hygiene

Vuvuzelas and the Weather

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Bear with me, I’m sure there is a wellness tip in this topic somewhere. Regardless, I just couldn’t resist this one. So let’s get started.

Part 1. It’s been widely understood by meteorologist that rain drops, hail stones, snowflakes and all forms of precipitation require some particle to serve as a nucleus on which moisture can condense. The long standing belief was that these particles were microscopic dust, dirt and such. Some new research from Montana State University is revealing that there’s a biological rather than geological source to our weather.

The new research shows that for water to condense on dust or dirt and form ice crystals, the water needs to be much colder than the temperatures found in clouds. In analyzing hailstones from a Montana hailstorm in June 2010, researchers found an abundance of bacteria at the cores of the stones, leading them to conclude that bacteria was serving as the nucleus rather than mineral sources.

In fact, microbiologists have determined that clouds are filled with bacteria, fungi, diatoms, and algae that can serve as nuclei for the formation of precipitation. One well studied bacteria, pseudomonas syringae is known for its ability to bind water molecules. P. syringae is a plant pathogen that causes frost damage which then enables the bacteria to invade the plant cell. In the atmosphere, P. syringae is found in ice crystals and snowflakes across the globe, including Antartica which is void of plant life, verifying its abundance in the atmosphere.

Part 2. Last year’s Soccer World Cup brought the vuvuzela to the world’s consciousness as a superior noise maker for sporting fans. Recently, organizers of the 2012 Olympic Games in London England announced that they are considering banning the vuvuzela from the games, not just because of their loud noise, but also because of their ability to spread airborne virus and bacteria.

Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that just as with a cough or sneeze, blowing through a vuvuzela produced similar airborne projectiles. Using a laser measuring device, researchers found that on average 658,000 lung particles per liter of air were expelled from the horn at a rate of 4 million per second. By comparison, only 3,700 particles were expelled per liter of air while shouting, at a rate of only 7,000 per second.

Critics of the proposed ban are calling for better vuvuzela etiquette rather than restricting the horns entirely. Perhaps, just as with a cough or sneeze, we should expect people to cover their vuvuzela before blowing. Either way, with all of the vuvuzela blowing during last year’s World Cup, you’d expect a lot of airborne particles floating around the atmosphere.

Part 3. So with all of those airborne particulates of bacteria and other stuff from the lungs of the soccer fans in South Africa last summer, and given the increased ability of certain bacteria to be better nuclei for rain, snow and hail, it would stand to reason that Cape Town experienced some whoppers of a thunderstorm during the soccer tournament. That’s a study that I’d like to see the results of!

But for now, please aim your vuvuzela into your sleeve the next time you blow. Thank you.

About Paul Kulpinski, LMT

Paul Kulpinski is a licensed massage therapist, holistic wellness educator and co-founder of Mountain Waves Healing Arts in Flagstaff, Arizona. Information contained in this blog should not be taken as medical advice. Readers are advised to validate the information presented here with other sources including your personal physician for information specific to you.

Simple Solutions to Prevent the Spread of Flu Virus

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The current buzz in the media and around the water cooler is about the upcoming flu season, especially the H1N1 strain of influenza – or the “Swine Flu”. While the main focus of the discussion centers around getting immunized, there are some simple habits around good personal hygiene that are key to keeping the spread of virus in check.

First it’s important to remember that viruses, like all flu strains, are transmitted in airborne water particles usually launched by a cough or a sneeze from the person with the infection. Being in the vicinity of that cough or sneeze, you might inhale those water particles, or get some on your clothing or hands then touch your mouth, nose or eyes. Any of which will easily accept the water particle carrying the virus. Now, let’s get real. “Water Particles” is a nice way of saying mucus or saliva. That’s what you’re really breathing in or putting into your mouth from the other person, along with that flu virus. Yuck!

You don’t even need to be all that close to the person sneezing or coughing. The sneeze or cough can launch those mucus particles several feet and many of the micro-droplets will stay airborne for some time. Typically, these droplets are so fine that we don’t even see them, so we don’t have an awareness of their impact, until it’s too late and we’ve come down with the flu. Here’s a good video to explain an experiment by Ruth Carrico of the University of Louisville, designed to teach health care workers about the impact of a cough or sneeze from a patient. Watch it here.

The first thing that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends is to stay home when you are sick to avoid spreading the virus. Secondly, they teach the practice of “covering your cough”. This is done by covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue. If a tissue is not available, they recommend using the crook of your arm (elbow) to block the cough or sneeze. This is different from when we were taught to cover your cough with your hand. The reason is (and the video shows this clearly) that all of the mucus particles and the virus are now on your hands when you cover your sneeze with your hand. When you then touch something, like a doorknob, a computer keyboard, or someone’s hand in a handshake, you’ve just transmitted that virus. You are less likely to transmit the mucus droplets via your elbow. Finally, if you do use a tissue, throw it away. Don’t reuse it. Then wash your hands. More on that later.

For those of us who use a handkerchief, while the CDC doesn’t specifically address them, handkerchiefs are reused through out the day and are more likely to spread virus as those moisture laiden “snot rags” are fermenting away in your pocket. While I always carry one, it’s probably a better idea to use a disposable tissue during flu season.

The CDC also recommends washing your hands regularly during the day, especially after coughing or sneezing, after using the restroom, before preparing and/or eating food, the list goes on. The see the complete list, click here. When washing your hands, use warm water to wet your hands. Then lather with soap and rub all of the surfaces of your hands: the palms, back of your hands, and especially the fingernails. Continue rubbing for at least 20 seconds. Then rinse with warm water and dry your hands with a paper towel.

