Finger-Licking Good ... But Maybe Not so Healthy

You are relaxing at your favorite neighborhood restaurant with some old friends and enjoying a bite to eat. 

You each share a few stories about the kids when suddenly it happens. You catch a glimpse out of the corner of your eye.  You try to look away.

But your friend's hand lifts in dream-like slow motion toward his mouth and then that unmistakable sound: "SLURP.  SLURP." 

No doubt about this one. Friendly fingers were definitely licked "clean" with generous portions of mouth juices (still on hand) to dry in the open air of restaurant.  You wait for minute, but there is no apology.  

Anyone for dessert ?

Licking one's fingers should be limited to those whose parents are cats.  However, this disgusting practice seems to acceptable in some social circles.  The offenders can be classified into three general groups:

1.  Casual Occasional Lickers: Only in extreme situations. Example: chicken wings on a deserted island.

2. Dedicated Lickers: Substituing regular hand hygiene for expected daily hygiene. Similiar to some animal species.

3. Host/Hostess Lickers: Possibly the worst group of all. Traps guests into full fledge excrutiating tableside display including audio and visual experience. Bonus of hostess micro-organisms added to now less-than appetizing platters. 

Fortunately, as yet no medical studies have documented extensive human illness as cause and effect from finger-licking.

But lets review some factual information you may consider before inserting anything between your jawbones.

Human skin, including our hands, can carry many small organisms (germs). These include viruses that cause colds and the flu. In fact, bacteria such as "strep" and "staph" are normal residents on our skin.

At times other disease-causing bacteria can be contacted by touching soiled public objects and other people. Many of these small germs have to be in the right place at the right time to cause illness.

For example, touching a door handle can pick up the flu virus. A quick rub of your nose or eyes allows the flu to enter your head area. Touching your mouth and nose are never good ideas. These are two of the easiest ways for germs to break into your body breathing and digestive systems (paydirt for little critters).

Remember that germs can survive on objects like hands and doorknobs for some time (depending on the individual germ's durability). This makes it challenging to keep germs away from us during the course of busy day or at the dinner table.

DR. JOE'S ADVICE OF THE WEEK:

**Try to wash your hands frequently ( especially before eating or touching your face area) with soap and water or a germ killing hand wash.

**Consider getting the flu vaccine as we are entering the peak flu season. This is the best first line defense against the miserable flu illness.

**Absolutely, under no circumstances, use your mouth and fluid in your mouth (saliva) as a tool for hand cleaning.

**And finally, let's not give any of the germs in our lives help in getting entry into our bodies. Tell your friends to leave the finger licking to their cats.