Joe Mullich
Freelance Health Writer
818-907-9109
Ladies Home Journal
"Can Your Toothbrush Make You Sick?"
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One way of protecting yourself is to use a handkerchief or tissue when holdingthe receiver of a public phone. But an even more effective strategy is to thoroughly wash your hands after using a phone or bank machine to kill any germs you may have picked up.
I've heard I can get sick from my own toothbrush is that true?
Yes--particularly if you've been sick recently. When you come down with a cold or flu, your germs can continue to live in the bristles after you've recovered. "I have so many patients who catch their own colds from their own toothbrushes," says Herbert Patrick. "Because toothbrushes are relatively warm and moist, viruses like them and can live on the bristles for as long as they remain wet." Toss the toothbrush when your symptoms go away.
Another precaution: Don't store toothbrushes too close to the toilet. Even toilet bowls that appear clean can be filled with germs; every time you flush, thousands of bacteria and virus particles are catapulted into the air, floating at least five feet up and five feet out. Flushing with the lid down is preferable, but some particles will still be released when you eventually lift the lid. "A fine mist will spread to all kinds of surfaces around the bowl," says Rubino.
To be safe, keep your toothbrush in a dry area, high off the floor away from the bowl. If possible, store it in the medicine cabinet or a ventilated toothbrush case. You can also disinfect toothbrushes by dipping them in hydrogen peroxide or antiseptic mouthwash after each use.
Can I get sick if a dog licks my face?
Don't blame Fido for your sniffles: Dogs--and cats, for that matter--have cleaner mouths than human beings do. In fact, letting your dog lick you poses much less risk than getting a smooch from another person. Diseases transmitted from pets to humans are relatively uncommon.
Can I pick up an infection from using a public rest room?
Public rest rooms are a germ minefield. Because they are used by everyone--including people who don't practice proper hygiene--germs can spread all over the place.
Many people, however, are confused about where germs are most likely to be in a public rest room. A study in the Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey, a medical journal, found that 85 percent of women squat above the seat in public rest rooms, presumably because they fear catching a disease from the toilet seat.
But, "actually, you don't catch things from sitting on toilet seats," says Barbara Russell, R.N., president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, a health-care education group in Miami. For a toilet seat to pose any risk, a highly unlikely chain of events must occur. The seat must be visibly wet or soiled. And you must have an open sore or wound on your legs or buttocks that will touch the seat.
A more important part of your anatomy to be concerned about, however, are yourhands. Germs are most likely to congregate on doorknobs, faucets and toilet handles. After using public facilities, you should lather your hands briskly with soap and warm water for twenty to thirty seconds. Scrub your palms, back of the hands, fingers and arms. Many people wash their hands incorrectly. "They pay a lot of attention to scrubbing their palms, but not their fingertips, which is where germs often are," says physician assistant Moser.
Microbiologists, the people most aware of germs, often use a paper towel to turn off the faucet. "Those faucets could be contaminated with germs, and by turning them off with your hands you could defeat the purpose of washing," says Rubino. Moser, mindful that the door handles of public rest rooms are often touched by people who didn't wash their hands after using the toilet, often waits until someone enters the rest room and scoots out before the door closes so he doesn't have to touch the handle.(continued)