Where can I pick it up? Sexual infections: where can you get infected? Free weight machines

In winter, we get sick quite often: the temperature rises, a cough and runny nose appear, and we feel unwell. The cause of infection is viruses. In Russia, up to 42 million cases of influenza are registered annually.

How and where can you catch the influenza virus?

The influenza virus is very contagious and you can catch it anywhere: at work, school, in transport. The virus begins to multiply in the upper respiratory tract - nose, throat, lungs, trachea. You can become infected through airborne droplets.

Types of influenza viruses.

Seasonal flu. Three types of virus cause exacerbation: A, B, C. The most dangerous of them are viruses of group A. Types B and C are less dangerous.

Swine flu. Swine flu formula A/H1N1. This type of flu is more contagious than seasonal flu. Both animals and humans are susceptible to the disease

Bird flu. Avian influenza A/H5N1 formula. You can only become infected with this type of virus by touching an infected animal. Wild birds often suffer from this virus. Isolated cases of human avian influenza have been recorded.

What's the difference?

The difference between swine flu and seasonal flu: more frequent ailments associated with the digestive system: diarrhea and abdominal pain. You can get sick with any type of flu several times. How to distinguish a cold from the flu? The flu is characterized by a sharp and sudden increase in temperature (up to 39 degrees), chills, muscle pain and headache. Every hour your condition worsens: cough, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea appear. On the third day, the symptoms of the disease increase. Then the disease subsides, but signs of the disease may persist even for two weeks.

What to do if you get sick?

If you get sick, never expect the disease to go away “on its own.” A quick visit to a doctor will give you a chance to overcome the virus right away. The effective action of tablets against the virus occurs in the first 48 hours after infection. Flu symptoms can also be mitigated with regular antipyretics. Cough syrups and tablets will help with a sore throat. For a runny nose, drops in the nose, but remember that it is not recommended to use the same drops for a long time. If you are sick with the flu, do not go to work, as you can easily infect your colleagues. If you have a fever, drink more water and tea with honey and lemon. The recovery process will go faster if you stay at home, warm up and get enough sleep.

Get vaccinated.

Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself from the flu. Vaccination is especially recommended for children, people with chronic diseases and the elderly. During the off-season, our immune system is weakened; vaccination in advance will help prevent the disease. Before vaccination, be sure to consult your doctor. If you were allergic to a previous vaccination, be sure to inform your doctor. The flu shot is a non-live vaccine. It does not contain a live virus, so you cannot get the flu from it. Viral proteins activate the immune system, which can cause flu-like symptoms. Don't be scared! This indicates that the drug worked. Dangerous complications. To avoid complications in the future, the flu must be treated completely. If conventional medications do not help or if after recovery your health worsens, then this is a signal that a bacterial infection may have occurred in the body. In this case, you need antibiotics. Complications: inflammation of the lungs and middle ear, bronchitis, sinusitis. Less common are inflammation of the kidneys and heart muscle.

Flu prevention.

*In case of any illness, it is important not to get infected.

*First of all, try to stay less in crowds of large numbers of people: in supermarkets, restaurants, cinemas. It is easiest to meet coughing and sneezing people there.

*When going outside, dress warmly. Try not to freeze and not stand at stops for a long time.

*Be careful about hygiene. Wash your hands often with warm water and soap. If you sneeze yourself, cover yourself with a tissue.

*If you have to come into contact with sick people, try to keep your distance and wear a medical mask.

*Take vitamins.

*Onions and garlic are the best folk remedies for flu prevention.

Thus, you have a whole list of means to protect against the flu. Choose what you like best. During the epidemic, only the lazy will get sick, those who simply did not bother to take action. Don’t be lazy, take care of yourself, your loved one.

In publications about STIs, one letter P somehow disappears by itself. Infections transmitted mainly sexually. This P, in particular, is the subject of heated debate between sufferers on the one hand and insurance companies on the other. What do insurance companies have to do with this? Usually, according to the terms of insurance, if the infection occurred through no fault of the patient, then it must be paid for. If the patient himself is “to blame” - he became infected during sex - he does not need to pay. This is where many myths in venereology originate. Let's figure it out.

