Re: [Harp-L] Re: Strep throat and harps



This is a very relevant article that appeared in The New York Times last
week:
The Claim: Playing a Wind Instrument Causes Respiratory Infection By ANAHAD
O’CONNOR<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/anahad_oconnor/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
Published:
May 23, 2011

*THE FACTS*
  Related

For years, scientists have noticed that people who play wind instruments
seem to be at greater risk of chronic sore throats and airway inflammation.
Some research suggested that saliva and microorganisms might build up in the
mouthpieces, then get blown deeper into the instruments.

But until recently, scientists did not know whether the germs could breed
and survive long enough to sicken someone playing the instrument a day or
two later.

In a study published this month in The International Journal of
Environmental Health Research, Tufts University scientists tested 20
instruments — flutes, clarinets, trumpets and saxophones. All were found to
harbor living bacteria, mold and yeast, some of which survived for several
days when cultured. Wooden reeds and mouthpieces had the most contamination.


While researchers have not looked specifically at infection rates in
musicians, there have been numerous case reports of lung problems linked to
instruments. One published in the journal Chest last year described a
35-year-old trombone player who had suffered a bad cough for 15 years; it
went away after he started disinfecting the instrument with rubbing alcohol.
In another, also published in Chest, a 67-year-old saxophonist with shortness
of breath<http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/breathing-difficulty/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier>saw
the problem disappear after he made a habit of washing his mouthpiece.

Experts say that in addition to regularly cleaning mouthpieces, musicians
should routinely disassemble and clean wind instruments with soap and water
or alcohol wipes, especially if it’s shared.

*THE BOTTOM LINE*

Certain instruments can raise the risk of infections if not routinely
cleaned.

*ANAHAD O’CONNOR*

scitimes@xxxxxxxxxxx


On Tue, May 31, 2011 at 3:27 AM, Damien Masterson
<dzm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

>
>   ...Clean it and disinfect it regularly....
>
>   ...It's one of the few instruments out there that requires us to suck the
> contents of the instrument (and the immediate environment) directly into our
> throats and lungs.
>
Indeed!



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