Truman didn’t want to miss school for those three days he was sent home, and that was pretty much all that made him feel miserable. Once home, he bounced off the walls and ran wild through the yard. He was fine.

This morning, I walked my son into school (I had to deliver Fall Festival donations anyway) and he handed his teachers (he has two) the note from the doctor. He said, “I hope I can stay the whole day today.” I said, “Me too.” I was overwhelmed with guilt that I had sent my son to school with germs to spread to other students. The teachers shook their heads. Apparently the school nurse has been on double-duty these days, being extra precautionary with most of the kids and sending them home for most any ailment in light of the swine flu epidemic. I recalled the two other kids in the nurse’s office when I was there last week, and the vomit spot I had to step over in the office when I checked Truman out Thursday. I began to feel sorry for that school nurse, no doubt more overwhelmed than usual. I thought I might send her a gift to show my appreciation, considering she had seen so much of my son these past two weeks.

Check out what I found! It’s a gift set especially for school nurses! This gift set from Educational Innovations/Teacher Source is adorable, funny, and outrageously expensive, but it includes several giant Microbes including Louse, Sore Throat, Stomach Ache, Common Cold, Cough, Ear Ache, Flu and Mono. Or, as the Web site says, “the germs most common in schools.” Now, what better way to show your appreciation to the school nurse than giving her germs? Awesome!

Photo, Educational Innovations, TeacherSource.com

Post from: Blisstree

Great Gift Idea for Overworked School Nurse

IMG: CinergyHealth.com

already marked itself in our history books. So far there have been 1,154 deaths from the Swine flu around the world. (according to a CNN report from August 5th, more have died since then)

With this month being the month for kids to start back in school, many will be coming in touch with others that have bad germs and bring it home. Dr. Erika Schwartz has stated that the CDC reported 436 deaths and 6,506 hospitalizations from the swine flu alone. With the opening of the school year how many more will come about? Can we help stop it? What must the school do in order to cut back on those germs?  She has come up with a list of tips on how to prevent the swine flu from entering your home.  

IMG: Sxc.hu

Swine Flu Prevention Tips

-  Teach your students to wash their hands throughout the day.

-  Keep anti-bacterial pumps accessible in the classroom. Explain what the pumps are and when it’s appropriate to use them.

-  Remind the students not to touch their eyes, nose and mouth with their hands. Germs are spread when a child touches something that is contaminated and then touches her or his eyes, nose or mouth. Also they spread when kids sneeze and cough without covering

-  Sharing food and drink will also spread germs.

-  Explain to students the importance of getting at least 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Make them aware of how it affects how they feel, their energy level, their moods, etc. the next day.

-  Teach your students to eat three full meals and several snacks a day which are balanced complex carbohydrates, protein and are chock full of fruit and vegetables. Stay away from pre-prepared, high sugar, soda and preserved foods.

-  Keep children hydrated. Kids should be drinking 4-6 glasses of water a day. Help them choose water over sugary drinks.

-  Dissuade children from sharing cups, straws and bottles (anything they have direct mouth contact with will spread the germs).

-  Make sure the children are getting sufficient exercise. Children should be doing aerobic activity at least 5 days a week during recess, gym class or after-school sports.

-  Don’t send sick children to school; likewise, send them home if they get sick at school. Allowing children to stay in school is the fastest way to spread germs and illness.

-  Send a “Flu Prevention Tips” letter home with students to give to their parents. The same tips should be practiced at home to assure a healthy school year.

-  If you notice a child with the beginning symptoms of a flu or cold, let their parents know immediately. Helping prevent the flu or cold developing with vitamin C, hydration, rest and chicken soup is critical.

Dr. Erika Schwartz, Medical Director of Cinergy Health is a general internist, an authority on preventive health and a patient advocate.  She is a 25 year health industry veteran, working in both an ER as well as a private practice.

Do you have any other tips?

