True or False: There is a good chance your health care provider’s stethoscope is covered with bacteria.
Answer:
True: Your health care provider’s stethoscope could be covered in bacteria, including some that are resistant to antibiotics. In one study, more than half of workers had never cleaned this standard piece of equipment. Your risk of getting an infection this way is probably low. But the odds drop even more if the diaphragm — the part that touches your skin — is sanitized.
Answer:
True: Petroleum jelly hit the market almost 150 years ago. It’s still a favorite of dermatologists. That’s because it seals water into your skin. That’s good for your wounds because they need a moist place to heal. It may take up to twice as long for dry injured skin to get better. This oily moisturizer may also ease the redness of a new scar and lower your chances of infection. It also won’t burn when you put it on.Â
True or False: Your Skin Plays an Important Role In Fighting off Bacteria and Germs.
Answer:
True: You may not think of skin as part of your immune system. But this crucial organ, covering an impressive 16 square feet, serves as a first-line fortress against bacteria, viruses, and other undesirables. To stay strong and healthy, your skin needs vitamin A. “Vitamin A plays a major role in the production of connective tissue, a key component of skin,” explains David Katz, MD, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Derby, CT. One of the best ways to get vitamin A into your diet is from foods containing beta-carotene (which gives them a vibrant orange pigment), like sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, canned pumpkin, and cantaloupe.
True or False: Tea is an immune system booster and helps to fight infection.
Answer:
TRUE: In a Harvard study, people who drank 5 cups a day of black tea for two weeks had 10 times more virus-fighting interferon in their blood than others who drank a placebo hot drink. The amino acid that’s responsible for this immune boost, L-theanine, is abundant in both black and green tea—decaf versions have it, too.
True or False: Covid-19 germs spread easily on flights because of how the air circulates.
Answer:
FALSE – The CDC also says that “germs do not spread easily on flights because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes.” Delta Air Lines, Southwest, United, and American use high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filters.Â
Answer:
False: Eat a healthful diet and don’t think that supplements can help you. No single food or vitamin can, by itself, boost your immunity. Overall, vitamins A, C, D, E, B6, B12, and folate, and the minerals selenium, zinc, copper, and iron, are essential for normal immune function.
Answer:
False: Sardines are high in Omega 3’s but they are low in mercury levels. Their little bones may help your broken bones heal faster. Usually packed into small tins with water, olive oil, or tomato juice, these tiny fish are full of calcium and vitamin D. They also have more bone-strengthening omega-3 fatty acids than most other fish. Bonus: Sardines are caught wild and young, which means their mercury levels are low.
Do you sleep with your fur baby? Rover or kitty’s hair and dander on your bedding become extra buffet fare for dust mites. Dogs with a skin condition called mange can spread mites that burrow under your skin. You won’t catch human scabies, but your skin can turn itchy and irritated. Your pets also can pass on a fungal infection called ringworm of the scalp. Aim to change your sheets once a week.
Answer:
False: Green leafy veggies are a go to for healthy blood and and healthy bone tissue. Small scrape? Knife cut? Start healing yourself with kale or other dark, leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, and collard and turnip greens. They have high amounts of the essential nutrient vitamin K, which helps your blood cells group up and clot. Not only does this stop you from losing more blood; it also protects your wound. K also helps your body build healthy bone tissue.
Answer:
True: Skip the honey-flavored lozenges and treat your cough with the real thing. Honey lessens inflammation, soothes pain, and kills bacteria. It’s also full of antibodies that fight viral infections. It’s packed with vitamins like niacin and vitamin C, and minerals like calcium and iron, for a healthy boost of energy. Add 2 tablespoons to warm water or tea for a natural cough suppressant with big benefits.
