Washing hands should be a habit adopted by all; children and adults, male and female despite your profession. No one is safe from germs. Doctors from Frontline ER will recommend that we wash our hands regularly, before eating, after using the bathroom, after playing and every time you feel like your hands are dirty. Washing hands flushes off any germs that might have gathered eventually preventing you from getting sick. Washing hands entails the use of soap, and clean water, not just water as people may think. Using both soap and water makes the procedure more efficient.
Why do doctors necessitate so much on washing hands?
Germs Are Everywhere
Bacteria and viruses are microscopic and aren’t visible to the naked eye. In fact, some bacteria live on your skin, others inside you. Germs reside on your everyday items and gadgets such as cell phones, hair combs, toothbrush, door knobs. Once you touch them, they are immediately transferred to your hands which you again move to other objects through touch. Some common ways that germs find their way to your hands is through handling raw meat, changing a diaper, using the restroom, patting pets and sneezing. Washing hands will help eliminate threat however invisible it seems.
Germs Make You Ill
Bacteria, viruses and other microbes cause diseases. Germs move from person to person, or you collect them on surfaces, and they find their way into the body. Once they are in the body, germs will produce toxins that will weaken your immune system further making you ill. The infections lead to foodborne diseases and food poisoning which display diverse effects ranging from diarrhoea to mild gastric comfort and even death.
Prevents The Spread Of Germs
Washing hands effectively prevents the spread of germs to others. You can quickly spread germs by offloading germs on to another person’s hands while shaking hands. It is quite normal for you to touch your face, eyes, nose. Without clean hands, germs such as the flu virus are transferred to the inside of the body causing illnesses. Since flu is contagious, the sickness is further spread to other people that may come into contact with you.
Another channel in which germs are spread is when they are transferred from unclean hands to food by a virus-infected food preparer who didn’t master the habit of washing hands after untidy duties like visiting the toilet. Anyone making food should wash their hands before preparing food and during its preparation. Washing hands during the preparation of food help flush the germs that might have tagged along with raw food onto your hands and finally into fast food. Germs can be offloaded to uncooked foods such as salads if you don’t wash your hands after handling raw foods such as chicken. Cooking the raw foods kills germs, but once on raw salads, the food remains contaminated. Germs tend to multiply in some types of foods and drinks, under certain conditions making the food takers sick.
While handling a sick’s person’s items, be sure to raise all hygiene standards as your hands get to be the germs carrier. Baby’s diapers should be appropriately handled, and hands washed to avoid transfer of the germs from the diapers to the hands and the baby, infecting the baby and yourself with infections.
After blowing your nose or covering your mouth after a sneeze, have a hand wash before you get to transfer the germs to other people and contacts.
Cost-effective
Washing and drying your hands is a preventive measure that requires little time and fewer resources compared to falling sick and being rushed to a hospital. Better safe than sorry they say. Washing hands only requires a bar of soap, clean water and a clean towel for drying purposes. The little habits that people underestimate fetch a far more price. Just washing your hands keeps you more healthy and healthy people don’t visit doctors.
Aids In Battling The Rise In Antibiotic Resistance
Preventing illnesses reduces the number of antibiotics people use and eliminates the likelihood of antibiotic resistance from occurring. Hand washing blocks a significant percentage of diarrhoea-related diseases and respiratory infections such as flu. Antibiotics are prescribed to curb such health issues. By reducing the chances of these infections from occurring, it helps prevent the overuse of antibiotics by merely washing your hands. Washing your hands also prevents people from getting sick with bacteria that are already resistant to antibiotics and that are difficult to treat.
Although warm water is a better option when it comes to washing hands, cold water will do the job too. Make sure to get in between and under the fingers and nails respectively. Germs can be notorious while seeking hiding spots. Rinse and dry with a clean towel. Keep this habit intact, and you are likely to never complain about illnesses. With all mentioned above, it is safe to say that proper hand washing is the first line is the defence against protecting yourself from sickness.
