What exactly is personal hygiene?
Personal hygiene is one of the most effective ways for avoiding gastro-or infectious problems such as COVID-19, colds, and flu. Bacteria that can make you sick are killed by hand washing with soap. Maintaining adequate personal hygiene will also aid in the prevention of illness transmission.
Personal hygiene comprises the following:
Every day, you should clean your body.
Wash your hands with soap after using the restroom.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day.
When sneezing or coughing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue (or your sleeve).
To slow the spread of COVID-19, you should do the following:
Hands should be washed often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
Hands should be kept away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Surfaces that are often used, such as benchtops, desks, and doorknobs, should be cleaned and disinfected.
Clean and disinfect frequently used items such as cell phones, keys, wallets, and work passes.
Open windows or change the air conditioning to let in more fresh air.
What is the significance of personal hygiene?
Good hygiene is essential because it helps keep you and your children safe from germs and contagious diseases. Germs that cause a variety of diseases can be spread by touching other people, getting feces (poo) on your hands, handling contaminated food, or coming into contact with dirty surfaces or things.
Poor personal hygiene can lead to the development of the following conditions:
COVID-19 and other infectious diseases
Diarrhoea, especially gastroenteritis,
Respiratory infections, including colds and flu,
staph infections
worm-related conditions, such as threadworms.
Scabies
tinea, or athlete’s foot.
Tooth decay
Cleaning your body
Every day, try to bathe or shower. Wash thoroughly, particularly under your armpits and around your genitals and anus. Keeping clean will help to prevent skin irritations and eliminate microorganisms that produce body odor.
To clean yourself, use soap, shower gel, or a hypoallergenic body wash. Soap kills more bacteria, but sensitive body regions may need to be washed with plain water or salt water.
If tap water is unavailable or scarce, clean yourself with a clean, damp cloth or sponge.
Cleaning your hands
Wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds to avoid being ill.
Soak your hands in water.
Apply enough soap to cover all of your hands’ surfaces.
Make a fist with your palms.
Clear your fingers and the backs of your hands.
If you have a scrubbing brush, clean your dirty nails with it.
Rinse both sides of your hands with clean, running water.
Hand sanitizers can also be used. Make sure you use enough product to cover all of your hands’ surfaces.
When should you wash your hands?
Washing your hands after using the restroom is extremely important since feces, which you may come into contact with, contains billions of bacteria. Furthermore, wash your hands:
before and following meal consumption or preparation;
after changing a baby’s diaper;
before and after interacting with a sick person or cleaning up vomit or bodily fluids;
after you’ve blown your nose;
prior to and during the treatment of cuts or wounds;
after coming into contact with garbage, filthy surfaces, or things;
following the management of pets or agricultural animals.
Safe food handling
Before and after making food, wash your hands. This will prevent you from contaminating food and will also keep you from becoming unwell or transmitting bacteria from foods such as raw meat.
How to avoid bad breath
Poor oral hygiene might contribute to bad breath. Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day helps to prevent gum disease and eventual tooth decay. If you have any further symptoms, follow these oral care guidelines and schedule a check-up with a dentist.