For some reason, people consider the most common methods of non-sexual infection to be visits to the CVD and gynecologists (they say, insufficiently sterilized instruments), as well as to the swimming pool, sauna, toilet, etc.

I’ll tell you right away about my colleagues. In fact, the use of disposable instruments has already become almost universal, and in those rare places where reusable instruments are sterilized, one should think not about STIs, but about other infections, the pathogens of which are much more stable in the external environment. Although, with proper infection control, such cases are nonsense.

Now about everyday cases of transmission. Here “not proven” does not mean absent. Because it would never even occur to anyone to experiment - seating thousands of people on a obviously contaminated toilet. And animals, on which it is not forbidden to conduct experiments, do not suffer from venereal diseases characteristic of humans. Therefore, it is impossible to talk about a certain percentage of household infections, as most popular scientific medical media do.

However, it must be taken into account that most STI pathogens, except perhaps scabies, survive extremely poorly in the external environment, so in order to become infected in this way, you need to try very, very hard and sit on the toilet literally when it has not yet cooled down from the previous occupant ... And yet, according to statistics, if an event happens with a probability of one time in a thousand, then in a million cases there will already be a thousand hits.

Have I personally encountered cases of domestic infection? Yes, we met. But this was less than a dozen people per year in a city of a million and, most likely, was associated with such unhygienic habits of which I do not suspect my reader. (for example, “sterilizing” spoons or nipples that have fallen on the floor by licking). There have also been cases when blood or other biological fluids got onto open wound surfaces (during a fight or from a surgeon who cut himself during an operation). So there are other, non-sexual ways of transmitting STIs. But this happens so rarely...

Therefore, if at a New Year’s corporate party you sat on the toilet without first testing for STIs or were simply in the sauna or swimming pool, there is no need to worry. But if something else happened during the celebration, you need to think about how to get it checked in time. And if infection has occurred, then the question is how exactly it happened. The main thing is how to recover as quickly as possible and with minimal consequences.

List of reasons for urgent examination:

• The appearance of discharge (any) from the urethra in men and copious or green/yellow or unpleasant-smelling discharge from the genitals in women.
• Pain, itching, pain when trying to urinate (happens most often) and/or the same sensations in the genital area, anus, perineum.
• Frequent urination in small portions (pollakiuria). A very specific symptom.
• Difficulty urinating.
• The appearance of any rashes on the genitals, spots, ulcers, erosions, blisters, growths.
• Enlarged lymph nodes.

Reasons for a routine examination:

• Chronic urological/gynecological diseases: prostatitis, vesiculitis, spermatocystitis, adnexitis, persistent cystitis, etc., everything that ends in -it.
• Diseases of the joints with a characteristic “staircase” lesion. This is when small joints are affected first, and then large ones. However, it is a good idea to get tested for any joint pathology.
• Sexological disorders (weakened erection, accelerated ejaculation, etc., etc.).
• Infertile marriage: absence of pregnancy after two years of regular unprotected sex.

Reason for regular examination:

• Sexual relations with different partners, even if you are sure that the sex was “protected”. It is necessary to be examined at least once a year, suspicious people or those who often change partners - once every six months.

Good health!

Leonid Shchebotansky

Photo thinkstockphotos.com

There is an opinion in society that lice can only be contracted by families with low incomes and those who do not maintain sanitation.

In fact, there is some truth in this, but it is not the poor who get sick, but those who neglect the cleanliness of the body. Often a person who regularly observes body hygiene becomes infected.

The disease does not matter at all who you are: an authorized person or a homeless vagabond.

People should be aware of how they can become infected with lice and warn children against head lice. After all, it is they who often fall into the risk zone due to ignorance and carelessness.

Lice need places with good innervation, that is, blood supply. Blood flow is increased in the head and groin.

Three types of bloodsuckers can live on humans:

Not all drugs are suitable for older people. It is important to understand that any anti-pediculosis drug is an intoxication of the body.

