Thursday, July 10, 2008
I do not hug my husband when he just got home from work as I am thinking his shirt is dirty an and I will get the dirt and germs when I hug him as he exposed himself to people (lol) and I remind him to wash his hands once he arrive. I washed my body and change clothes before I go to sleep and I try to check my husband if he changed his shirt too or else the germs crawling towards me (lol). When we are staying in the hotel and he is relaxing in our bed, watching TV, and wearing his work clothes. I make sure he is not using my pillow or else while I am sleeping the germs crawling all over the place. I do not hang the clothes that I wore together with my clean clothes in the closet as I thought might the germ are flying or jumping to my other clothes and I thought that way. I am not sure if I am that “Germ Phobic,” maybe, I am? but my husband called me that I am! Tiny bacteria do cause countless diseases. I washed my hands more than 10 times a day and it depends what things I touched. My husband said to me that might hand will get dry and I told him, I do not care but I would like to wash my hands often. I do not use pillows and blankets in the airplane too as I thought alot of people use them (lol).
I found an article from health.families.com/blog/what-is-germ-phobia which I would like to share with you guys.
The best way to prevent colds, flu, and other illnesses is through personal hygiene! Washing your hands is important. Unwashed hands can spread food-related germs like salmonella and E. coli. More hand washing could prevent a lot of illnesses! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (also known as the CDC) says that as many as seventy-six million Americans each year suffer a food-related illness that could have been prevented by better hygiene!
And speaking of food-related illness... be sure that whatever meats you eat are cooked thoroughly! Judge your meat's doneness by temperature, not by color, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Another way to increase your immunity is through exposure -- this is where the idea of vaccinations comes from. You are exposed to a weakened form of a disease, to help your body develop defenses.
Germ phobics, however, worry about things that are not dangerous. Hotel sheets and towels, for example, or airline pillows and blankets. If they have been laundered even if they are stained there isn't much you can catch. The heat of the water has taken care of most of the germs the last person left behind. The real problem on airplanes, in offices, and during the winter is the poor ventilation. Recirculated air tends to be dry, which can harm your delicate nasal passages. The mucous membranes in your nose are your first line of defense against germs! Fresh air, nasal sprays, and humidifiers can help keep things working right in your nose.
Germ phobia is a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Experts do not know for sure what causes OCD. It may be a chemical imbalance, which can be helped with certain medicines; it could be a brain communication issue. Germ phobia may be mild or severe, and may last for decades. Talk to a health care professional if you feel that your germ concerns are irrational, or are taking over too much of your life.
Credits: health.families.com/blog/what-is-germ-phobia
