Hand Washing – A New Year’s Resolution Worth Keeping
January 8, 2020 at 10:34 p.m.
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This is particularly important in the workplace where large groups of people can catch the same infection. Below are some of the infections and diseases which can be spread by not thoroughly washing your hands. This information is available from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.
Noroviruses
Norovirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans and it can affect people of all ages. It is transmitted when people don’t wash their hands and worryingly, they can spread very quickly within large groups of people in close quarters. This is why when one person gets ill, entire households or offices often catch it too.
The best way to stop noroviruses from spreading or occurring in the first place is to wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom, before preparing food and to avoid touching your nose and mouth.
Airborne Illnesses
Respiratory illnesses are usually spread via droplets which are breathed, sneezed or coughed into the air by someone who has the illness. While sneezing and coughing help to spread illnesses, poor hand-washing techniques are a big culprit as well.
Common respiratory illnesses caused by poor hand hygiene include the common cold, influenza, chicken pox and meningitis.
Nosocomial Infections
We often hear of infections being transmitted in hospitals and this is often the result of staff and patients not washing their hands. Naturally, there’s a huge amount of infections present in hospitals and if staff don’t wash their hands between seeing patients or if people with an infection aren’t practicing good hand hygiene, they can very easily pass their illness onto others.
Some of the most common nosocomial infections which can be spread by germs and bacteria on our hands include MRSA and E.coli.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a viral infection which can cause severe symptoms, including problems with the liver, jaundice, abdominal pain, fever and fatigue. It’s often spread via food which has been contaminated by people preparing it who haven’t washed their hands after using the bathroom.
One of the biggest problems with not washing our hands after using the bathroom, according to the Mayo Clinic, is that throughout the day we touch many things. Other people then touch these things and when we then touch our nose or mouth, we pick up infections. As well as this, if you prepare foods with dirty hands, people can catch infections by eating what you have made.
When to wash your hands
As you touch people, surfaces and objects throughout the day, you accumulate germs on your hands. You can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth, or spread them to others. Although it's impossible to keep your hands germ-free, washing your hands frequently can help limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes.
Always wash your hands before:
• Preparing food or eating
• Treating wounds or caring for a sick person
• Inserting or removing contact lenses
Always wash your hands after:
• Preparing food
• Using the toilet, changing a diaper or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• Touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste
• Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• Treating wounds or caring for a sick person
• Handling garbage
• Handling pet food or pet treats
Also, it goes without saying that you should wash your hands when they are visibly dirty.
How To Wash Your Hands
It's generally best to wash your hands with soap and water. Over-the-counter antibacterial soaps are no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap.
Follow these steps:
• Wet your hands with clean, running water — either warm or cold.
• Apply soap and 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.
• Rinse well.
Dry your hands with a clean towel or air-dry them. Help children stay healthy by encouraging them to wash their hands frequently. Wash your hands with your child to show him or her how it's done. To prevent rushing, suggest washing hands for as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice. A recent issue of the British Medical Journal recommends the popular nursery rhyme “Brother John” or “Frere Jacques.” New words are added to teach the proper technique.
Final Thoughts
Hand-washing offers great rewards in terms of preventing illness. Adopting this habit as a New Year’s resolution can play a major role in protecting your health.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He has taught college courses on regulatory and compliance issues at Ivy Tech, Grace College and Butler University. Sherman has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge on all levels. Eclectic Science, the title of his column, touches on famed doctors and scientists, human senses, aging, various diseases, and little-known facts about many species, including their contributions to scientific research. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
This is particularly important in the workplace where large groups of people can catch the same infection. Below are some of the infections and diseases which can be spread by not thoroughly washing your hands. This information is available from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.
Noroviruses
Norovirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans and it can affect people of all ages. It is transmitted when people don’t wash their hands and worryingly, they can spread very quickly within large groups of people in close quarters. This is why when one person gets ill, entire households or offices often catch it too.
The best way to stop noroviruses from spreading or occurring in the first place is to wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom, before preparing food and to avoid touching your nose and mouth.
Airborne Illnesses
Respiratory illnesses are usually spread via droplets which are breathed, sneezed or coughed into the air by someone who has the illness. While sneezing and coughing help to spread illnesses, poor hand-washing techniques are a big culprit as well.
Common respiratory illnesses caused by poor hand hygiene include the common cold, influenza, chicken pox and meningitis.
Nosocomial Infections
We often hear of infections being transmitted in hospitals and this is often the result of staff and patients not washing their hands. Naturally, there’s a huge amount of infections present in hospitals and if staff don’t wash their hands between seeing patients or if people with an infection aren’t practicing good hand hygiene, they can very easily pass their illness onto others.
Some of the most common nosocomial infections which can be spread by germs and bacteria on our hands include MRSA and E.coli.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a viral infection which can cause severe symptoms, including problems with the liver, jaundice, abdominal pain, fever and fatigue. It’s often spread via food which has been contaminated by people preparing it who haven’t washed their hands after using the bathroom.
One of the biggest problems with not washing our hands after using the bathroom, according to the Mayo Clinic, is that throughout the day we touch many things. Other people then touch these things and when we then touch our nose or mouth, we pick up infections. As well as this, if you prepare foods with dirty hands, people can catch infections by eating what you have made.
When to wash your hands
As you touch people, surfaces and objects throughout the day, you accumulate germs on your hands. You can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth, or spread them to others. Although it's impossible to keep your hands germ-free, washing your hands frequently can help limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes.
Always wash your hands before:
• Preparing food or eating
• Treating wounds or caring for a sick person
• Inserting or removing contact lenses
Always wash your hands after:
• Preparing food
• Using the toilet, changing a diaper or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• Touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste
• Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• Treating wounds or caring for a sick person
• Handling garbage
• Handling pet food or pet treats
Also, it goes without saying that you should wash your hands when they are visibly dirty.
How To Wash Your Hands
It's generally best to wash your hands with soap and water. Over-the-counter antibacterial soaps are no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap.
Follow these steps:
• Wet your hands with clean, running water — either warm or cold.
• Apply soap and 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.
• Rinse well.
Dry your hands with a clean towel or air-dry them. Help children stay healthy by encouraging them to wash their hands frequently. Wash your hands with your child to show him or her how it's done. To prevent rushing, suggest washing hands for as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice. A recent issue of the British Medical Journal recommends the popular nursery rhyme “Brother John” or “Frere Jacques.” New words are added to teach the proper technique.
Final Thoughts
Hand-washing offers great rewards in terms of preventing illness. Adopting this habit as a New Year’s resolution can play a major role in protecting your health.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He has taught college courses on regulatory and compliance issues at Ivy Tech, Grace College and Butler University. Sherman has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge on all levels. Eclectic Science, the title of his column, touches on famed doctors and scientists, human senses, aging, various diseases, and little-known facts about many species, including their contributions to scientific research. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
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