MedHelp.org will cease operations on May 31, 2024. It has been our pleasure to join you on your health journey for the past 30 years. For more info, click here.
Blank

Healthy living

Information, Symptoms, Treatments and Resources

Blank

Healthy Habits That Can Backfire

Waging Germ Warfare

Waging Germ Warfare

Your healthy habit: Using antibacterial everything

How it can backfire: Overuse of antibacterial agents can lead the bacteria you're trying to kill to develop resistant strains (think: MRSA), making it more difficult to get rid of germs in the future.

Instead: Skip the antibacterial soap and opt for the plain old-fashioned kind — it’s just as effective, with none of the scary consequences.

By Natalie Gingerich Mackenzie, published September 6, 2011. Natalie is a health and fitness writer, runner, and ACE-certified personal trainer based in Syracuse, New York.
Reviewed by Joseph Sclafani, MD on April 10, 2015.