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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Hand-washing answer gets us in hot water

The Spokesman-Review

Q. In your column, you said that warm water is no more effective than cold for removing germs. You are way off the mark.

We wash to remove germs, not kill them. Dirty hands are oily, and oils are more soluble in warm water. So is soap. Warm water works faster and is more effective than cold water for rinsing off germs. Even my third-grader knows better than you.

A. Several other readers also took us to task for suggesting that warm water is no more effective than cold for removing germs. To try to get a more objective answer, we checked with Charles Gerba, Ph.D., professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. He is one of the country’s leading researchers on germ contamination.

Dr. Gerba told us that he has “not seen studies comparing hot versus cold water for hand-washing. Warm water might be somewhat more effective, but the difference is probably so small as not to make much difference. Washing is too quick for the heating to kill much or the soap to dissolve better.”

To wash hands well, wet the hands, apply soap and rub the hands together vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds. Then rinse the lather off thoroughly.

Q. Recently on two separate prime-time TV shows, I heard the person playing the parent of a young child suggest giving the youngster a baby aspirin. It has been some time since I worked as a pediatric nurse, so maybe things have changed. We never gave aspirin to children due to its connection with Reye’s syndrome. If this has changed, please set me straight.

A. You are absolutely correct. When children or even teenagers take aspirin for chickenpox or flu, they run an increased risk of Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially deadly condition. Parents should not give children aspirin for fevers.

Q. I was interested in the column about a person who developed a cough while taking lisinopril. I myself was put on this medicine for high blood pressure and immediately began having violent coughing spells. If they started in a meeting, I’d have to excuse myself. It became extremely embarrassing. Nothing worked, no cough syrup or cough drops.

I never got more than 30 minutes of uninterrupted sleep at a time. Sometimes the coughing was so severe, it caused vomiting. My doctor put me on different medicines but never took me off lisinopril.

Then I went to a new doctor, who immediately switched me from lisinopril to Benicar. The coughing stopped immediately.

A. Not everyone develops a bad cough while on an ACE inhibitor like lisinopril for high blood pressure. But you certainly are not alone.

Another reader wrote: “My doctor was pleased with the results of the ACE inhibitor, but my cough became so frequent and violent that I could not sleep for weeks. I couldn’t even lie in bed. When coughing, I would involuntarily empty my bladder, so I could barely leave the house. We eventually found another medication (Benicar) that I do not react to, and my blood pressure is even lower than when I was on the ACE inhibitor.”

We discuss the pros and cons of common blood pressure medicines in our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment.

Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (58 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. B-67, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It is also available online at www.peoplespharmacy.com.