Post from: Blisstree

Swine Flu Tips from Dr. Erika Schwartz

Here’s what WebMD had to say:

“Antibacterial soaps do not provide a benefit above and beyond plain soaps for generally healthy people living in the community,” researcher Allison Aiello, PhD, tells WebMD.

“Washing your hands is extremely important for preventing the spread of infectious illness, especially at critical points like after using the toilet, changing the baby, or handling raw foods. But consumers can’t assume that antibacterial soaps are better for this than other soaps.”

The article also gets into antibacterial resistance, which is a hot topic for people concerned about creating superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics (which, incidentally, is one reason to take your antibiotics as directed and as long as directed so you don’t allow stronger strains of bacteria to remain in your body undeterred by incomplete dosing).

So what do you think? Will this change your soap buying habits?

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

Regular Soap and Antibacterial Soap Are Equally Effective

Next time you drop something on the ground, blow (or rinse) it off and go to town! But you may want to think twice before you do any of these common things.

Use an ATM, elevator, or pay phone. A 2004 telephone survey revealed that “Sixty-four percent of the public thought that a public restroom doorknob has more germs than an ATM but — surprise! — ATMs have more germs.” (source)

“Most people consider Port-a-Potties and other public toilets to be the worst places in terms of surface germs. But in reality, they don’t even come close to what you’ll find on ATM machines, phone receivers, and elevator buttons,” he tells WebMD. “That’s because those toilets are cleaned and disinfected regularly. But when was the last time a typical phone or buttons on an ATM machine or elevators were?” (source)

Take a dropped fork or spoon back out of the sink and use without washing it first. “Most people are unaware that the kitchen sink is one of the germiest places in the house; it’s even more contaminated with bacteria than the toilet bowl and garbage can.” (source)

Touch your desk/phone/mouse/keyboard at work. “Desks are really bacteria cafeterias…They’re breakfast buffets, lunch tables and snack bars, as we spend more and more hours at the office. Germ levels on desks could be considered a business liability.” (source)

Eat without washing your hands after paying for your food. “Women frequently place their purses on the floor just about everywhere they go, so we’ve come to think of handbags as walking ‘bag-teria…But seems men may now have a good excuse to think twice before reaching for their wallets.” Men’s wallets were revealed to be four times germier than women’s purses. (source)

Use a shopping cart at the grocery store. “According to a four-year study conducted by the University of Arizona’s Environmental Research Lab and sponsored by Clorox, grocery carts are veritable petri dishes teeming with human saliva, mucus, urine, fecal matter, as well as blood and juices from raw meat.” (source)

Other disgusting surfaces:

• Picnic tables, playgrounds, airport bathrooms, and hotel rooms (source)
• Pens–your own and other people’s (source)
• Kitchen sponges, refrigerators, escalator handrails, and subway turnstiles (source)

The best way to fight back against germs and other disgusting things (Fecal matter on shopping carts? Eww, eww, eww!) is to wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes when your hands aren’t sparkling clean so you don’t transmit disgusting nastiness into your body. Can’t get to a sink? Carry a purse-size bottle of hand sanitizer and use it frequently.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

Eating Off the Floor Isn’t Really Bad for You–But You May Be Surprised at What Is!

“Basically, what we find is that we could knock out most bacteria in two minutes,” says researcher Gabriel Bitton, professor of environmental engineering at the University of Florida, in a news release. “People often put their sponges and scrubbers in the dishwasher, but if they really want to decontaminate them and not just clean them, they should use the microwave.”

Have you ever microwaved your sponge or dishcloth? If so, you probably already know the important details. For those new to the idea, keep these tips in mind:

• Microwave only sponges or plastic scrubbers that do not contain steel or other metals.
• Make sure the sponge or scrubber is wet, not dry.
• Two minutes should be enough to kill most disease-causing germs.
• Be careful in removing the sponge from the microwave because it will be hot and should not be handled immediately after zapping.

Read the whole article here.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

You Can Kill Germs With Your Microwave