It’s that time of year when sniffles and sneezes abound. Hacking coughs echo through the halls of office buildings, classrooms, and malls. You feel that tickle in your throat and hope that it will just be a mild cold and not something more dastardly like a flu, bronchitis, strep throat, or pneumonia. Celina, TX dentist, Dr. Newton, relishes the opportunity to help patients prioritize hand washing and health.
Wash Your Hands Often
Germs and bacteria are everywhere—in the air, on the ground, on the walls, and on the surfaces of everything you touch. Furthermore, these germs can easily transfer between what you touch and your hands. Short of always wearing gloves and a surgical mask, there is nothing you can do to keep these invaders from getting on your skin. Luckily, you can easily remove them with frequent handwashing. Don’t hesitate to wash whenever your hands get dirty, after you use the restroom, and definitely before you eat or touch your mouth, nose, or face. That way, all those germs will go down the drain instead of into your body.
Don’t Cough or Sneeze Into Your Hands
If you feel a cough or sneeze coming on, and you can’t get to a tissue in time, it’s natural to try to stop it with your hands. That is not a wise thing to do. After all, coughs and sneezes are part of your body’s defense system, removing potentially harmful bacteria and germs before they can start infecting you. By using your hands, you make it that much easier for those germs to reenter your body. While a disposable tissue is the ideal thing to use in this situation, you can make do by using your forearm in what is known as a “vampire” cover for a cough or sneeze. There, the germs and bacteria are far less likely to get back in to your body or on surfaces that others will touch. If you forget and use your hands anyway, be sure to wash them as quickly as possible.
Visit Your Celina, TX Dentist for a Healthy Mouth
All this handwashing is to ensure that germs don’t transfer from your hands into your mouth. Another way to ensure that your mouth is healthy is to schedule an appointment at Celina Family Dentistry by calling 214-851-0130.
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