Many diseases are highly contagious, spreading from one person to another. Handwashing is a simple procedure that protects you from various health problems like gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, including coronavirus infection.
World Hand Hygiene Day
Hand washing not only kills germs on your hands but also prevents them from spreading. May 5th is World Hand Hygiene Day marked by the World Health Organization. This day explains why It is critical to wash your hands frequently and how handwashing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs.
How do Germs Spread?
Germs are microscopic living organisms with the ability to cause disease. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi are examples of germs. It’s important to understand how germs spread before learning to wash your hands properly. Here is an explanation as to when these Germs spread-
- You frequently touch your face or your mouth with unhygienic and unclean hands.
- Prepare or consume food without first washing your hands.
- Touch contaminated items. Don’t wash your hands after blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing.
How often should you wash your hands?
We do many things throughout the day that include both indoor and outdoor tasks. We tend to accumulate germs in various ways over time. You can’t always keep your hands germ-free. However, if you wash your hands properly at the appropriate times, you will help yourself prevent an infection. The list of activities Before and after which you need to make sure to wash your hands are provided below:
- Getting your food ready
- Touching any public objects, such as doorknobs, railings, etc.
- Taking care of open wounds and cuts
- Helping sick people
- Putting on or taking off contact lenses
- Changing the child’s diapers.
- Taking care of your pet’s food
- Using the toilet
- Touching and playing with pets or stray animals.
- Smoking
- Managing waste materials
- Getting home from the street
- Taking public transportation
- Going to the bank and managing cash or receipts
- Returning from hospitals, laboratories, or other medical facilities.
Handwashing and the effect on your Health
- Reduces the number of people who become ill from diarrhea by 23-40%.
- Reduces infection by 60% among people with weak immune systems.
- Lessens the instance of respiratory illness by 10-20%
- Reduces the rate of student absenteeism induced by gastrointestinal illness by 30-60 percent.
Tips to wash your hands the right way-
- Use running water to wet your hands rather than stagnant water.
- Gently spread alcohol-based soap between your hands.
- Rub your palms together in a circular motion.
- Move your fingers back and forth while interlacing them.
- Rub your palms and fingernails together.
- Individually clasp your fingers with the opposite arm.
- Don’t forget to rub your wrists with the soap as well.
- Using clean running water, rinse your hands.
- Dont touch the tap directly instead, use a dry towel or tissue paper.
- Dry your hands using a towel or tissue paper.
Hand sanitizers are not a substitute for washing hands with soap and water, as hand washing is more effective. Hand sanitizers, on the other hand, are useful for frequently cleaning your hands and killing germs in the absence of running water.
Handwashing among children
- Hand washing is a habit that all children must develop. As a parent, caregiver, or teacher, you can make this handwashing exercise fun.
- Make the kids wash their hands while singing a song. Make them sing the song twice if it’s too short.
- You can also write funny rhyming words about the benefits of handwashing so that the kids don’t find the exercise boring.
- Using amusing soaps with cartoon characters or figures will encourage them to wash their hands. You can also reward children for successfully washing their hands.
The Importance of Hand washing for Disease Prevention
It is only during testing times like a pandemic that we realize the importance of handwashing. However, its advantages are not limited to the covid outbreak. Many diseases can be avoided by using proper handwashing techniques. Furthermore, if taught at a young age, hand washing can become a habit rather than a practice.
You can avoid gastrointestinal and respiratory infections and contagious diseases by keeping yourself healthy and safe from diseases simply by washing your hands. To know about the latest health tips and read about healthy tips, download the Gigadocs app. You can also book the best specialists near you for any chronic or non-chronic diseases only with the Gigadocs app.
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