Posted by CarolCA on 9/24/2009, 7:17 pm |
- Re: Doctor handshake, again
Posted by Martha on 9/25/2009, 8:54 pm, in reply to "Doctor handshake, again"
68.12.160.104Seems to me rather than make an issue of handshaking, why not just keep your hands away from your face until you can wash them. I'm more concerned about inhaling air-borne particles. My doctor said to use a mask but I haven't quite gotten there yet.
This discussion has me wondering if all the doctors in Oklahoma are boors or if they are more germ-conscious than other places - they don't offer a handshake. When I saw my doctor last, he did a throat clearing cough into his arm. Just remembered that happened with my dentist, too.
On the subject of this flu - we've had another death (now 3) in our state. This one was a teenage girl. I suppose because of confidentiality concerns, they haven't said her exact age or town - just the county. I know of two other children who are in critical condition in the ICU at Children's Hospital. The hospital where I go for rehab still hasn't had any swine flu patients, although state-wide there have been in excess of 60 hospitalizations. - Re: Doctor handshake, again
Posted by John O. on 9/25/2009, 10:30 pm, in reply to "Re: Doctor handshake, again"
69.129.197.8Did the doc mean for you to wear the mask only when you were sick, to protect others from you, or wear it when you were well, to protect you from others who were sick (and presumably running around unmasked). I just wonder how much good it does in this latter case, over and above just making wide detours around those you observe sneezing or coughing.. - Re: Doctor handshake, again
Posted by Martha on 9/25/2009, 10:59 pm, in reply to "Re: Doctor handshake, again"
68.12.160.104He meant for me to wear one for my protection. He said any barrier that you can put between you and the virus helps. He doesn't believe that is a sure-fire protection but anything I can do to reduce my exposure is a good thing. At my stage, I simply cannot afford to be sick if I can possibly avoid it. Avoiding people sneezing or coughing does not guarantee protection either. People can have the virus, and pass it on, for 24 hours before they exhibit symptoms - those are the ones that concern me the most.
If I am sick, I'm not going to be in contact with anyone unless it's emergency care technicians. I'm going to assume they will take care of themselves. - Re: Doctor handshake, again
Posted by John O. on 9/26/2009, 12:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Doctor handshake, again"
69.129.197.8Glad to hear that message. I thought I was the only one to mask up in crowded places, and people telling me I didn't have to because I wasn't sick. - Prevention tips
Posted by Martha on 9/26/2009, 1:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Doctor handshake, again"
68.12.160.104I just read two tips that make sense to me.
Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you
don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the
throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms.
Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt
water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on
an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and
powerful preventative method.
Clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water.
Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra
Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the
nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds
dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral
population - Re: Prevention tips
Posted by PennyPA on 9/26/2009, 2:31 pm, in reply to "Prevention tips"
70.210.86.79Good ideas, Martha. I know I always gargle with warm salt water when I have a sore throat and the soreness is gone within a day or two. I also swab my nostrils with a saline solution whenever they're dry. I will start doing this daily...dry or not. - Re: Prevention tips
Posted by Martha on 9/26/2009, 4:20 pm, in reply to "Re: Prevention tips"
68.12.160.104While swabbing with the saline would be good, I think doing a saline nasal wash would be even better. I'm talking about the Neti pot or NeilMed's plastic squeeze bottle where you use 8 oz of solution. Using either the Neti pot or the bottle, you flush the sinuses and nostrils with the saline solution which should help wash out any bacteria or viruses. - Re: tubing fix
Posted by dan
on 9/28/2009, 8:14 pm, in reply to "Re: Prevention tips"
98.216.245.98I found it, no more tangles guaranteed to 100% ! I am not a spamer I am a user of this system ! - Martha
Posted by linda md on 9/26/2009, 6:17 pm, in reply to "Re: Prevention tips"
98.140.246.15Have you used the Neti Pot? I have been told to use it for my sinus problems and I just cannot bring myself to do it. I saw a video of someone doing it and I got sick to my stomach. I know I am a chicken, but if you have used it, what does it feel like and did it help. Thanks so much.
Linda - Re: Martha
Posted by nancy ma on 9/29/2009, 9:31 am, in reply to "Martha"
68.239.11.220martha
hi for me i use ayr nasal spray 2-3 times a day they also have the gel which is good. saline solution gives me a sore throat.
ayr is great.
