It amuses me to think of just how paranoid people are of germs these days. It seems that you cant go anywhere without somebody around you having the need to sanitize their hands, or somebody ranting that the air should be cleaner, or somebody complaining about something else health related.
There are millions of kinds of bacteria, most of which are completely harmless. As far as the harmful bacteria are concerned, our bodies build up a resistance to them, the more they're exposed to them. This is why whole nations in the Americas were devoured by disease when the Europeans came: the natives had not had time to build up resistance. The only problem is, when we destroy the bacteria before it enters our body, we never have time to build up a resistance. Our immune systems start to become less effective, as we put more and more stock into external sanitizers and sanitization devices. The more we purify our air, the less tolerant we become to air-bound toxins. This has actually been theorized as a major cause for asthma, considering most asthmatics belong to families living in "cleaner" environments.
The more we protect ourselves, the more we open ourselves up. The human body is an amazing thing... Few medical advances are anywhere near as effective at staving off infections as the human body. While sanitizers are good for some situations (i.e. after a very dirty day, before you eat), they should be used in moderation, lest our immune systems become so weak that even the merest bacteria that slips by causes us to become horribly ill.
Healthkicker asks: How often do you use hand sanitizer?
Comments (27)
I'm not a complete sanitation freak so it's not on my list of top ten things to put in my purse but I do wash my hands very frequently.
I completely agree with this, with one exception. I wouldn't let anyone handle my newborn without sanitizing their hands. Adult and even childhood immunities are one thing, but newborns just don't have that capability. They are most at risk for diseases like RSV and are more susceptible to other diseases that effect adults and children.
I use it, a lot.
I actually rarely use hand sanitizer, unless it's around and I feel it's necessary to use.
However, I make sure to wash my hands often.
I use hand santizer when I'm at work. I love the smell <3 *goes high*
I use sanitizer when I cant wash my hands but feel like my hands are icky germy. I dont preffer it though.
I have that same exact brand of sanitizer at my work place..I use it everyday
I don't, I just wash my hands before eating and after using bathrooms.
Health is very much important factor in our lives. Mostly people of the world do not know, how to handle their problems at the time of their diseases. Mostly people of the world do not know all about it. If anybody want to get some knowledge and information or some tips about their health, then they must get health beneficial tips.
Thanks.....
I don't use hand sanitizer unless there is no sink in sight, personally I just use plain 'ol bar soap and HOT water to wash my hands, not those weird antibacterial soaps. I don't live in a hospital! lol
if I don't have access to a bathroom and my hands just "feel" dirty before eating then I use it.
I hate using hand sanitizer because it tastes weird.
I mean, I think it's another reason there are so many allergies here in America.
They feed starving kids everywhere with stuff called plumpynut, which is basically peanut butter and powdered milk, and no one ever worries about peanut allergies because, uhm, it basically only exists in developed countries....
I use it maybe once a day, but I also work with lots of animals, so to prevent diseases, i'm required to (policy). I use to use it often but my friend is an EMT and he was like "do you really want that .01 percent of germs that are strong enough to withstand that stuff alone on your hands?"
and now I really don't use it unless I have to.
I used hand sanitizers like crazy after working in a microbiology lab.
I keep em at hand since I commute to school via public transportation. Lots of pretty unhygienic folks out there. I have to admit though, after I started going on a hygiene frenzy when I started going to college, I haven't been sick! And I am a sickly girl with a bad immune system. Especially come winter time. I always go straight to washing my hands when I come home.
that's not what scares me about hand sanitizers. if you keep killing the 99.9% pretty much harmless ones, you leave the 0.01% - which are resistant. colonies divide every 20 minutes. hello, superstrain.
i had a phase where i used hand sanitizer a lot, i usually use it after pe though
Never. I rather wash my hands. Sanitizer has that weird feeling.
If I'm working a 6-8 hr shift at work, being a cashier, handling a lot of cash, I might use it 2-3 times at the most. One day while I was at work, I used it probably 12-15 times or more, and then I got sick after that with a bad cold. I've definitely learned my lesson with that now.
Maybe once or twice a day...
I only use it cuz I love the spell of the Purell with Aloe >.< I know, I know... bad bad... but it smells sooooo goood.
bleh no sanitizer for me...there's really no point. i just wash my hands frequently with good ol' soap and water..before i eat, after i eat, after the bathroom, after touching something communal like the computer or door knobs in a dressing room, etc.
it kills good and bad bacteria so I dont use it regularly, I dont even keep it in my purse.
i use sanitizer when i go to school, before i eat lunch. because the bathroom doesn't have any soap..
Can't say I've ever used them. Don't like the smell and don't see the point!
You're so right, and I never use it. It's funny though, I bought a small bottle today for my first time, for college.