Tag Archives: germs

Are You Making a Sissy?

Posted by getPHYT in Diseases & Conditions and tagged with , ,

According to “the Poolman” of Poolinfo, the swimming pool chemical that turns pee blue (as seen in Grownups) does not exist. “The limit does not exist!” (Mean Girls was on this morning). Anyways, just because there isn’t a chemical to detect urine doesn’t mean you should be peeing in the pool! Please, don’t pee in the pool!

But isn’t that why there’s chlorine? What’s the big deal about going number one in the pool anyways? When urine and chlorine are mixed, this produces irritants that cause skin rash and red eyes (Water Quality and Health Council). Not to mention the fact that you’re swimming in another person’s pee. The Water Quality and Health Council reported that 1 in 5 people admitted to peeing in the pool. I’m assuming that the actual number is probably higher. No one wants to swim in a toilet, so don’t pee in the pool.

Chlorine does not kill germs instantly. In fact, it can take minutes to days for chlorine to kill them (CDC). Even swallowing just a tiny bit of water that contains germs can make you sick with a recreational water illness (RWI). So, avoid getting pool water in your mouth (that’s kinda tricky). But most importantly, don’t swallow the pool water.

You can also get an RWI by “breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, or oceans” (CDC). Chemicals in the water or chemicals that evaporate from the water and cause indoor air quality problems can also cause RWIs.

RWIs can be a wide variety of infections, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections. And the most common RWI is diarrhea, which can be caused by germs such as Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, Shigella, norovirus and E. coli O157:H7. This is really obvious, but I gotta say it anyways, “Don’t swim when you have diarrhea.” GROSS.

To help prevent RWIs, it is important to practice good hygiene. The CDC recommends showering with soap before swimming and washing your hands after using the bathroom. Remember, clean hands save lives.

How much do you know about water safety? Test your knowledge and take the quiz!

By ALYSSA LLAMAS

p.s. Don’t make a sissy!

image source: wizzley.com

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Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all

Posted by getPHYT in Uncategorized and tagged with , ,

Before you go any further, click on the vid so you have a sweet tune playing while you read. THROWBACK!   

Money may be a popular subject to sing about, but that doesn’t make it any less dirty. Just think, where has that dollar bill been? Scenario: Girl hands it to a cashier at the grocery store, who hands it back to a guy who just went to the bathroom and didn’t wash his hands. Then the guy hands it to a homeless dude who sneezes on it. Homeless dude uses it to buy a coffee. Barista has a cold. You walk into that coffee shop, ask for some change, and BAM, you’re the proud owner of the dirty dollar bill. Congratulations.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • “The metallic odor left on your hands after touching coins and metal objects is actually a type of human body odor. Skin oils break down and decompose after touching iron – creating the oh so familiar coin smell on hands” (Happy Worker).
  • In a study by Dr. Peter Ender,  86 percent of bills had germs such as Streptococcus.
  • “The highest amount of bacteria on an ATM is fecal bacteria” (Tipking).
  • 30 percent of bills is contaminated with fecal bacteria.
  • 90 percent of US Currency is laced with Cocaine.
  • E. Coli can be found on 7 percent of all bills.
  • BPA, the chemical carcinogen, can be found on half of all notes.

HOW TO PREVENT GETTING SICK

  • “After handling a lot of bills, rub rubbing alcohol on your hands. Also it is wise to wash hands thoroughly after visiting ATMs. You may wish to carry an antibacterial solution with you” (Tipking).

The importance of washing your hands cannot be stressed enough. Did you check out our post on it yet?! Cash will never be germ-free, so it is up to YOU to handle it properly.

By HOSNA SAFI