Common Fetal Prevention Tricks That Won’t Help You
Have you ever held your breath when someone coughed? Or tried to flush the toilet with your foot? Some of these tricks can help if you do them right, but they are often unnecessary and are mostly based on paranoia. Here’s the truth about how to avoid germs in your daily life.
Holding your breath when someone coughs or sneezes
You’re in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, and some child decides to put snot in the air as if he doesn’t care, so you react by closing your mouth and holding your breath until “the air is clear.” Does this help you avoid the abominations that have just befallen the residents of the waiting room? In short, no. According to Nurse Megan Garibey (RN-BSN), you will not be able to hold your breath long enough to avoid the snot and droplets of saliva that are in the air.
If anything, you are going to hold your breath just long enough for the drops to come close and suck in when you take your first breath. Ouch. That being said, Garibai suggests that if you manage to move quickly away from the area while holding your breath, you may gain some protection. Of course, if you do that, you will also look like a chipmunk who just escaped with a bunch of nuts, so this is your choice. Covering your nose and mouth with a cloth can prevent you from inhaling the drops, but you will need to stay there for a while for it to work, and if it is not clean, you are simply infecting your face with various germs. Additionally, Garibai explains that, despite a common factor, holding your breath is probably not necessary to start:
On the other hand, your body has mechanisms to defend itself against things like nose hair. These nose hairs work as first-line filters to (hopefully) trap germs before they enter your body. Your lungs also have similar defense mechanisms. Most of the time, if you catch something, it is not by inhaling the droplets (there are exceptions, but in everyday life you will not catch it that way).
The exception, of course, is when your immune system is weaker than most people. In this case, you should probably wear a mask or other type of protection if you know you will be around other sick people.
Using toilet seat covers, flushing and hovering
A public toilet is one of those places that most people associate with the most disgusting germs. Any place that deals with a lot of human waste must be the nightmare kingdom of germs, right? The thought of sitting bare butt in the same seat as God knows how many people is enough for most of us to reach for the thin fabric toilet seat covers.
However, as Garibey explains, they are mainly for peace of mind, and hanging up will just make you feel uncomfortable. Any part of your body that can cause disease (such as mouth, eyes, nose, hands, etc.) should not be anywhere near where you are leaning on the toilet. Even if the toilet seat is crawling with germs, your skin and your immune system’s basic defense mechanisms are largely covered by it. What about other things like herpes, hepatitis, and other serious infections? Garibay explains:
Herpes will require someone who currently has an active outbreak to wipe the specified areas of the outbreak all over the toilet seat, then it will require someone else to wipe all areas that would be vulnerable to “catching” herpes all over the toilet seat and even then they’re more likely to get another, less persistent infection before they get herpes. Hepatitis is usually blood-borne (or body-borne), so the only way to get it through a toilet seat is to put someone on the toilet seat with a patch of broken skin right after someone has bled out on the toilet seat. Most people are not going to sit on a bloody toilet seat, especially if they are vulnerable with damaged skin.
There is a form of hepatitis that can be transmitted through feces (hepatitis A), but it is usually caused by eating contaminated food and water. In the bathroom, what is most worried about is what falls into the hands, not the priest. And as Garibey points out, your hands would not normally be near the toilet seat UNLESS you were covering the toilet seat. Now, if you have a cut or open wound on any part of your body that touches the seat, that’s a whole different story. In this case, you should definitely reach for the toilet seat cover or find a way to soar. That being said, you should do something to bandage or cover your wounds in addition to this, even if you feel protected by your pants.
When it comes to flushing the toilet, you may feel the need to kick the handle. Automatic flushes have made this less of a problem, but for old, dirty bathrooms, it’s not too far-fetched. Technically, using your foot can rid you of the germs that would be on your hand if you would normally use the washer , but you need to think about what happens next. Many people touch the toilet handle to flush the water and then touch the toilet handle . As soon as you touch the stall door handle, you practically touch the toilet handle, so you can just flush the water as usual. In addition, if you use your foot, the germs that were on the toilet handle are now on your shoes, and you may or may not be walking with them on your home carpet.
In general, even if you accidentally touch the toilet seat, flush handle or cubicle door handle, it doesn’t matter if you wash your hands after using the toilet . Garibai cannot emphasize this point enough and notes that she cannot think of anything that can be caught from the toilet seat that is not wiped away by washing her hands. In fact, you should be more wary of the toilet door handle than the toilet itself. After you’ve washed your hands, you will have to use the same doorknob that others have used (flinching) without washing your dirty hands. If your instinct is to grab a paper towel and use it as a barrier, this is a good option. Anything you can throw away right away is great for turning off taps, opening doors, and keeping your hands clean a little more. But handkerchiefs or anything that you don’t throw away or leave with you is not good. You can protect your hands for a moment with a handkerchief, but once it gets into your pocket, germs can still get onto your hands and face later.
Using the back of your hand
Your hands are the primary route for germs to enter hazardous areas such as eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Therefore, some people try to avoid this danger by using other parts of their hands. For example, I press the transition buttons with the back of my hand, not my fingers. I’ve been doing this for years, although I have no idea if it helps or not. I asked Garibay, and when it comes to using hands, there is always a risk:
… if you press the buttons on a crosswalk with the back of your hand, does that really help? Yes and no. It’s technically better than hitting him with the front of your hand, but even better than hitting him with your elbow. The worry is the transfer of germs to your face – your hand, even the back, touches your face many times a day, but you don’t even know it because it’s just a habit (you brush your hair off your face, you scratch itching, rubbing around your eyes , mouth or nose, etc.). By contrast, your elbow usually doesn’t even come close to your face.