If after use you feel nausea, weakness and dizziness, this is the toxic effect of toxic substances that have penetrated the systemic bloodstream. Tell your doctor about the problem.

Do not use the drug more often than indicated in the instructions. Observe the exact dosage and frequency of treatment.

Attention! Do not apply to blood suckers:

• Kerosene;
• Petrol;
• Diesel fuel;
• Ammonia;
• Hot pepper gruel;
• Disinfestation products (aerosols and sprays, for example, Dichlorvos);
• Undiluted vinegar essence.

A vinegar solution is used as a rinse aid and as a... The individual cannot cling to a smooth surface. The hair shaft becomes silky because... the hair scales close.

At the end of the baiting, vinegar water is applied to facilitate combing out the nits. Without such preparation, you have to tear off the eggs along with the hair.

Pharmacy chains offer the use of modern anti-pediculosis drugs:

• Benzyl benzoate – gel, ointment, spray;
• Sifax – shampoo or spray;
• Pediculin – shampoo;
• Anti-louse – shampoo with comb included.

After applying the drug to the head, it should be wrapped in a plastic bag for several minutes to kill off the insects. After rinsing, dead specimens are combed out.

Place a sheet of white paper in front of you and carefully comb each strand with a comb. At the end of the procedure, inspect the hairline, mechanically removing dead nits and adults.

Each one should be crushed. The absence of a characteristic click means: the louse is dead.

It’s not a shame to be sick, it’s a shame to remain silent about a disease that can lead to an epidemic.

Have pity on other children and tell teachers about the problem. An experienced teacher will not voice the name of the patient, but will notify the parents about what happened.

This is perhaps the only place where everyone goes before and after classes. From shoes left outside the door to dirty towels that weren't put away on time, it's as if this room is asking you not to spend much time there.

How to protect yourself: bring a towel with you, walk around the room and shower only in slippers, don’t touch other people’s things and don’t hang around there for half an hour.

Training mat

Not everyone carries a sanitizer with them and wipes the surface after use (often this is completely prohibited by the club rules). So an innocent rug turns into a formidable biological weapon!

How to protect yourself: Bring your own mat and practice on it. If we are talking about a short warm-up, choose exercises that do not require lying or sitting on the floor.

Free weight machines

Three out of four visitors use them, so there are bacteria on them for every taste.

How to protect yourself: Wipe the surface with a damp cloth before and after, do not use for too long, wash or dry your hands after use.

Drinking fountain

Water is critical when playing sports. Alas, drinking fountains are not at all hygienic, and all sorts of crap accumulates in stationary coolers.

How to protect yourself: Carry a bottle of water with you. And yes, wipe it with a napkin to get rid of germs on the surface.

Pool

Even if you divide the horror stories about swimming pools by 50, this area will still remain not the most favorable for health. Particles of sweat and other secretions get along even with bleach, and considering that some people consider it unnecessary to take a shower before swimming...

How to protect yourself: Be sure to wear swimming goggles and a cap. A sign of a dirty pool is a persistent smell of chlorine in the air. This means that the chemical is fighting microorganisms and the water is not as clean as it should be.

Treadmill

This is perhaps the most popular equipment in the gym. Of course, sweat, saliva and other unpleasant things settle on it. Studies have shown that a treadmill has 74 times(!) more bacteria than a public shower faucet.

How to protect yourself: wipe surfaces before and after. You don’t have to touch the track itself; everyone still wears shoes, but carefully wipe the handles (and, if possible, the buttons).

Every day we come into contact with pathogens many times. Should you worry about this, what diseases should you be wary of, and how can you prevent infection?

Of course, children have the greatest chance of catching some kind of infection. They wash their hands less often, fidget in the soil more often, touch everything and put it in their mouth. In addition, the immune system of babies is not as strong as that of adults.

An explanation for especially anxious mothers: after reading this article, you will want to put your little one in a sterile capsule and not let him out. Calmly! The probability of getting sick is not 100%, and this information only serves to warn you when you should be more careful.

How can you become infected by airborne droplets?

