Page 22 - Hello Philippines February 2016 'B' issue
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22 www.hello-philippines.com HEALTH and Lifestyle February 2016 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition
How to prevent germs from spreading
GERMS can be passed from person there’s enough water, multiply. Germs stick to cloths and are Pets and other animals
to person or indirectly by touching “Good hygiene is not a once-weekly, difficult to remove by rinsing, so
unclean equipment or surfaces. all cleaning materials should be • Keep pet food separate from
deep-down clean,” says Professor Sally disinfected and then dried after use. human food.
Cleanliness experts say hygienic Bloomfield, of the London School
cleaning will help prevent germs of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Below are some general hygiene • Always wash your hands after
spreading in the home. “Hygienic cleaning needs to be an tips to minimise the spread of germs in touching animals, their food, toys,
ongoing part of our daily lives, where the home: cages and litter trays.
Hygienic cleaning involves focusing hygiene measures are targeted where
your efforts on areas in the house and when necessary.” Cloths and sponges • Dishes, utensils and tin openers
where germs are more likely to spread used for pet food should be stored
from and cause infection. She says that cleaning aids, such as • Use disposable cloths or paper Tiles and shower curtains separately.
cloths or mops, must be germ-free or towels when possible.
Use either soap and hot water (rinsing they’ll spread germs to other surfaces. • Keep tiles and grout in good Toys
the germs away) or a disinfectant to kill Germs can multiply easily. Within eight • Re-usable cloths should be condition and clean them often.
the germs. Thoroughly dry surfaces hours, one bacterium on a damp cloth disinfected after each use. • Clean hard or plastic toys by
after cleaning. Dampness helps any can multiply to six million. • Hygienically clean or launder the washing them and storing them once
remaining germs to survive and, if Washing-up brushes shower curtain frequently, depending they’re clean and dry.
People with a cold may also suffer on how often it’s used.
Cold or flu? with a mild fever, earache, tiredness and • Wash brushes in a dishwasher • Some soft toys can be cleaned in
ONE-THIRD of Britons think flu is just headache. Symptoms develop over one regularly or clean with detergent and Kitchen the washing machine.
a bad cold, but each year thousands of or two days and gradually get better warm water after each use.
people die of complications following after a few days. Some colds can last for • Ensure food preparation surfaces • All toys and equipment should be
flu. Find out how colds and flu differ. up to two weeks. Mops and buckets are hygienically clean. added to a regular cleaning rota.
Colds and flu share some of the According to the Common Cold • Use two buckets for mopping – • Use separate chopping boards for Laundry
same symptoms (sneezing, coughing, Centre in Cardiff, a cold is most one for detergent and the other for meat (including fish and poultry) and
sore throat), but are caused by different contagious during the early stages when rinsing. vegetables. • Wash your hands after handling
viruses. Flu can be much more serious the person has a runny nose and sore dirty laundry.
than a cold. throat. • Mops and buckets should be • Wash and dry your hands after
cleaned, disinfected and dried after handling high-risk foods such as raw • To prevent the spread of germs,
If you’re generally fit and healthy, Flu each use. meat. all underwear, towels and household
you can usually manage the symptoms Flu usually comes on much more linen should be washed at 60°C (140°F)
of a cold or flu yourself without seeing quickly than a cold, and symptoms Lavatories • Hygienically clean surfaces or at 40°C (104°F) with a bleach-based
a doctor. Look after yourself by resting, include: immediately after use. laundry product.
drinking non-alcoholic fluids to avoid • sudden fever of 38-40°C (100- • Keep the U-bend and lavatory
dehydration and avoiding strenuous 104°F) bowl clean by flushing after each use. Floors • Run the washing machine on
activity. Painkillers such as ibuprofen • muscle aches and pains empty once a week, either at a high
or paracetamol can relieve aches and • sweating • Use a lavatory cleaner and brush • Clean floors regularly to remove temperature or with a chemical
pains. • feeling exhausted and needing to every few days. visible dirt with warm water and disinfectant to prevent the growth of
lie down detergent. germs.
