A popular Dettol advert goes with the saying, "good health begins with clean hands". Medical professionals advise the regular washing of the hands to keep a healthy life, yet lots of people still find it difficult to live by this self-protective rule.
WHY SHOULD I WASH MY HANDS?
Hand-washing is the most effective preventive measure against infectious diseases. Hand sanitizers are advised in situations where water is not available. In general cases, most of the time, infectious disease pathogens are transmitted to the hands after some of our daily activities like using the toilet, changing of diapers (for nursing mothers), clearing out the garbage, etc, and can easily be transfered from one person to the other through handshakes.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I WASH MY HANDS?
It is advisable to wash the hands as often as possible. Always wash your hands before: preparing food or eating, treating wounds, giving medicine, or caring for a sick or injured person, inserting or removing contact lenses, and so on. Always wash your hands after: preparing food, especially raw meat or poultry, using the toilet or changing a diaper, touching an animal or animal toys, leashes, or waste, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hands, treating wounds or caring for a sick or injured person, handling garbage, household or garden chemicals, or anything that could be contaminated — such as a cleaning cloth or soiled shoes, etc.
HOW SHOULD I WASH MY HANDS?
The best way to properly wash the hands is by using soap and water. And when washing the hands the following steps can be taken:
* Wet your hands with running water.
* Apply liquid, bar or powder soap. Lather well.
* Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds.
* Remember to scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails. Most people wash their palms alone, leaving the harmful pathogens to hide between their fingers and the finger tips.
* Rinse very well scrubbing your hands the same way you did as with a soap.
* Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel or air dryer. Less attention is mostly paid to this aspect of hand-washing. Residual moisture on hands after washing has been found to be an important determinant of bacterial and virus transfer. Most of these microorganisms can't withstand total drying. It is advisable to use the towel or any other hand cleaning material to totally wipe off the remaining moisture even after air dryer is used.
Keep in mind that antibacterial soap is no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap. Using antibacterial soap may even lead to the development of bacteria that are resistant to the product's antimicrobial agents - making it harder to kill these germs in the future.
Good health indeed begins with clean hands.
REFERENCE: Mayo clinic.
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