It should be a big worry, and I don't mean to argue this point to death, but why do you think that public restrooms have signs reminding employees of the REQUIREMEMT of washing their hands after using the restroom?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that handwashing is “the single most effective way to prevent the transmission of disease.”
http://community.nursingspectrum.com/MagazineArticles/article.cfm?AID=11546
Medical studies do show that the incidence of colds and flu are significantly decreased when hands are washed frequently. Our hands are our primary way of picking up germs, not the air (unless you happen to be right in front of someone who sneezes or coughs).
As far as cancers are concerned, we all have wayward cells in our bodies and our bodies usually take care of them and eliminate them quietly and effeciently. However there is also evidence that this janitorial effeciency can be disrupted by illnesses or even, possibly, some viruses which don't even cause actual illness. So while cancers are not caused by germs, those germs can compromise the body's ability to deal with its own clean-up operations.
All that being said, we have a profoundly retarded 21 year old son who rarely gets sick at all. I am sure it is because he has eaten so much dirt!
Maybe dirt is healthier than hands?
At any rate, at least, folks, wash your hands frequently. And antibacterial soap is NOT a bad thing! http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2002AGUSMED42A..06C&db_key=PHY&data_type=HTML&format=
While I'm lecturing...
... wear socks when it's cold out. Sandals may seem classy or macho or whatever, but the lymph nodes in the feet (or anywhere in the body) tend to slow down white cell production (these cells fight illnesses) when cold and speed them up when warm. That is one reason why low fevers should not be 'treated.' A warm body is more disease resistant and more able to fight off illnesses than a cold one, and the feet are a significant part of that.
So while being chilly and/or having cold feet won't 'cause' you to get sick, they do interfere with your body's ability to fight off the illnesses which you are exposed to everyday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that handwashing is “the single most effective way to prevent the transmission of disease.”
http://community.nursingspectrum.com/MagazineArticles/article.cfm?AID=11546
Medical studies do show that the incidence of colds and flu are significantly decreased when hands are washed frequently. Our hands are our primary way of picking up germs, not the air (unless you happen to be right in front of someone who sneezes or coughs).
As far as cancers are concerned, we all have wayward cells in our bodies and our bodies usually take care of them and eliminate them quietly and effeciently. However there is also evidence that this janitorial effeciency can be disrupted by illnesses or even, possibly, some viruses which don't even cause actual illness. So while cancers are not caused by germs, those germs can compromise the body's ability to deal with its own clean-up operations.
All that being said, we have a profoundly retarded 21 year old son who rarely gets sick at all. I am sure it is because he has eaten so much dirt!
Maybe dirt is healthier than hands?
At any rate, at least, folks, wash your hands frequently. And antibacterial soap is NOT a bad thing! http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2002AGUSMED42A..06C&db_key=PHY&data_type=HTML&format=
While I'm lecturing...
... wear socks when it's cold out. Sandals may seem classy or macho or whatever, but the lymph nodes in the feet (or anywhere in the body) tend to slow down white cell production (these cells fight illnesses) when cold and speed them up when warm. That is one reason why low fevers should not be 'treated.' A warm body is more disease resistant and more able to fight off illnesses than a cold one, and the feet are a significant part of that.So while being chilly and/or having cold feet won't 'cause' you to get sick, they do interfere with your body's ability to fight off the illnesses which you are exposed to everyday.
