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Prevention fo the Common Cold

wdlove

wdlove

macrumors P6
Original poster
Oct 20, 2002
16,568
0
Yet anti bacterial soaps are considered a bad practice to use daily because they create more resistant bacteria which the companies who sell these products forget to tell you. regular (non anti-bacterial soap) is enough.
 
antibacterial soap and antibiotics should both be regulated by the government so that only people with a genuine need for them use them, i'm seriously worried about superbacteria showing up, no one seems to realize or care how impactful and potentially hazardous that could be.

washing with normal soap may not kill bacteria, but it still does remove the bacteria from you, and i'd rather have bacteria go down the drain than have it try to mutate...

the biggest thing they say is a problem with bacteria spread is that people who wash their hands don't get in between fingers... where stuff likes to hide. wash everything, people :)

pnw

edit: so it doesn't look like i was pointing at you, a nurse is someone who may have a genuine need for antibacterial soap, especially the waterless kind-- there are times it can be a godsend. also any pregnant woman with a cat should have some, if for some reason they need to clean the littler box (which they shouldn't do period).
 
Originally posted by paulwhannel
antibacterial soap and antibiotics should both be regulated by the government so that only people with a genuine need for them use them, i'm seriously worried about superbacteria showing up, no one seems to realize or care how impactful and potentially hazardous that could be.

washing with normal soap may not kill bacteria, but it still does remove the bacteria from you, and i'd rather have bacteria go down the drain than have it try to mutate...

the biggest thing they say is a problem with bacteria spread is that people who wash their hands don't get in between fingers... where stuff likes to hide. wash everything, people :)

pnw

edit: so it doesn't look like i was pointing at you, a nurse is someone who may have a genuine need for antibacterial soap, especially the waterless kind-- there are times it can be a godsend. also any pregnant woman with a cat should have some, if for some reason they need to clean the littler box (which they shouldn't do period).
Click to expand...

Thank you pnw for you words. It is very valuable to have the waterless antibacterial soap as a visiting nurse. What is important is the soap and mechanical action that removes the bacteria, needs to be done for 10 - 15 seconds.

A bigger problem that the use of antibacterial soap is the use of antibiotics. The over prescribing of antibiotics has led to resistant bacteria. At some point we could run out options. Antibiotics don't work on viruses. A patient thinks that they need a medication, thereby putting pressure on the doctor.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/op/handwashing.htm
 
Re: Prevention fo the Common Cold

Personally, I think people worry too much about germs. I only wash my hands when they're dirty. Not every time I eat. Not every time I go to the bathroom. I don't wash my fruit before I eat it. I don't cook the flavor out of my meat. If it looks a little too red, I eat it anyway. I eat food that hasn't been well sealed in my fridge. I keep filling up the same water bottle for weeks at a time.

With all the practice my immune system gets, I actually stay very healthy. If I feel something coming on, I can almost always avert it with a single multivitamin and going to bed early.

It's just like when a baby first goes to day care and suddenly gets sick all the time. It's immune system has to learn how to fight infection. Soap junkies are effectively handicapping their bodies.

Dan
 
-All

Let's also not forget that the other aspect of using antibacterial soaps and cleaners will reduce the immune system's exposure (by design) to these normal bugs, and therefore the immune system response in the first place - via 'practice'.

Therefore, when a person like this goes to a friends house that has a 'normal' level of baterial levels, the risk of adverse infection may be increased.
 
Who needs dangerous chemical soaps that can damage your skin when you can use the cleaning power of steam! Only $99.5 plus postage and handling.

Antibacterial soap is ok for eating foods or after you've done something dirty (like gardening), however, some research has shown that when people use soaps, a 'placebo' type effect is caused.
So people think that their hands are clean and in effect they are clean, in a sense...

I read that some where, can't exactly type it that easily from mind...
 
I don't use antibacterial soap or anything like that, and rarely ever wash my hands before I eat, etc. However I can't even remember the last time I got a cold. I have noticed that ever since Is tarted eating healthier about 3 years ago (green veggies in every dinner) that I have gotten FAR fewer colds. Green vegetables greatly boost your immune system, which is the best way to fight colds.


EAT YOUR VEGGIES!
 
It is curious that this discussion of anti-bacterial soaps started in thread about the common cold. Aren't most colds caused by a virus, and as such, antibacterial measures pointless? Washing your hands will help against a virus, but just water and anything to help remove them from your surface (plain soap).

There are some scary bacteria out there already. Read this about a bug that can survive 3 million rads of radiation!

http://www.enn.com/features/1999/04/040999/superbug_2581.asp
 
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