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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