People more at risk. Some • dry, chesty cough • Limescale should be regularly
people need to take extra care as • sneezing removed using a descaling product. • If soiled with vomit or excreta, • Don’t leave laundry in the washing
they’re more at risk of serious chest Flu symptoms appear one to three the floor should be cleaned using a machine as any remaining germs can
complications, such as pneumonia and days after infection and most people • Keep the lavatory seat, handle and disposable cloth and warm water and multiply rapidly.
bronchitis. People over 65 are more at recover within a week, although you rim clean by using a disinfectant. then disinfected. Ensure the floor is dry
risk of complications. People under 65, may feel tired for longer. A severe cold before allowing children on it. Waste disposal
including children, are more at risk of can also cause muscle aches and fever, Baths and sinks
complications if they have: so it can be hard to tell the difference. Carpet and soft furnishings • Foot-operated bins are better for
Whether it’s a cold or flu, get medical • Hygienically clean baths and hygiene because they reduce the risk
• serious heart or chest complaints, help if: sinks frequently. • Periodically clean carpets and soft of hands picking up germs when they
including asthma • you have a chronic condition (such furnishings using a suitable product. touch the bin lid.
as asthma, diabetes or heart disease), or • Use disinfectant if they’ve been
• serious kidney disease or liver • you have a very high fever as well used by someone who is ill. • Carpets and furnishings can be • Always wash your hands after
disease as an unusually severe headache or hygienically cleaned by steam cleaning. handling waste material.
abdominal or chest pain Showers
• diabetes Stop the viruses spreading. Cold • Curtains can be cleaned by • Throw rubbish away carefully to
• lowered immunity due to disease and flu viruses are spread by droplets • Clean shower trays as above for laundering or disinfected by steam avoid attracting vermin and insects. n
or medical treatment that are sneezed or coughed out by baths and sinks. cleaning.
• had a stroke or transient ischaemic an infected person. Other people can NHS Choices
attack (TIA) breathe in these droplets or transfer the • If a shower hasn’t been used for
Everyone in an at-risk group is droplets to their eyes or nose on their a long period, let it run with hot water “Women have more colds than men,
eligible for a free flu vaccination. This fingers. before using it. and this is probably due to increased
is the best protection against the virus. Protect yourself and others against interaction with children,” says
Find out who is offered the flu jab, colds and flu by: Five facts about colds Professor Eccles. Children get around
including all pregnant women. • coughing or sneezing into a tissue SOME surprising facts about colds, the sexual organs). When you have seven to ten colds a year, compared
Symptoms • throwing a used tissue away as with two to three for adults. So people
There are around 200 viruses soon as possible including what causes symptoms such a cold, the blood vessels swell up as who spend a lot of time with children,
that cause colds and three that cause • washing your hands as soon as such as childminders, nursery teachers
flu. There are many strains of these possible as a blocked nose, and why mucus infection-fighting white blood cells or school teachers, are more likely to
flu viruses, and the vaccine changes • having a flu jab every year if you’re pick up the viruses.
every year to protect against the most in an at-risk group. n NHS Choices turns thick and yellow. flood to the area. This narrows the air
common ones. uCold viruses don’t make us feel ill. passage in your nose and restricts the y Yellow mucus is caused by white
Colds
Symptoms of a cold include: “It’s your own immune response that airflow as you breathe. blood cells. When your immune system
• runny nose, beginning with clear is fighting a cold virus, one of the first
mucus that develops into thicker, green makes you feel ill,” says Professor Ron A decongestant spray can reduce symptoms is clear, runny mucus from
mucus as the cold progresses the nose. As the cold develops, mucus
• blocked nose Eccles of the Common Cold Centre in the swelling and allow you to breathe usually becomes thicker and yellow,
• sore throat then green. White blood cells cause this
• sneezing Cardiff, where experts have researched more easily. change in colour and texture as they
• cough the common cold for more than 20 flood to the nasal area and increase in
years. When you get a cold, the virus w You can catch a cold through your number as the cold progresses.
eyes. When an infected person coughs “Many people think that yellow or
green mucus is caused by bacteria,
attacks the nose and the back of the or sneezes, they release droplets of but this isn’t the case,” says Professor
Eccles. “It’s because there are billions of
throat, and it doesn’t take long for mucus into the air, or into their hand white blood cells in the mucus.” n NHS
the body’s natural defences to start to if they use their hand to cover their Choices
work. mouth. If you get these droplets on
“The immune system detects the your hand (for example, by shaking
virus and floods the area with white hands or touching contaminated
blood cells and chemical messengers, objects such as doorknobs), you can
and these trigger various symptoms pass them into your eyes or nose when
such as headaches and a blocked nose.” you touch them.
Most of us touch our eyes and nose
v A blocked nose is due to swollen
more often than we realise. A duct
erectile tissue. “During a cold, the
lining of your nose is the battlefront,” links the eyes and the nasal cavity, and
says Professor Eccles. When your nose the virus travels easily from the eye
feels blocked it isn’t because it’s full of to the nose and throat, where it can
mucus, but because the blood vessels in cause infection. You can help to avoid
your nose are inflamed. being infected by washing your hands
The nasal lining is made from thoroughly.
x Women get more colds than men.
erectile tissue (similar to the tissue in