- Re: Martha
Posted by Martha on 9/26/2009, 7:33 pm, in reply to "Martha"
68.12.160.104Linda, I have not used the Neti pot but I use a NeilMed plastic squeeze bottle. It holds 8 oz of water and you put a mixture of soda and salt in the warm water. Just lean over the sink and squeeze the bottle until half has been sprayed into one nostril and then spray the other half in the other nostril. The solution you spray into one nostril just comes out the other, along with whatever junk you have hiding in there. I think it feels good - just be sure you have warm water, too hot or cold is not good! I know it seems like you might choke or gag but you don't. It does help me a lot. The combination of soda and salt seems to help dry up drainage and reduce inflammation. I'm a believer!!
You can get a NeilMed kit at Walgreens, or other drug stores, that includes the bottle and packets of the salt/soda mixture. I think the whole thing was $10 or $12 - I think you get 100 packets in the kit. - Re: Martha
Posted by only me on 9/26/2009, 11:49 pm, in reply to "Re: Martha"
216.8.210.53Martha, i was scheduled for sinus surgery 4 months ago, told to use neilmed before and soon after to keep from getting dry crust, well i never tried it as i was a coward, but when i heard how bad it is after surgery when they clean the crust, i decided to try it when my husband was around, i said ok im going to try this, standing on porch he said what do you want
me to do , i said if you see it squirt out of my ears call 911:)
a nurse told me to hum ahhhhhhhhhhh when your doing it and you will be fine. WELL it went great
i could have kicked myself for waiting,2 months out im still using it and cancelled my sinus surgery
distilled water,packets or use your own salt - Thats great! n/m
Posted by Martha on 9/27/2009, 12:07 am, in reply to "Re: Martha"
68.12.160.104. - Re: Martha
Posted by John O. on 9/26/2009, 11:20 pm, in reply to "Re: Martha"
69.129.197.8Martha, do you use water straight from the tap or do you boil it? - Re: Martha
Posted by Martha on 9/27/2009, 12:04 am, in reply to "Re: Martha"
68.12.160.104John, my doctor told me to use distilled water. Actually, I think he should have said pasteurized but even that doesn't guarantee no bacteria. I've used the distilled and I've used tap water. I really don't think it matters but I suppose to be very sure you could boil it. It seems to me if it is safe to drink, it should be safe to irrigate my nose. - Re: Martha
Posted by CarolCA on 9/27/2009, 3:02 am, in reply to "Re: Martha"
98.248.53.53The NeilMed booklet says to use distilled or boiled. Our water is very hard and has lots of lime in it so maybe if your nose is already irritated it could make it worse. Since distilled has the minerals out of it I would guess that is the reason. Maybe some waters would be fine but then there are others that might have too much of something. - Re: Martha
Posted by Martha on 9/27/2009, 5:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Martha"
68.12.160.104I know I'm off the rails on this...one of many reckless things I do. The doctor didn't say anything about minerals, just bacteria. My water is very hard, too. I will tell you what will hurt - use plain water w/o the salt/soda or use hot or cold water. Any one of those will hurt. A lot. - Re: Martha
Posted by CarolCA on 9/27/2009, 5:39 pm, in reply to "Re: Martha"
98.248.53.53The one from Simply Saline that I got by mistake is just Sodium chloride and it stings sometimes. I do like their bottle better though. - Thanks
Posted by linda md on 9/26/2009, 9:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Martha"
98.140.246.15I appreciate the information, Martha. I will have to look into getting the NeilMed Kit. Sounds like a good deal. I'll let you know if I break down and give this a try. Thanks again.
Linda - Re: Prevention tips
Posted by JoeO FL on 9/26/2009, 2:50 pm, in reply to "Re: Prevention tips"
65.8.159.54I use the Ayr Saline Nasal Mist to keep the inside of my nostrils moist, and to help loosen up the crud that always seems to build up in my left nostril.
JoeO - Re: Prevention tips
Posted by CarolCA on 9/26/2009, 3:50 pm, in reply to "Re: Prevention tips"
98.248.53.53Joe, I use that also but I wonder if in this case it would be the best thing. I don't want anything sticking to the nostrils and wouldn't that be more apt to have things sick to it since it is a gel. It is great for dryness though. I am wondering if this new stuff you put on the outside of the nose for allergies would be good or bad because of that/ Have heard it works good for allergies as it acts as a block, I think. I think the rinse may be a better idea for something like the flu virus. Just a thought. - Re: Prevention tips
Posted by JoeO FL on 9/26/2009, 5:56 pm, in reply to "Re: Prevention tips"
65.8.159.54Carol,,this is not the Ayr Gel. It is a saline liquid in a squeeze spray bottle.
