Our society is afraid of bacteria, the media promotes products such as antibacterial wipes for the home, and antibacterial gel for when we go outdoors. While most of us aren’t emetophobic, our fear of bacteria stems from manufacturers trying to cash in on their antibacterial products. Parents in particular are targeted by these unscrupulous sellers.
Bacteria and viruses exist all around us; it’s in the air we breathe and the things we touch. Our body is designed to keep these pathogens away, our skin is impervious to foreign bodies, and our immune system is effective against invading microorganisms. Sunlight is particularly effective at killing bacteria and viruses; Ultraviolet rays are known to kill by damaging your DNA.
Antibacterial products are made from alcohol, chlorhexidine, or other chemicals that have been shown to kill bacteria on a surface. Hospitals use these products to reduce the bacterial load in the environment, because bacteria and viruses found in hospitals are potentially harmful if released into the environment. Measures must be taken to avoid contamination of people or objects with potentially deadly bacteria, such as those resistant to methicillin. staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) gold tubercle bacillus which causes tuberculosis.
In the community, sunlight should suffice because airborne bacteria will settle as soon as the area is cleaned with an antiseptic. Although it is important to clean our living environment regularly, regular disinfection is not necessary. The media tries to portray bacteria as the malignant presence, but this is not the case. It is only necessary that people with immunodeficiencies find it important to remain in a sterile environment, but the rest of us can live in harmony with bacteria.
Bacteria are useful in health and research, it is through Escherichia coli that human insulin can be synthesized by using recombinant DNA technology. Without bacteria, much research is impossible to do, antibodies will not be created to help treat diseases such as multiple sclerosis or osteoporosis. Bacteria have always been a useful tool in health research.
Swine and bird flu are bacteria that used to be non-infectious to humans, but now we fall victim to these strains as well. Our immune system does not recognize these new strains as a threat and therefore we get sick. In a healthy person, rest and plenty of fluids should help the body recover; but the young and the elderly have a suboptimal immune system and therefore would have some trouble fighting off the bacteria.
Even in these cases, the use of antibacterial products does not prove that the infection does not spread. Although all surfaces are being disinfected, we are still at the mercy of our environment and the air. We can disinfect the air in our home, but public places like schools and library do not practice disinfection as liberally, therefore our hard work to avoid getting sick is frustrated by visiting places where sick people frequent.
So how do we avoid getting sick? Stress and dehydration can cause the body to sluggish and our immune system to suffer because of this. We must stay healthy by eating nutrient rich foods and drinking plenty of water, regular exercise is also important to keep our mind and body strong. Sterilizing and disinfecting everything we own is not the way to live, because we cannot stay in a safe bubble forever, but we can be prepared for the invasion of infectious bacteria.
