Can You Get an Infection From a Toilet Seat?: General Health

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

Can You Get an Infection From a Toilet Seat?
It's about as likely as your winning a 50 million dollar lottery, without buying a ticket. Most dried secretions lose their ability to infect you.

To gain access to you body, the bacteria or viruses usually have to get into one of your holes (mouth, anus, urethra). The bad boys cannot jump from the toilet, so you are safe.

A much more dangerous enemy is saliva since people can contaminate you while coughing or by getting infections on their hands during a sneeze which they pass along to you during a friendly handshake.

Source: Dr. Michael Roizen

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

So people that are terrified of "going" in public restrooms can now learn to get rid of their fear, huh? They need to learn that nothing is going to hurt them.

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

tammy wrote:

So people that are terrified of "going" in public restrooms can now learn to get rid of their fear, huh? They need to learn that nothing is going to hurt them.

I suppose so... but it's icky using dirty public restrooms, so I will still use precautions, just because!!

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

What about pimples on your butt ?

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

joebert wrote:

What about pimples on your butt ?

You are going to have to consult with Dr. Michael Roizen or Y's Guy about that question!! :neutral:

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

I don't think pimples are formed by things that you touch, but more so by what is going in inside of your body. But I could be wrong...

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

tammy wrote:

I don't think pimples are formed by things that you touch, but more so by what is going in inside of your body. But I could be wrong...

Yeah, like pimples aren't contagious... But what about a skin infection or something on the buttocks or upper thighs that could be contagious... like a staff infection ???

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

I've heard of people getting Staph infections through public restrooms... they had dry-cracked skin and that using the toilet was the only time they said their skin was exposed to any contaminated areas... however, I do think these incidents are very rare.

Some infections are commonly spread in restrooms in areas other than the toilet. The classic source for bathroom infections is the reusable towel roller -- the device that holds a length of cloth toweling that you pull down for drying your hands. Other people end up using the same area to dry their hands, aiding in the potential spread of infections. Towel rollers can spread several different viruses and have been linked to outbreaks of conjunctivitis (a.k.a. - pinkeye). It is also possible that touching contaminated doorknobs and faucets can spread these sorts of infections, as well as the viruses that cause colds.

What I do now is pull the paper towels out and get it ready... then wash my hands use the paper towel and then use the towel as a barrier to turn off the water and open the door... ideally I use two towels one to dry my hands the other to turn off the water and open the door because once the towel is wet the barrier is rendered ineffective due to osmosis

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

They should make all public bathroom entry doors push out when you leave the bathroom, or either have no door at all. And... they should all have the hands free water and soap dispensers installed.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Those reusable towel roller things were disgusting. I hardly see them around anymore these days, but I won't use them if that's all there is. I'd rather walk out with wet hands.

I like the idea of having no door on the public restrooms, that way you can walk out after washing your hands without touching a thing.

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

tammy wrote:

Those reusable towel roller things were disgusting. I hardly see them around anymore these days, but I won't use them if that's all there is. I'd rather walk out with wet hands.

I agree... I will walk out with wet hands too if all they have are the roller towel things, but yeah, like you said, they are becoming extinct, and that's a good thing. Can't believe whoever invented them thought it was a good idea!!

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

Wow, I've never seen a reusable towel thingy in a public restroom. I would have never thought they existed past maybe the 1950s or something. :shock:

A lot of the public restrooms around me area are door-less. Rather than doors they have a set of baffle walls. Basically you walk through a short hallway in one direction, then make a u-turn to walk in the other direction a short distance and end up in the rest room. I think the beach bathrooms usually have two sets of doors, one that swings in and the other that swings out, so people can come in from one side of the building and leave through the other.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

joebert wrote:

Wow, I've never seen a reusable towel thingy in a public restroom. I would have never thought they existed past maybe the 1950s or something. :shock:

Nope, not just in the 1950s, they are still around today. Not as much, but every now and then I still see them. Actually the last time I saw one was probably over a year ago so maybe they are starting to phase out for good. Hopefully!

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

Y's Guy wrote:

What I do now is pull the paper towels out and get it ready... then wash my hands use the paper towel and then use the towel as a barrier to turn off the water and open the door... ideally I use two towels one to dry my hands the other to turn off the water and open the door because once the towel is wet the barrier is rendered ineffective due to osmosis

Good post Y's Guy!! I was just reading this on the internet... and it's exactly what you said...

Quote:

In public bathrooms take the paper towel first and hold aside, then wash hands and use the towel to turn off the water faucet.

And then like you said, use a paper towel to open the door!!

blackberry · **Site Rank:** Healthy Friend

i think everyone can get infections from everywhere. It just that we have our immune system and protective system like the skin. Our body works wonders but may always be compromised, like what the last read I had from Yahoo that says about supergerms. And also, I've read that pimples are caused by staph aureus so it can be contagious too but I think it's one of the bacteria that can easily be managed.

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