If soap and water are not available, the CDC recommends using an alcohol based hand sanitizer by applying it to one hand then rubbing both hands together covering the surfaces of both hands and fingers with the product. Continue rubbing until your hands are dry.

Finally, keep your immune system supported with plenty of sleep, regular physical exercise, nutritious foods, plenty of water and manage your stress with regular massage therapy, meditation, yoga or tai chi.

Sure go ahead and get the flu shot, but you’ll still need to practice these simple personal hygiene techniques to keep yourself and those around you protected.

Sources:

CDC: Seasonal Influenza

CDC: Clean Hands Saves Lives

How Far Can A Cough Spread Germs?

University of Louisville Cough Simulation Video

Discovery Channel News: Coughing Robot Spews Flu Germs

About Paul Kulpinski, LMT

To Floss or Not To Floss?

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dentalfloss I’ve always had good teeth. So much so that when I was about 16, my dentist told me that I’d never have to worry about flossing. Well, those words were like a license to kill! Since then, I’ve rarely flossed. Oh yeah, in my recent years there were the fleeting attempts of developing a new habit after visiting the hygienist who would scold me about not flossing, even while admitting that I had great teeth. Of course, I’d brush twice a day, but flossing for me never caught on. I’d hear my old dentist say “you’ll never need to floss” and I’d lull myself back into complacency. Over the years, what I’ve come to learn is that flossing is not about your teeth, but rather it’s about your gums. No matter how good your teeth are, if your gums are unhealthy say good-by to those great teeth.

Here’s why. There are over 600 types of bacteria in your mouth. If left alone, they form a film on your teeth called plaque. The bacteria produce acids and other toxins that eat away the enamel on your teeth causing cavities and irritate the gums causing gingivitis. Over time, the bacteria that is irritating your gums migrates further and degrades the bone that hold your teeth in place (periodontis). Even worse, the same bacteria has also been linked to heart disease, heart attack and stroke. So not only can you lose your teeth by poor oral hygiene, but you can also lose your life!

Earlier this month I once again found myself in the hygenist’s chair for my 6 month cleaning having the same conversation about flossing and why I don’t. I got to thinking about short cuts around the flossing issue while still preserving my gums, teeth and life. Eureka! The solution was mouthwash! After all, if all I need to do was kill the bacteria, there’s nothing better than some Listerine to flow into all those hard to reach places even places that floss can’t get! I was saved!

Well not so fast. Here’s what my hygienist explained to me. It’s not only about killing the bacteria. It’s more about removing the rough surfaces that the bacteria like to hide in. You see, the bacteria create the film that creates the plaque that the bacteria like to hide in. It’s kind of like a coral reef, where the organisms create some calcium that starts the reef that attracts more organisms that lays down more calcium and so the coral reef grows. That’s kind of like what plaque is: a coral reef growing on your teeth and gums. Mouthwash might wipe out some of the fish and plants growing on the coral, but it doesn’t remove the coral. So by morning you have a fresh colony of plants and new schools of fish swimming across the plaque reef in your mouth. When it comes to your mouth, you’ve got to knock down the coral so there are fewer places for the bacteria to hide and grow – then you can kill them with mouthwash! That’s what brushing and flossing does.

Brushing gets the plaque that has built up on the surface of your teeth. But these bacteria are tiny and live in between your teeth and also below your gum line. That’s where the floss come in. It really doesn’t take a whole lot of effort either. In fact too much effort with a toothbrush or floss can be as bad as too little. The goal with flossing is to simply break the bond between your teeth and gums that was created by the plaque. This brings in oxygen and allows the mouthwash to penetrate and kill the bacteria. With a little practice, this can be done very quickly.

So from that conversation at the dentist’s office, I decided to try a little experiment. I’ve changed my daily oral hygiene process to incorporate not only my usual brushing, but also some new brushing techniques, some mouth wash and yes, some floss. Here’s my method.

Morning:

1. Floss between all teeth starting below the gum line and up toward the top of the teeth.

2. Dry brush the surface of my teeth with firm but gentle pressure using a soft bristle toothbrush. This removes the plaque on the surface of the teeth. I check for its effectiveness by running my finger over my teeth and listen for a squeak. If the squeak is weak, I’ll brush that area a little longer.

3. A gentle application of toothpaste (only about the size of a small pea) on the toothbrush. The goal here is not vigorous brushing, but rather applying the toothpaste onto the tooth as kind of a polish to protect the surface of the teeth.

4. Apply a little bit of mouthwash to the toothbrush and gently brush along the gum line. I’ll also include the surface of my tongue because most of the bacteria that causes bad breath lives on the tongue.

5. Finally a quick rinse with the remaining mouthwash and I’m finished for the morning.

Evening:

1. Brush with a pea sized amount of toothpaste as normal.

Actually, the morning routine doesn’t take as long as you might think. It lasts only about 2-3 minutes which is just the right amount of time for good oral hygiene, according to dentists. So far, I’ve noticed that my mouth feels fresher longer into the day, even when I eat breakfast after I’ve done the ritual. I think that’s a good sign. But the final test will be in six months when I go back to the dentist for my next cleaning and see if there has been noticeably less plaque buildup for the hygienist to scrape off and if she notices that my great teeth also have equally great gums! I’ll let you know in March.

Sources:

About.com Video: How to Floss Properly

About Paul Kulpinski, LMT