For the same reason, you are told to sneeze into the cubital fossa, not into the hands, but vice versa. When you sneeze into your hands, you transmit germs when you touch another surface or shake someone’s hand. Very few people, including you, will touch your elbow, so it’s much safer that way. Recent research shows that the amount of germs you carry is directly related to the area of the contact surface and the duration of contact. Basically, a long handshake will bring in more germs than a quick punch. However, Garibay notes that maintaining good hand hygiene is still important no matter how you choose to greet others. And punching isn’t ideal for professional situations, so it’s best to just have hand sanitizer with you.
Wearing gloves and surgical masks in public
Since your hands are the main concern for avoiding germs, you might think putting on gloves is an easy workaround. And gloves can seem like a particularly good idea if you’re on public transport, as you hold onto a lot of posts, railings, handles, and whatever else you have. Unfortunately, gloves only really help when you come into direct contact with body fluids (blood, vomit, feces, urine, and other fun stuff).
Gloves only protect you from germs for a short time, Garibai explains. As soon as you take them off, your defenses collapse. When you take them off, you can touch the outside of them. Do you remember the last time you washed your winter or driving gloves? In addition, you can still accidentally touch your face with gloves while wearing them. Or you will hold your cell phone with them only to touch it with your bare hands (or bring your dirty gloves and cell phone right to your face when you call). If your hands are not cold, you better just wash your hands.
Surgical masks, on the other hand, have slightly more benefits. They can be very beneficial for severely immunocompromised people and can block the droplets that Dr. Weiswasser explains cause respiratory viruses (such as colds, bronchitis, and flu). However, for most of us, it is enough to avoid direct contact with a sick person in order to protect ourselves. You have enough built-in protection to fight the germs you get by simply breathing the same air as other people, even if you are trapped on a plane for hours . The real danger is touching their saliva or snot, or objects like tray tables and armrests covered with this substance, and then touching parts of your face (such as eyes, nose, ears, and mouth). Dr. Weisswasser notes that if you absolutely need to wear gloves and masks for your peace of mind, you are better off using disposable items on your bike. But even then, he explains that it’s pretty extreme and not necessary, except for a very select audience. However, surgical masks can be very helpful if you get sick . In many countries, it is customary to wear them when you are sick so as not to infect others.
Germs cannot be completely avoided (and that’s okay)
The bottom line is that you really can’t avoid germs … but that’s fine. From the moment you are born until the moment you die, you are surrounded by them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Garibey notes that not all microbes are bad microbes (many of them are non-pathogenic), and most of them will never get a chance to harm you:
You are exposed to so many germs throughout the day that you don’t even know. However, if you are healthy, your immune system is largely unable to ward off invaders. They came and went without much fanfare.
Your body fights germs as usual. In fact, there is a chance that limiting the effects of microbes on the body will do more harm than good. You will become sick when your immune system encounters an invader that has never been seen before and is too weak to immediately destroy. The Hygiene Hypothesis suggests that it is possible to properly calibrate and strengthen your immune system through exposure to microbes so that this occurs less frequently, but Dr. Weisswasser admits that this theory is slightly controversial. However, if you are a perfectly healthy person, there is such a thing as being too clean. Garibey explains that while you probably shouldn’t intentionally expose yourself to germs, normal exposure is necessary to build a healthy, functioning immune system. Like a muscle, it cannot get stronger if it is never used. This is especially important for new microbes that continue to emerge from overuse of antibacterial agents .
Strategies you should really focus on
Avoiding germs and staying healthy is actually quite simple. The world is not the embryonic minefield it may seem, and containment of disease does not have to be a constant balancing act of tricks and avoidance maneuvers. Dr. Weisswasser and Garibay have some tips to do most of the hard work for you:
- Wash your hands: Washing your hands before eating, cooking, or touching your face is the best thing you can do to avoid germs.
- Use Hand Sanitizer When You Can’t Wash Your Hands: Garibey offers the key to using hand sanitizer correctly – not really forgetting it . Storing it doesn’t really matter if you forget to drink it before meals or after blowing your nose. When you use it, rub your hands together until it dries for at least 15-20 seconds, covering all surfaces of the front and back of your hands and between your fingers. However, if your hands are visibly dirty or greasy, you should wash your hands thoroughly to get rid of the bad things.
- Don’t touch your face: It’s not easy (I struggle with it all the time), but the less you touch your face and the vulnerable holes around your face (eyes, ears, nose, mouth), the better you will be. … The same goes for touching other people’s faces.
- Stay away from sick people: This can be difficult if you live with them, but the logic is correct. The less you are around sick people, the less likely you are to be infected with what they have. The same is the case with illness! Do not go to work or public places if you are not feeling well. You don’t have to propagate a nasty bug to prove how well you are at it.
- Focus on the basics: Dr. Weisswasser highlights the importance of getting plenty of sleep, eating well, and exercising to keep your immune system strong and healthy .
That’s all! Your body’s natural defenses will do the rest. Last but not least, Dr. Weisswasser recommends that you stay up to date on all vaccinations for you and your family members, and he recommends getting flu shots every fall for everyone over the age of six months.
Megan Garibay is a Resident Nurse (RN-BSN) and Clinical Educator at Comanche County Memorial Hospital .
Dr. Daniel Weisswasser is a board-certified general practitioner and pediatrician who has been working in an outpatient setting in Western Massachusetts for nine years. They offered their experience with this feature and we thank both of them.