HOW GERMS ENTER THE BODY Despite?
An excellent coat of armor
in the form of the skin and defensive mechanisms at body openings, germs do
find opportunities for getting into the body. Nose, Throat, and Lungs Many
bacteria and viruses gain admission through the nose and throat.
Microorganisms
generally flourish in moisture; and spitting, coughing, and sneezing keep them
circulating. A sneeze, as motion pictures show, consists of tiny droplets
expelled several feet and carrying with them large numbers of microorganisms.
Such diseases as the common cold, pneumonia, tuberculosis, whooping cough,
scarlet fever, diphtheria, influenza, and meningitis are spread this way.
They are circulated not only by the out rightly sick but by
people who are just "coming down" with a disease and by still others
who harbor or "carry" germs without themselves becoming sick.
It is not etiquette alone that demands that you cover nose
and mouth when coughing or sneezing. Germs in your nose and throat relish the
free ride and opportunity to spread and multiply. Never place in your mouth
pencils or any other objects handled by people.
And as much as possible, avoid
crowds during the "sniffle" season and during epidemics. One of the
most serious diseases spread by germ inhalation is tuberculosis-and more people
have tuberculosis than you may suspect.
The disease does not always reveal itself with outward
signs; a healthy-looking individual may have it. Any cough that persists more
than six weeks calls for a chest x-ray; and, in fact, everybody should have
periodic chest films to exclude tuberculosis. o. Sore throats, colds, and
coughs should be treated with rest and plenty of fluids until cured. Prompt
care of colds is important as a means of preventing serious complications.
Colds offer bacteria, especially streptococci and pneumococci, an opportunity
to multiply. Physicians have long urged avoidance of excessive physical
activity or other stress during a cold or other viral infection because,
somehow, stress seems to further complications. In polio-infected patients, for
ex- ample, strenuous exercise has seemed to contribute to paralysis.
Now recent
research suggests some reason for the harmful effect of stress. In animal
studies, investigators have been able to show that brain and central nervous
system viral infections, including polio, are enhanced when animals are given
doses of epinephrine (adrenaline) and serotonin.
