Encouraging doctors and nurses to wash their hands frequently has always been considered an effective way to curb the spread of infection in hospitals and other health facilities. But a research letter published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine points to another key group of people who aren’t always keeping their hands so clean and probably…
OK, so maybe you’re one of those people who don’t wash their hands even after going to the bathroom because your dad never did and he never got sick. Or you think a three-second hand scrub is more than enough. Or you squirt on some hand-sanitizer and figure you’ve done your duty. I have some…
As any parent of a young child can attest, small humans are basically germ factories. As they learn hygiene and how to care for themselves, kids are prone to lots of runny noses, coughs, sore throats and infections. That’s especially true for children in day care, who get more ear and respiratory tract infections than…
A senior food scientist and top NHS doctor have joined politicians from across parliament to demand action on the cancer risk from processed meats such as bacon and ham. In a joint statement, they called for government action to raise awareness in a similar way to campaigns on the health dangers from sugar and fatty…
It can be easy to conflate the common cold with the more serious flu when we’re hiding under a duvet feeling worse for wear. But how can we actually tell the difference between the two? While a cold and the flu share several symptoms, there are clear ways of differentiating between them – and this…
Tis the time for turkey and gravy and cookies and cakes. And after waiting all year to indulge in some of your favourite holiday foods, it’s understandable that it would be tough to hold back when it comes to chowing down. But eating those fancy feasts can really wreak havoc on your digestive system, leaving…
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is recalling certain cauliflower, red leaf lettuce and green leaf lettuce produced by Adam Bros. Farming Inc., based in Santa Maria, Calif., due to a possible E.Coli contamination. The following products have been known to be sold in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland…
Holidays mean food, and lots of it. If you’ve ever dug into the back of your fridge a week after Christmas and wondered if that slice of turkey was still good, or been disturbed by a gurgling stomach after trying it despite your doubts, this story is for you. How should you properly put away…
With the recent news of E. coli warnings, many grocery stores have pulled romaine lettuce, as well as lettuce and cauliflower off their shelves. Food safety comes down to how we handle our food, and washing it is a big part of it. Health Canada noted melons, for example, a fruit that doesn’t have edible…
It’s been longed believed that washing your hands in warm water is more effective at removing germs than cold water. However, a new study is turning that old notion on its head. According to researchers at Rutgers University, it makes no difference if you wash your hands in hot or cold water as both are…