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View Full Version : emetophobia and germs



Gemzy
28-11-10, 01:08
hi all

well i have lived through the nightmare of my little girl being sick (just about anyway).

i am driving myself crazy now with all sorts or questions like why was she ill was it a bug? was it something else like dehydration or food poisoning? is my house not clean enough?

i know the above questions you cant answer for me and even if you did it probably wouldnt help me much now as she seems to be over it. but maybe someone can help me clarify how long germs live on surfaces etc????????? i have done the obvious and boil washed all sheets, bedding, clothes and teddy bears (not too many shrank ooops) im going on a monumental cleaning mission now though just to make myself feel better

Groundhog
28-11-10, 12:47
Hi I just posted this on another thread....

Recently I read an article about a guy who was preparing to go and live with a rain forest tribe for a few months and as part of his ordeal he would have to eat all sorts of rancid meat and bugs. To prepare for this he put aside all aspects of personal hygiene and food preparation and gradually introduced food with an ever longer passed sell by date to a point where it was believed he was eating food stuff that could not even be given to animals. Yes he had a few stomach problems on the way but gradually he became immune to it and spent the many months in the forest eating things not printable here with no side effects at all.

In my opinion you can be to clean, young children need to catch these bugs to build up an immunity so they can resist them when they get older. They are often better able to deal with them when they are young than they are when older. Take chicken pox for instance, my wife had this in her twenties and was desperately ill for weeks, when my daughter got it at eight I rubbed my son, then three, against her(No seriously) so he got it, he just took it in his stride.

Trust me you can be to clean so ease up on the housework:)

Gemzy
28-11-10, 15:10
so basically what your saying is that by being such a clean freak at home and not exposing my family to bacteria (or as few as possible as i know its impossible to be completely bacteria free) i am actually making us more likey to pick up bugs and stuff outside the home???????? oh god the trauma of knowing what to do for the best

Groundhog
28-11-10, 20:16
Yeah, think of it as a bit like inoculations, flu jabs that type of thing, basically they are small dose of the given disease/bacteria or whatever – not enough to make you sick with the disease but enough that your body recognises the full blown thing when/if it does came and can stop it in its tracks. Take the flu jab for instance people are given a very tiny amount of the virus the body’s defences then deal with it over a couple of days(Thats why some people feel slightly of colour for two/three days). Then if the flu bug hits them in the winter the body instantly recognises it and stops it before it gets hold. Exposure to some dirt and grime has the same affect – builds up an immunity.