As a woman, if you eat healthy, exercise frequently, jealously guard and protect your mental health, and drink lots of water, chances are you already think of yourself as being healthy.
And the healthcare community would agree with you. Unfortunately, these obvious causes of ailments are not the ones you need to be worried about. It’s the hidden ones that you’re not even aware of.
In this post, you’ll learn about the hidden dangers around you that can make you ill, and what you can do to avoid them. This way, you can stay in great health courtesy of your healthy lifestyle choices.
Your Beddings
If you’re like many women, you probably wash your beddings every chance you get. Yet, this study from the University of Manchester shows that most people’s primary source of exposure to allergens is their bed. Weird, right? Worse, depending on the humidity in the room, there are 110 mites per gram of mattress dust.
Disgusting, isn’t it? But that’s the reality. Your pillows in particular are home to one or more fungi that can trigger serious health conditions, especially if the individual who uses them is immunocompromised.
In fact, prolonged exposure to these microorganisms can lead to respiratory distress and other conditions. So, what can you do to remedy this? Invest in hypoallergenic beddings and pillows, aerate and/or dehumidify the bedroom, and open the drapes to allow some sunlight in the room.
Using Antiseptic Soaps
More specifically, antiseptic soaps containing the banned substances called triclosan and triclocarban. This chemical compound has been linked to liver disease and cancers.
Unfortunately, this is not the only place in which triclosan is used. It is found in some toothpastes because the manufacturers claim that it is effective at preventing the build-up of plaque in the teeth.
Even though antibacterial soaps are pretty popular, it is important to check them for evidence of these banned substances –look at their ingredients list. The same applies to your toothpastes and other dental cleaning agents that you use.
If you’re ever in doubt just use ordinary toilet soap and water. After all, there’s little or no evidence that antibacterial soaps are better than regular toilet soaps when it comes to eliminating microorganisms and disinfecting your hands and body.
Touching Public Spaces
You probably don’t know this, but public door handles, elevator buttons, hotel lobbies, restaurant menus, and balustrades among others are often a petri dish of potentially harmful microorganisms. These surfaces are usually the most polluted parts of every building. In fact, some reports estimate that public tables, for instance, have more microorganisms than toilet seats. Unfortunately, people touch these surfaces, pick up some of the microorganisms and go on to eat, pick their noses, or rub their eyes without first washing their hands. This means that they basically transfer these harmful microorganisms to their bodies.
Thankfully, because of the pandemic, many women have small bottles of hand sanitizers in their purses or bags. Use these right after touching any public space to disinfect your hands and keep them clean. Remember to wash your hands frequently too.
Louise Mercieca
Nutritional Therapist
Personal Trainer
Early Years Nutrition Consultant
Award-winning Author
Food & Health Writer
Presenter on Early Years TV Food
Keynote speaker
www.thehealthkick.co.uk