go the other direction. LOL!!!
I'm the same way, don't need to change anything I do for winter months. And, by the way, I think "hand sanitizer" is overdone - a marketing success. Plain old soap works just fine.

Same as both of you, I am a frequent hand washer.

Hand sanitizer is over done. And people think they can use it in place of soap and water and that's not what it's for.

Re: Friendly Reminder

HonnyBrown — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 19:01:17 GMT

@chrystaltree wrote:
If you want to reduce your chances of getting the flu, get a flu shot. We should all be washing our hands with warm, soapy water after we use the bathroom and several times a day all the time anyway. Not just during flu season. There's nastier stuff out there that can make you sicker than the flu.

Crystaltree, thanks for the reminder about the flu shot!!!!!!

Personally, I don't get them, so I always forget to remind people.

Re: Friendly Reminder

151949 — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 01:34:30 GMT

While I certainly have no disagreement with washing hands - often and throughly - if you want to avoid getting the flu , get a flu shot. Also to avoid getting germs off your hands into your respiratory system - keep your hands away from your face.

Re: Friendly Reminder

VaBelle35 — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 02:33:17 GMT

@Nightowlz wrote:
Flu season or not I'm constantly washing my hands. That's the 1st thing I do when I come in the front door after running errands. When I'm out shopping if I hear anyone sneeze or cough I turn & go the other direction. LOL!!!

OMG I thought I was the only one. LOL

Those hoof beats you hear are Nightowlz and I running away.

Re: Friendly Reminder

feline groovy — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 03:03:30 GMT

@chrystaltree wrote:
If you want to reduce your chances of getting the flu, get a flu shot. We should all be washing our hands with warm, soapy water after we use the bathroom and several times a day all the time anyway. Not just during flu season. There's nastier stuff out there that can make you sicker than the flu.

Yep; especially if your immune systems isn't the greatest.

I get it yearly, and got this season's last week.

If you're prone to bronchitis, pneumonia, and other cough/chest afflictions, also get the "Pneumovax" shot and/or the "Prevnar13" vaccine.

They help boost your immune system when it comes to your bronchial passages.

Your doc should already have them in-office.

Re: Friendly Reminder

bebe777 — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 13:37:36 GMT

@HonnyBrown wrote:
@ValuSkr wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
Flu season or not I'm constantly washing my hands. That's the 1st thing I do when I come in the front door after running errands. When I'm out shopping if I hear anyone sneeze or cough I turn & go the other direction. LOL!!!
I'm the same way, don't need to change anything I do for winter months. And, by the way, I think "hand sanitizer" is overdone - a marketing success. Plain old soap works just fine.
Same as both of you, I am a frequent hand washer.

Hand sanitizer is over done. And people think they can use it in place of soap and water and that's not what it's for.

@HonnyBrown thanks so much for your excellent and timely suggestions!!

I agree with you HB. From everything I've read, plain old soap works just fine.

Also, from what I've read, unnecessary overuse of hand sanitizers helps in the creation of new superbugs which, in the long run, we may not have antibiotics for. We may all get by unscathed, but later generations will pay the price for our overuse.

-- bebe

Re: Friendly Reminder

HonnyBrown — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 00:40:22 GMT

groovy, we are offered flu shots at work every year. I haven't gotten them in the past due to allergies. My allergy symptoms resemble cold/flu symptoms. Now that I take Claritan daily, flu shot, here I come!

bebe, even after a standard hand washing, resident bacteria is left on the hands. It takes an 8 minute scrub to remove them. What's left after hand sanitizer is even more resitant. And as you stated, the superbugs are going to be next to impossible to get rid of, between the overuse of antibiotics and hand sanitizers.

My parents always made us wash our hands frequently as kids. This stayed with my brother and I through adulthood. I was amazed when my Mom made me use hand sanitzer in the car before getting some grapes.