Fiction is now fact
Ten or fifteen years ago we can all remember standing in line at the grocery store and reading the headline of someone losing half their face to a killer infection. Well it’s no longer fiction. It is now here, going strong in our hospitals, schools, and gyms.
MRSA or Methicillian Resistant Staphylococcus Aurous, was once thought of as being something only found in hospitals. But that is no longer true. Today this disease is divided into hospital acquired or community acquired MERSA.
Hot spots to get MERSA are gyms and workout rooms. The papers are full of professional athletes such as Kellen Winslow Jr., Tom Brady, Jason Taylor, and Peyton Manning who are fighting this illness. And where did it come from? Most likely the workout room.
How is this disease being spread and what can be done to protect yourself? First at home clean, your showers and floors regularly and be aware of any cuts on your body and keep them covered. At the gym ask what is being done to prevent the spread of this potentially deadly disease. You can help protect yourself by carrying disinfecting sprays to spray down equipment before you use them. Another thing is to wear workout gloves. Always wear shower shoes to and from the shower. While getting dressed sit on a towel and not on the bench. If the gym provides towels make sure they are clean before using them. A hassle for sure. You might feel a little strange at first but remember this is your life we are talking about. If you don’t take care of it who will? These small steps can help you avoid MRSA.
You might want to know what this monster disease is all about and where did it came from. Well it’s an organism waiting on the skin to find entrance in any break in the powerful barrier named our skin. What has made this germ so virulent? That’s easy. We have used antibiotics so indiscriminantly that the germs have fought back and have become resistant to a large number of available medications.
There are antibiotics that will cure this disease. Vancomycin and Linezolid are just a few. These drugs have to be used with caution and as prescribed. We are in this mess because we have for a long time used antibiotics in ways not needed and not for the necessary length of time. Now we have a deadly antibiotic resistant organism.
We now have to protect ourselves by keeping even the smallest break in the skin covered. And when using the gym, pool area, and other communal places where people have large areas of exposed skin, make sure you are making every effort to clean your environment. Being proactive is not a suggestion. It’s a MUST!