All kinds of acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, as well as subtypes of influenza are the most common diseases. And it’s not surprising: for your child to catch such an infection, all it takes is for a sick baby to sneeze, cough or spit on him. And this can happen anywhere: on the playground, in transport, in kindergarten or school, etc.

More severe diseases transmitted by airborne droplets are chicken pox (also known as chickenpox), rubella, measles, mumps, diphtheria, herpes, tuberculosis, meningitis.

Prevention

Most of these diseases can be prevented through vaccinations. And the best tactics against acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections are ventilation, walks in the fresh air, hardening, nasal rinsing, good nutrition and healthy sleep. By the way, the most common cause of summer colds is the use of air conditioners at home and in the car. And the point here is not so much the temperature difference and hypothermia, but the bacteria and viruses that get into the ventilation systems and actively multiply there.

How can you become infected through household contact?

Scabies is caused by the scabies mite, which can also be transmitted through close contact, through someone else's bedding or clothing, furniture upholstery, etc.

By licking dirty objects, eating unwashed vegetables and fruits and kissing people he likes, the baby may well catch candidiasis (thrush).

Also, while playing with carriers of the infection, the toddler may develop impetigo, a skin disease caused by staphylococci and streptococci, or contract the papilloma virus.

Another danger is enteroviral infections, including polio, a terrible disease that affects the nervous system. Fortunately, thanks to vaccination, it is extremely rare these days.

Prevention

In these cases, thorough washing of hands, face and food will help, as well as avoiding close hugs and kisses with unfamiliar people.

How can you get infected through water and soil?

In the summer, kids especially often play in the sandbox, play near ponds and swim, and devastate their grandparents’ gardens and vegetable gardens. And here, of course, you shouldn’t let your guard down.

The eggs of worms and other worms are extremely resistant to environmental influences and can survive for a long time in the soil and on products. And who can guarantee that the sand from which your little one makes Easter cakes has not been chosen by some “wormy” cat?

By swallowing dirty water from a pond or eating unwashed vegetables and fruits, you can get acute intestinal infections such as cholera, dysentery, giardiasis, as well as get leptospirosis (this infection affects the liver, kidneys and muscles) or hepatitis A (aka jaundice).

If you prick yourself with something or get deeply wounded while walking, there is a risk of contracting the tetanus bacillus. Tetanus is a serious disease that affects the nervous system and causes severe seizures.

After swimming in a pond, children can get cystitis or urethritis, because stagnant water is full of bacteria. Due to physiological characteristics, girls suffer from them more often than boys.

Prevention

Thorough washing of hands, fruits and vegetables, swimming only in approved places, courses of anthelmintic therapy and timely vaccinations will help toddlers stay healthy.

How can you get infected from animals and insects?

Encephalitis is a terrible disease that everyone has heard about. This is an inflammation of the brain that never goes away without a trace. In nature, the encephalitis virus is carried by ticks, so in the warm season it is especially dangerous to walk through the forest in open clothes and with your head uncovered.

After petting an unfamiliar kitty, the baby may well catch lichen - a fungal skin disease. Playing with cats can also cause felinosis, often called “cat scratch disease,” a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the lymph nodes and fever.

Tularemia, a “mouse disease” that also affects the lymph nodes, causing intoxication and fever, can also be transmitted through contact with rodents and through insect bites.

Rabies is one of the most dangerous diseases that an animal can give a child. Bites from unfamiliar dogs, cats, rodents and forest creatures are scary.

Prevention

Do not walk in the forest with small children, do not allow them to approach unfamiliar animals, much less touch them with their hands. Remember: a healthy forest animal is afraid of humans! If a hedgehog, squirrel or mouse runs towards you without fear, this may not indicate a cheerful disposition, but that the animal is sick.

Myths and prejudices

There are also a number of diseases that are absolutely not contagious: atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, urticaria. Therefore, if you notice a rash or blisters on the skin of your baby’s friend, it is better to first tactfully find out from your parents about the reasons for their occurrence - your child can probably play with his friend without fear.