Question 1

i have become overly paranoid about germs, have to force myself at times to "override" my obsessions with my kids. is therapy or medication best?

Accepted Answer

The best treatment: Is a combination of medication and therapy!  get the best!

Question 2

is antibacterial ointment in nostril at all useful in adding defence against & stopping air borne germs like the flu? i know shot is better defense. unable to get.

Accepted Answer

No: Antibacterial ointment will not help prevent a person from catching the flu virus. Just wear a mask like the doctors do. Masks can be purchased at any drugstore.

Question 3

do gloves protect from germs / chemicals if you feel the outside getting wet and slightly damp on inside of gloves?

Accepted Answer

Penetration: Depends on the materials the gloves are made of and what they are exposed too. Some materials are permeable to certain substances so need to check what the glove manufacturer says. Remember also that often some gloves may trap moisture released from your skin thus the damp feeling despite the fact that nothing may have penetrated the glove but may be your body’s own moisture.

Question 4

how do germs travel? do they travel and stick on you as soon as you touch them and transfer to everything else you touch?

Accepted Answer

Depends : Different bacteria and viruses are transmitted in different ways. Some travel in the air after an infected person sneezes or coughs. Others may be transmitted by contact with body fluids like stool, mucous, blood, semen. Still others requires animal vectors like mosquitoes, ticks or biting flies.

Question 5

can opening a peddle bin when you're holding a plate of food  in front of it cause germs from the bin to land on the food if you are quite close to it?

Accepted Answer

Not Likely : Unless material stuck to the lid flew up onto your plate, it is nearly impossible for any germs to infect you. Try not to worry about germs. The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to WASH YOUR HANDS  frequently and before eating. Brush teeth twice a day for 2 minutes.

Question 6

germs that last on surfaces for two days and got spread onto a different surface does that new surface of germs take a new two days to become unviable?

Accepted Answer

Vague post: The ability/duration of a germ survival on any external surface varies with the germ &amp; the environment they are in. When/if the environment is not supportive (moist, enriched with nutrients, etc.) it's survival is limited. The clock does not start over when a germ moves from one unfavorable environment to another. IE. two days with a bland environment until death remains two days.

Question 7

could germs stay alive or die on paper?

Accepted Answer

A short time: Most types of germs (viruses and bacteria) do not live very long in unfriendly environments like a piece of paper.  Some types live longer than others, and a few like the mycobacteria that causes tuberculosis can live a fairly long time outside of a body.  There are spores, like botulinum spores that can live a very long time outside of a host.

Question 8

4 ways the body protects itself from invading germs?

Accepted Answer

Several: The skin provides a major defense,  the Kidneys can filter out toxic substances, the lungs can filter the air we breath, but by far the Immune system is our major defense against germs.  See the following link for some info:

http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/infections/biology-of-infectious-disease/defenses-against-infection

Question 9

what causes nonbacterial prostatitis if not germs?

Accepted Answer

Unknown.: Nonbacterial prostatitis is a generic term given to a syndrome of pelvic pain and urinary symptoms that is often very difficult to classify, work up, and treat. Though many common & uncommon germs have been investigated, the causes are still not known. Proposed mechanisms include inflammation, autoimmune reaction, neuropathic pain, trauma, anxiety, & stress.

Question 10

my friend with a cold touched my bookbag. are the germs on my bag still contagious after 33 hours?

Accepted Answer

Its possible.: It depends on the virus,, but some live for days to weeks on contact surfaces..

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Doctor answers about:

Germ defense medication

A member asked:

I have become overly paranoid about germs, have to force myself at times to "override" my obsessions with my kids. is therapy or medication best?

A member asked:

Is antibacterial ointment in nostril at all useful in adding defence against & stopping air borne germs like the flu? i know shot is better defense. unable to get.

A member asked:

Do gloves protect from germs / chemicals if you feel the outside getting wet and slightly damp on inside of gloves?

A member asked:

How do germs travel? do they travel and stick on you as soon as you touch them and transfer to everything else you touch?

A member asked:

Can opening a peddle bin when you're holding a plate of food in front of it cause germs from the bin to land on the food if you are quite close to it?

A member asked:

Germs that last on surfaces for two days and got spread onto a different surface does that new surface of germs take a new two days to become unviable?

A member asked:

Could germs stay alive or die on paper?

A member asked:

4 ways the body protects itself from invading germs?

A member asked:

What causes nonbacterial prostatitis if not germs?

A member asked:

My friend with a cold touched my bookbag. are the germs on my bag still contagious after 33 hours?

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