How Safe Are Our Hobbies?
Picking up germs are the last thing that we are thinking about when we are out shopping or playing computer games.
But it's something that we should be paying more attention to as research compiled by Dr Lisa Ackerley, visiting Professor of Environmental Health at Salford University on behalf of Cuticura, highlights that our favourite past times do carry health warnings.
1. Rustling up a roast
Little do they know it, but budding chefs are cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Cooking at home has risen in popularity with three quarters of Brits cooking from scratch daily .
But these culinary wannabes are at risk from the Campylobacter bacteria which can be caught from raw chicken on unwashed hands, chopping boards and knives and causes 300,000 cases of food borne illnesses each year!
2. Green-fingered gardening
The UK’s 20 million green-fingered gardeners could be left 'germ-fingered' if hit by the toxocarosis parasite which is transmitted from animals into the soil. In severe cases, infection may lead to eye problems, lung, liver, heart or even brain lesions .
3. Shopping with the girls
1 in 6 women are shopaholics and count shopping as a favourite pastime. But while a spot of retail therapy with girlfriends may seem innocent, superbugs such as MRSA and viruses can lurk on everything from changing room door handles to chip and pin devices.
4. Dinner and drinks
23 million people each year in the UK go for drinks and dinner with friends at least once a week, but these sociable occasions could be a germ minefield!
On nights out, germ-ridden hands come into contact with everything from contaminated peanuts on the bar, to shared garlic bread and poppadoms.
Even shaking hands could lead to transmission of germs from one person to the next. And imagine if someone has a food allergy - transfer of peanut protein from one person’s hand to another could be fatal.
5. Looking after Fido
47% of Brits owns a pet. But, while pets may be a man’s best friend, experts say they are your hand’s worst enemy. Pooper-scooping, changing litter trays and even stroking your pet can result in nasty parasites and bacteria being picked up, leading to illnesses such as diarrhoea.
6. Computer gaming
Have you ever thought about the germs on games consoles and arcade machines? 38% of Brits are regular gamers, but while they’re clocking up the points they might also be clocking up germs like Staphylococcus aureus and viruses that can cause symptoms like skin infections, diarrhoea and sickness.
People snacking whilst gaming can transfer bacteria straight from their hands into their mouths.
7. Raving at a festival
Glamping and festival-going has seen a rise in the number of people sleeping (and partying!) in the great outdoors - 140,000 attended Glastonbury alone this year.
But, unwitting campers are in danger of picking up E-coli from fields where livestock may have grazed. E-coli can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and, in severe cases, death.
8. Pumping iron
7.4 million of us have a gym membership but know little about the hazards to our health that lurk on the machines and in changing rooms. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and viruses may be left on equipment handles and can lead to illnesses such as skin infections and even flu.
9. Scoring a strike
It’s not just the ball that could be a hazard when out ten-pin bowling. Germs like Salmonella and Escherichia coli can linger in the finger holes and breed on finger tips and under finger nails - the biggest bacteria carriers on your hands!
If the previous bowler didn’t wash their hands after using the loo - then who knows what may be in the finger holes!
10. Do-si-do-ing
Experts even say that as gleeful as country dancing appears, there is a hidden, dangerous side to it. Moist hands are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria such as Shigella that can cause gastroenteritis. Think about that next time your do-si-do-ing with your partner at a Barn Dance!
Dr Lisa Ackerley says: "People should think of their hands as germ motorway. I would never want people to become obsessive about hygiene, but I know that understanding the facts helps tremendously in prevention of disease.
"The simple solution to prevent any risk to your health is effective hand hygiene. People should think about using a hand gel and should make sure they wash their hands thoroughly whenever they may be dirty and always before preparing or consuming food. Your health may be in your hands... literally!"
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