PrYou’ve probably seen these horror stories splashed across the news – patients limp into a hospital with a sore leg, and leave retching with a superbug polluting their system. Indeed, although bugs like MRSA mainly hit the elderly, even the young and healthy can be put at risk.
It’s terrifying stuff, the idea that a place of good health is actually making you more ill than when you entered. A BBC report from March of this year stated that a particularly resistant superbug may have been responsible for up to 16 deaths in a hospital in Manchester, and it’s just one report of many.
This isn’t necessarily due to hospital hygiene. In fact, it’s something more frightening – some germs and diseases have mutated to fend off usual treatments, becoming immune to antibacterial soaps and antibiotics.
However that’s no reason to avoid hospitals like they were some sort of plague-bearer. Instead, try a few of these tips to put your mind at ease.
Wash your hands at regular intervals as advised by the CDCP, keep freshly laundered clothes close to hand and keep your energy levels high with vitamins and minerals.
Research your hospital’s hygiene standards
While you might have read enough hospital horror stories to put you off your lunch for a few days, you’ll rarely hear the positives on the front pages of tabloids.
Newspapers, after all, have to sell, and hearing about the guy who entered a hospital and made a successful recovery isn’t quite as scintillating as the bogeyman superbug.
To ease your fears, read up on the healthcare cleaning plans carried out in utmost seriousness and professionalism by contract companies like Rentokil. Examining the thorough, precise and routine nature of a hospital’s cleaning procedures is enough to reassure you that, while superbugs still lurk, you won’t be recovering in a pit of filth.
Find out what YOU can do
When you’re feeling under the weather, it’s easy to shirk personal hygiene. You’re too downtrodden to shower, too weak to wash your hands and can barely muster the energy to change your clothes.
But don’t let that attitude take hold when you’re recovering in hospital. While nurses and doctors will ensure you maintain basic hygiene, you should always be conscious of going above and beyond the call of duty to stay fit and healthy.
Wash your hands at regular intervals as advised by the CDCP, keep freshly laundered clothes close to hand and keep your energy levels high with vitamins and minerals.
Speak to your doctors BEFORE your visit
While some doctors might seem like cold fishes, don’t let their aloof professionalism intimidate you. If you’re feeling worried about hospital germs, simply ask your doctor or some nurses how to stay hygienic and safe from superbugs.
These are people with a sworn duty to help you out. So ask as many questions as you like and your doctor will be more than happy to answer.
