Our society has become afraid of bacteria, the media promotes products such as antibacterial wipes for the home, and antibacterial gel for when we go outdoors. While most of us are not emetophobic, our fear of bacteria is due to manufacturers trying to cash in on their antibacterial products. Parents in particular are the target of these unscrupulous marketers.
Bacteria and virus exist all around us; it is in the air we breathe and the things that we touch. Our body is designed to keep out these pathogens, our skin impermeable to foreign bodies and our immune system is effective against invading microorganisms. Sunlight is particularly effective in killing bacteria and virus; ultraviolet rays are known to kill by damaging their DNA.
Antibacterial products are made out either alcohol, chlorhexidine or other chemicals proven to kill bacteria from a surface. Hospitals use these products to reduce bacterial load in the environment, because bacteria and viruses found in hospitals are potentially harmful if released into the environment. Measures have to be taken to avoid contaminating people or objects with potentially deadly bacteria such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or tubercle bacillus that cause tuberculosis.
In the community, sunlight should be enough because bacteria in the air would settle down as soon as the area is cleaned with antiseptic. Although it is important to clean our living environment regularly, regular disinfection is hardly necessary. The mass media tries to portray bacteria as the evil presence, but it is not so. It is only necessary for people with immune deficiencies to find it important to stay in a sterile environment, but the rest of us can live in harmony with bacteria.
Bacteria is useful in health and research, it is through escherichia coli that human insulin can be synthesized by using recombinant DNA technology. Without bacteria many research is impossible to perform, there will be no antibodies created to help treat diseases such as multiple sclerosis or osteoporosis. Bacteria have always been a useful tool in research of health.
Swine and avian flu are bacteria that used to be non-infectious to humans, but now we are also victim of these strains. Our immune system does not recognize these new strains as a threat, and therefore we fall sick. In a healthy person, rest and plenty of fluids should help the body recover; but the young and elderly have sub-optimal immune system and so would have some trouble fighting against the bacteria.
Even in these cases, using antibacterial products do not prove that the contagion would not spread. Even though every surface is being disinfected, we are still at the mercy of our surroundings and the air. We can disinfect the air in our home, but public places like schools and library do not practice disinfection as liberally, hence our hard work to avoid falling sick is thwarted by visiting places where sick people frequent.
So how do we prevent falling sick? Stress and dehydration can cause the body to become sluggish, and our immune system would suffer because of this. We should keep healthy by eating food high in nutrients and drink plenty of water, regular exercise is also important in keeping our mind and body strong. Sterilizing and disinfecting everything we own is not the way to live, because we cannot stay in a safe bubble forever, but we can be prepared for the invasion of infectious bacteria.
Ailyn Koay is a pharmacist working in Adelaide, Australia who aspires to become a full-time writer. Please contact ailynkoay@gmail.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ailyn_Koay
http://EzineArticles.com/?Living-Healthily-in-a-Non-Sterile-Environment&id=6655933
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