Winter Health Tips for Individuals in Tampa, FL – Separating Fact From Fiction

How do you get sick? Misinformation is continually circulating on this topic, especially when the outdoor temperature dips during the wintertime. This is particularly true in the Tampa, Florida, area, where most people are unaccustomed to feeling chilly. The medical professionals at South Tampa Immediate Care can help you stay healthy in the winter – and all year round – by separating fact from fiction.

Fiction: You can get sick from being cold

Even though cold temperatures might make you feel uncomfortable, you can’t get sick from being cold in general, regardless of whether you are outdoors or indoors. That’s because germs cause illnesses, not cold temperatures. But, when it’s chilly outside, people tend to spend more time indoors – in close proximity to other people – and this can allow germs to spread more easily. That’s why more people tend to get sick in the wintertime. For this reason, spending time outdoors – even when it’s cold – can actually help you avoid getting sick.

With that said, it’s a fact that exposure to extreme cold can lead to frostbite and hypothermia. Both conditions can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of developing illnesses, including the common cold and flu.

Fiction: Hand sanitizer is ineffective

While it’s a fact that the best way to avoid spreading germs is to wash your hands – thoroughly and often – with plenty of soap and warm water, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer can quickly get rid of some of the germs on your hands, and this can be particularly helpful if soap and water aren’t available. However, it’s important to keep in mind that a hand sanitizer can’t destroy every type of germ or harmful substance that might be on your hands, and it will be less effective if your hands are very dirty or greasy.

If you need to use hand sanitizer in a pinch, be sure to read the label and use the recommended amount. Squirt the product directly into the palm of one hand, rub your hands together to spread it evenly over your hands and fingers, then allow it to dry before you touch anything.

Fact: Eating raw cookie dough can make you sick

This one’s true. If you eat a raw food ingredient such as eggs or flour, you could become ill. Raw eggs may carry salmonella bacteria. Raw flour is made from grains grown in fields that may be exposed to animal waste, and therefore may carry E. coli bacteria (these grains aren’t treated because it is assumed that flour is always cooked or baked before it is eaten, but you can rest assured that any store-bought cookie dough ice cream has been properly treated).

To help protect your health, you should never eat raw cookie dough. Also, be sure to bake cookies at the correct temperature for the specified amount of time, and always keep raw food ingredients separate from the foods that you will eat.

If you have questions or feel ill, you are welcome to visit South Tampa Immediate Care in Tampa, FL, where you can see a physician without an appointment any day of the week.