Is My Doctor's Office A Health Hazard?

By Author: Jeni Stevens
Total Articles: 15
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I wondered those exact words to myself as I wiped a sneeze off of my sleeve so graciously bestowed upon me from the person in the next chair over. I've never been a fan of doctor's offices for this exact reason. I go to the doctor to get healed from my current illness, not to pick up a different one. Concerned, I spoke with my doctor, and then headed home to do some research of my own. The conclusion I came up with will differ from time to timesee what you think.

I like to compare my doctor's office sometimes to a cow herding facility. Don't get me wrong, there is a reason all these people are choosing this office for their grazing grounds. My doctor's office does a terrific job; they keep things clean and very friendly. (I found them and a cheap health insurance plan by going to Health Plan One...terrific site!) However, there is something to be said for all the people that go in and out of the office each day. When I spoke to my physician, he laughed and said that "the doctor's office is the safest place in the world. I used to bring my kids when they were little and let them crawl around all day. They ended up building ...
... an amazing immune system. If you keep your kids isolated from germs, they won't know how to handle them when they do come in contact with them." This made complete sense to me.

My curious nature prodded me to dig a little deeper though. I realized that you need to know when to relax, and also when to go overboard. For instance, if you are a new parent and going in for your baby's first check-up, it probably wouldn't be wise to let strangers coo over your little one. Keep a light blanket over the carrier and keep those germs out. Little immune systems need to stay strong. Also, there's the dreaded winter flu season. When you bring your toddler to the doctor, make sure to bring your own books and toys. This isn't the time to be sharing germs with others. Some flu strains are miserable and should really be avoided. Most importantly, be careful about door knobs and chair arms. You are most likely to pick up the flu when touching items such as those.

If you have a child with special needs who can pick up an illness easily, it is a good thing to be paranoid! Keeping your child healthy is our responsibility. While we can't prevent them from ever getting sick (nor would we want to), we can control how much they are subjected to unhealthy environments.

Ultimately, if your child is well and thriving for the time being, don't freak out when they pick up that toy at the doctor's office. Some germs are good for our little ones. Follow your intuition as a parent, watch for those health triggers, and finally relax. You've done all you can and worrying never does anyone any good.

Here the author writes about her health consciousness even while visiting doctor's office. The only thing one can do is observe precautions as much as one can without worrying so much. More on health, tips, cheap health insurance, health insurance plans, etc. at healthplanone(dot)com where the author found her doctor.