Joe
- Re: Prevention tips
Posted by CarolCA on 9/27/2009, 3:04 am, in reply to "Re: Prevention tips"
98.248.53.53Sorry, I misread that. I have that spray also. I thought I would like it better than the NeilMed sinus rinse but I don't like the pressurized ones I found. - Re: Doctor handshake, again
Posted by CarolCA on 9/25/2009, 9:25 pm, in reply to "Re: Doctor handshake, again"
98.248.53.53Martha, I think it is very hard to try and not touch your face for the length of the visit. As much as you might want to do that talking to the Doctor and getting examined I think it would be really hard to depend on remembering that. I just think it is unnecessary to shake a doctors hand every time you see him. In fact I think it is stupid. Maybe when you first meet them but every visit. No, nuts. Actually only my gastro doctors do it consistently and I know where they have been with those hands even if they were gloved. This gastro doc also coughed but turned his head, no attempt to block it though. - Re: Doctor handshake, again
Posted by Joe - Tx on 9/25/2009, 10:13 pm, in reply to "Re: Doctor handshake, again"
66.142.187.5Guess I could have done a better job on my previous post. Didn't mean to be critical of anyone. My Doc and I have been together 20 years and enjoy bantering with each other. It's a friendship thing.
I've never shaken hands with my Cardio or Vascular Surgeon and they know my insides fairly intimately.
I shake hands with my friends and wash my hands fairly often.
How did Obama survive? He's still out there shaking hands and he's healthier than a guvmint mule. - Re: Doctor handshake, again
Posted by CarolCA on 9/25/2009, 11:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Doctor handshake, again"
98.248.53.53Well, so far he is. Dr. Sanjay Gupta the one that he wanted for his Surgeon General is just getting over the H1N1. He's the doctor on CNN.
I understand about your Doctor. My regular Doc doesn't shake hands but I have never felt he is careful enough about washing his hands, especially when I have been in the hospital. I orderd 9 of those buttons with the pig that say "wash your hands" and hope they get to me by 9/7 cause he is going to be the first place I wear it when I get my flu shot. They were shipped today so maybe I will get it. We have a kitchen at our clubhouse so plenty of people that need reminding. - Re: Doctor handshake, again
Posted by Joe - Tx on 9/25/2009, 8:05 pm, in reply to "Doctor handshake, again"
66.142.187.5Can't understand the fear of ordinary living some people show. I shake hands with my Doc. He is a friend of mine and it is a mutual sign of respect to shake hands with another person.
When he thumps my chest or listens to heart, lungs and digestion with a Stethoscope he doesn't wear gloves.
When he and his nurse are working with bodily liquids they glove up.
I avoid contact with crowds and known sick people. Darn if I'm going to invest what's left of my life worrying about something that's never gonna happen. Next week I will have contact with a crowd getting a flu shot but it's worth the risk.
My plumber once told me to never shake hands with him. Good advice. - Re: Doctor handshake, again
Posted by garyTX on 9/24/2009, 7:59 pm, in reply to "Doctor handshake, again"
69.46.49.202Know what you mean Carol...bout the time I think all my doctors are trained to not shake hands, one will hastily extend his hand and I shake it without thinking till its too late...Your buttons sound like the best idea for a constant reminder... - All I need are 300 orders. LOL
Posted by CarolCA on 9/24/2009, 10:15 pm, in reply to "Re: Doctor handshake, again"
98.248.53.53. - PS found one on line
Posted by CarolCA on 9/24/2009, 10:37 pm, in reply to "All I need are 300 orders. LOL"
98.248.53.53Found a perfect button. Two hands shaking with the slash thru it and it says "Its Flu season" run about $4. Also a great one with a piggie on it and a mask on the pig that says "wash your hands". It is really cute. I know we can't post sites that sell things but you can find it if you google" handshake buttons". The pig is really cute. - Re: Doctor handshake, again
Posted by ElaineNY on 9/24/2009, 7:59 pm, in reply to "Doctor handshake, again"
64.12.117.20My NP put his hand out to shake and I did. I was careful not to touch my face and when I left the office went directly to bathroom, washed my hands good and used the hand sanitizer I have in my purse. They also have a foam sanitzer on the wall. ElaineNY