Hello Germs | Video

Amy Fox | 3/7/2013

We`re still in the middle of cold and flu season and that means germs are circulating just about everywhere. But, there`s one place you may not think of when it comes to being a breeding ground for germs.

"Talking, texting, just checking the news like emails, Tweeting, and Facebooking,” said Minot State University senior Joe Boa. “I have my phone in, like, my pocket sometimes in my backpack too. It just depends.”

Minot State University Sophomore Gabby Garland said, "When I`m usually sitting, I just put it on the table in front of me."

Like Boa and Garland, for most of us, our hands are attached to our cell phones at all times. But, what you may not realize is your cell phone can be one of the dirtiest things you touch.

"I guess people never really think about, you know, table tops are that dirty, you know, just kind of place it down and move what you’re doing," said Garland.

Trinity Hospital Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr. Casmiar Nwaigwe said, "My wife doesn`t like to touch my cell phone for instance because she feels it`s full of bugs."

You take your cell phone everywhere you go. And, over time, bacteria can form on your phone. But, as Dr. Nwaigwe explains, some of the bacteria may not be a bad thing.

"We have infections in our hands and everyone deposits whatever they have on it,” said Dr. Nwaigwe. “Yes, if you do touch those cell phones, you touch those pagers, it carries bacteria. If someone has the flu for instance, and they sneezed on your cell phone, yes, you could pick up the flu from touching your cell phone."

But, there are ways to prevent the germs from spreading.

"If you share your cell phone with somebody to make a call and they sneeze, for instance, before you used it, you should clean it and then wash your hands," said Dr. Nwaigwe.

So, the next time you go and hang up your phone or finish a text, you may think twice about where you put it.

Some dermatologists say heavy cell phone use can also cause acne along your jaw line.

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