The new way to cough

by Vicki Blankenship (Subscribe to Vicki Blankenship's posts)
Jan 9th 2007 1:27PM

Categories: Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements

Signs posted up on doctors walls, television coverage, health news broadcasts, and even commercials all emphasizing the new proper procedure on how to cough in public. We are now supposed to cough into our sleeve or a napkin, tissue, hanky, or something cloth to catch the germs. Coughing on the hands or just straight out in to the air can transfer germs for up to eight hours as they float about waiting to land on something or you spread them around with your hands on everything you touch.

With all of this coverage, I still witness lots of people coughing unprotected into the air or on their hands. So what will change the habits of millions of people daily? I think it begins at home with mothers teaching the proper way to cough while impressionable minds still can grasp the new concept. I also think the school systems should jump on board emphasizing the proper way to cough and protect others from spreading germs. But for us old farts out here, well...., that lesson may be harder to teach. We just need to get a better prospective on how our carelessness can affect a lot of people and build a conscious. Nothing like getting coughed on a hundred times in a doctors office by people ignoring posters plastered all around the office on the proper way to cough to realize this.

I have had friends over the years make fun of me lovingly when I raise the neck of my shirt and cough down inside my shirt saying I look so funny doing that. I felt it was the best way on a spur of the moment kind of thing when the coughing urge hits, to keep my germs from flying about. Who is laughing now?

Comments (4)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

MaryKN 1-09-2007 @ 2:59PM

Coughing into one's hands, the traditional way to keep germs from floating and being inhaled, does stop the spread of germs, even if they are transferred by touch. When you are out touching germy things, just don't touch a portal of entry into your body, such as the eyes, mouth, nose, etc., until you wash your hands! Respiratory germs on the hands don't infect the body unless they are transferred to the dark, warm, moist respiratory system, the perfect environment for bacterial growth.

Ron 1-09-2007 @ 3:21PM

I have always done this. Cough into your shirt or shirt sleeve rather than into your hands. I am currently ill with something and I try to keep my spreading of germs to a minimum. If it actually helps or not, I don't know. To me it seems better than hacking all over the open air or into my hands then touch everything without a care. This is probably how I became sick.

Gail 1-09-2007 @ 8:18PM

Check out www.coughsafe.com and watch the video. Humor is used to show how to keep your germs to yourself. It was put together by medical professionals; they do a nice job of making the point.

Unicorn 1-09-2007 @ 5:30PM

"I have had friends over the years make fun of me lovingly when I raise the neck of my shirt and cough down inside my shirt saying I look so funny doing that. I felt it was the best way on a spur of the moment kind of thing when the coughing urge hits, to keep my germs from flying about. Who is laughing now?"

I ALWAYS cough or sneeze down my shirt....This keeps my already germ ridden hands from touching my face. I wash my hands alot too. Especially after using public restrooms (ACK!!!) or shopping carts, elevator/ATM buttons, office phones, ANY public door handle
....Cripes! I carry that sanitizing hand gel with me....It doesn't feel like it works though. My hands are kind of sticky.