Is living like a slob good for your immune system?

[Artificial Emotion]

I was wondering if eating stuff off the floor that you've dropped like me and generally being unclean is good for your immune system?

 

[Bomboclat]

You know...they say its the kids who eat dirt who have the strongest immune system.

When I was younger I was the biggest slob ever, and got sick maybe once a year. Im no longer as much of a slob, but my immune system is still pretty strong!

 

[ColtDan]

not sure.. although everything is pretty unclean tbh. in the paper they said about mobile phones having more germs on them than a toilet seat or something. or a pc mouse and keyboard, i bet they have fuck loads of germs on them, and they can easily get into your mouth

 

[rincewindrocks]

^^i'd say its a two edged sword

as a kid, probably yes. Thats when your immune system is developing, and the more stuff it is exposed to, the more you'll be protected

however, once you grow up, your immune system starts weakening, so its probably a good idea at that point to clean up a bit

note that i dont think its a good idea to eat antibiotics or get immunizations unless the need is dire, no matter what your age. you are only hindering your body's natural defenses

 

[Mona Lisa]

I've also wondered about this. I hardly change my sheets and prefer how they smell with the natural oils on them. These never irritate my skin whereas many other things will. My guess is that we develop immunity to whatever germs are around us in the house.

I suspect that one reason why so many more children are developing allergies is because they're not allowed to get dirty like they used to do.

I have a feather pillow I'm very attached to and am convinced it doesn't cause me any problems but would imagine if I ever had to go into hospital that it might be forbidden due to the fact that it could pose a risk of infection to other patients who didn't share my immunity to the germs in it.

Another question I've often wondered is whether nurses/doctors have stronger immune systems due to being constantly exposed to germs in the hospital; ditto people in the tourism industry who are constantly coming into contact with people from all over the world and thus getting more exposure to their germs.

 

[addictivepersona]

I suspect that one reason why so many more children are developing allergies is because they're not allowed to get dirty like they used to do.

While this probably won't answer your question, when my brother and I were young, my pediatrician (who was originally from India) highly recommended my mom get us a pet (she had gotten rid of the rabbits while she was pregnant). Pet's, because they're typically not quite clean, help raise kids' immune systems.

I think more kids are developing allergies also because not only are their houses sterilized (we have one cleaner for killing germs, but that's only because you can't find toilet bowl cleaner w/o a disinfectant--At least I haven't been able to), but they're not going outside as much as kids 20 years ago were. My brother and I spent every day from 9a 'til 6/7p outside pretty much. Unless it was raining. We were never sick. (Until they dug a ditch through our backyard... Throat infections every spring from the stagnant water. But when we moved, those vanished.)

Ah, I seem to have went off on a tangent of my youth, haha. Anyways, my house is not sterilized, and while it's not quite a sty, we def. have "dirt" in the corners (esp. by the stove from crumbs lawl). My mom and I rarely get sick--When I get sick, there is a direct cause: Being around numerous kids (at my dad's house, step mom's family has like 83307893 children, who are all disgusting), sharing a pipe with someone who's sick (lawl, yes that was dumb), being in close proximity with someone who's quite sick (like, mad viral infections--at least that's what I think it was. I was out of school for two weeks, off work for three--Doctor's orders).

Ahhh, sorry I rambled. Hopefully some of this was on topic enough to be constructive instead of a waste of space... :-/

 

[Mona Lisa]

While this probably won't answer your question, when my brother and I were young, my pediatrician (who was originally from India) highly recommended my mom get us a pet (she had gotten rid of the rabbits while she was pregnant). Pet's, because they're typically not quite clean, help raise kids' immune systems.

I think more kids are developing allergies also because not only are their houses sterilized (we have one cleaner for killing germs, but that's only because you can't find toilet bowl cleaner w/o a disinfectant--At least I haven't been able to), but they're not going outside as much as kids 20 years ago were. My brother and I spent every day from 9a 'til 6/7p outside pretty much. Unless it was raining. We were never sick. (Until they dug a ditch through our backyard... Throat infections every spring from the stagnant water. But when we moved, those vanished.)

Ah, I seem to have went off on a tangent of my youth, haha. Anyways, my house is not sterilized, and while it's not quite a sty, we def. have "dirt" in the corners (esp. by the stove from crumbs lawl). My mom and I rarely get sick--When I get sick, there is a direct cause: Being around numerous kids (at my dad's house, step mom's family has like 83307893 children, who are all disgusting), sharing a pipe with someone who's sick (lawl, yes that was dumb), being in close proximity with someone who's quite sick (like, mad viral infections--at least that's what I think it was. I was out of school for two weeks, off work for three--Doctor's orders).

Ahhh, sorry I rambled. Hopefully some of this was on topic enough to be constructive instead of a waste of space... :-/

Yes, I can see how pets and playing outside along with avoiding overuse of disinfectant could help build kids' immune systems. Plus I feel people have become overly fussy about cleanliness. It's common sense to clean out a wound with disinfectant and to avoid contact with overtly sick people. But I'd gather that some exposure is also necessary.

Heard recently how a community in India that ate rats to avoid starvation gradually developed an immunity to the germs in the rats which would have made others sick. It's why we often get sick if we eat strange food when abroad, etc.

 

[moonyham]

I firmly believe that its a good idea to expose yourself to germs and flu's.

I wash my hands regularly, but i do many things that are not at all clean, ie go to net cafe's and eat with my hands while doing so, play with animals(cats, dogs), and many other things.

Generally, i never get sick. I get these.. 'micro sickness' things where i simply get a congested nose for a few days and thats it, and that happens maybe 10 times a year.

I never get bed-ridden sick, or so sick that i cant stop sneezing and coughing, although recently i had a cough, i think it was from irritation, not illness, as i felt completely fine but my throat was really itchy and everytime i coughed it made me want to cough more.

I share joints and bongs and shit with sick people, i dont care. I dont avoid sick people and i certainly dont walk around wearing a breathing mask. I feel like my immune system is VERY strong, and could handle far more than the average person.

I also believe that 'your immune system is developing when your a kid, so germ exposure is good, but when your an adult, its on a downward slope and getting worse all the time' is an absolutely load of SHIT. Id say the reason why people think this is because as adults, people do less dirty stuff. Kids play in the mud, and dont wash there hands, and put random shit in there mouths.. adults dont really do that stuff, so of course there immune system will get progressively weaker.. because they are progressively getting more pussy and being scared of germs, because of all the media and hysteria about how 'bad' they are.

I also share my drinks with people all the time. All my mates are like this, or most of them. For some reason in the last 12 months or so, everyone i know has sort of.. just stopped caring? Like it use to be like 'no lips bro' but now its like, just drink man, who gives a shit. None of my friends seem to get sick often either.

 

[tiggerific]

the bbc had recently done a news article about too many cleaning products causing cancer after a study in america was done. I do think over cleaning is over rated and although not a complete slob, I am pretty lax when it comes to these things. As such I have healthy kids myself and OH very rarely get any colds or flus so I think dont stress too much about it.
Besides you can not write in the dust if some meanie cleans it up all the time

 

[ChemicalSmiles]

You know...they say its the kids who eat dirt who have the strongest immune system.

When I was younger I was the biggest slob ever, and got sick maybe once a year. Im no longer as much of a slob, but my immune system is still pretty strong!

dirt eating thizz... lol %)