Ladies Home Journal

"Can Your Toothbrush Make You Sick?"
By Joe Mullich

 

Germs. Short of encasing yourself in plastic from head to toe, you can't avoid them completely. But you can reduce your risk of getting sick by knowing where germs lurk and how to steer clear of them. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about ways that illnesses are transmitted.

Can I get sick if I sit next to someone with a cold on a bus or a plane?

Every time a sick person coughs, sneezes or simply breathes, tiny germ-laden droplets are expelled into the air. Inhale these germs and you run the risk of getting sick, too. Whether you do get sick depends on many factors, including the hardiness of your immune system.

"If you expose a hundred people to a virus that causes the common cold, eighty of them probably wouldn't get anything; a few would come down with a cold; some of the people with colds would get an ear infection; and one person would develop bronchitis that leads to pneumonia," says Rod Moser, PA-C, Ph.D., a physician assistant who teaches at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine.

"All those different reactions could come from the same virus, the same germ--it all depends on the response of your immune system." You can help your immune system do the best possible job by eating right and by getting enough rest and exercise.

But there are some other factors. You are less likely to pick up an illness, for instance, if you are traveling in a well-ventilated vehicle. Air generally circulates on trains and buses, where it enters through the windows and doors. (In fact, it's a good idea to open the window a crack if you find yourself sitting next to someone with the sniffles.)

Airplanes, however, can be problematic, according to Herbert Patrick, M.D., medical director of the respiratory care department at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, in Philadelphia. Because airplane doors and windows are kept securely shut, it's up to the plane's ventilation system to keep air fresh--and it doesn't always do a great job of it. Airlines used to pump 100 percent fresh air into the cabins. But from the mid-'80s, in an effort to reduce costs, that's been cut back to 50 percent fresh air and 50 percent recirculated air (from the cabin). That means you can be exposed to the same germs more than once. So if someone in seat 7C has a cold, you're at risk of catching it--even if you're in 43B.

Another problem on airplanes is that the humidity level is low, resulting in dry throat, lips and nasal passages. "One way viruses enter the body is through cracks in the dry mucous membranes," says Patrick. "If you keep those areas moist, your protection is greatly enhanced. A virus may land on the surface of the mucous membrane, but it will not infect you if that area is
moist."

For added protection against an airplane's dry air, Patrick recommends carrying a bottle of over-the-counter saline spray on the trip. Squirt the spray into your nostrils throughout the flight whenever you begin to feel dry. Apply lip balm to keep your lips moist.

Can I get sick from using a public phone in a crowded area?

Yes, if you aren't careful. Because phones are handled by so many people, even ones that appear clean can be swarming with thousands of germs. Germs are more likely to latch onto hard surfaces--such as a telephone receiver or an automatic-teller machine--than on soft surfaces, such as rugs and clothing, according to Joe Rubino, M.S., a microbiologist at L&F Products, in Montvale, New Jersey, a firm that makes disinfectants.

The germs get there when a sick person coughs or breathes on that surface, or even when he touches it after his hands have been in contact with his nose or mouth or other germ-infested areas. (How long those germs live depends on the type of virus: An influenza virus will survive on a hard surface for a few hours; the hepatitis A virus, by contrast, can live as long as thirty days.)

But simply coming into contact with a contaminated phone or bank machine doesn't pose a risk. Germs can't be absorbed through healthy skin, which is as protective as a latex glove. The danger comes if the hand that has touched the phone then touches your mouth, nose or eyes--through which germs do enter the body. (continued)

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