What is hygiene?

Definition

Hygiene involves more than cleanliness; it encompasses the habits humans practice to reduce the risk of receiving and transmitting infectious diseases.

Types of Hygienic Practice

Handwashing. Studies have shown that handwashing is the single most effective way to protect oneself from illness and to avoid passing microorganisms to others. Hands should be washed often, particularly before preparing food; after handling uncooked meat; before eating; after using the toilet; after changing a diaper; after sneezing, coughing, or blowing one’s nose; before inserting and removing contact lenses; after gardening or working in dirt or soil; and after touching animals or cleaning up after them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that this crucial form of prevention may not always be an option in lower income countries, where clean water and soap are not abundant resources, a reality that often contributes to the rapid spread of disease.

One should wash hands in clean, preferably warm, running water with a lathering liquid or bar soap. Hands should be rubbed together, making sure the soap contacts all skin surfaces, for a minimum of fifteen to twenty seconds. The soap should then be rinsed off with running water. Hands may be dried with a clean cloth towel, paper towel, or air dryer.

If soap and water are not available, one can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Hands should be rubbed together until the alcohol evaporates and the hands are dry.

Showering and bathing. Bathing or showering with comfortably hot, clean water and liquid or bar soap that lathers removes dirt and sweat that contain microorganisms and also moisturizes the skin to create a more efficient barrier. Clean and moisturized skin also promotes the healing of cuts, abrasions, burns, and rashes.

Oral hygiene. Brushing and flossing one’s teeth after meals
protect the teeth and gums from dental caries, or cavities, and
periodontal disease. Regular visits to a dentist and dental hygienist keep the
oral cavity clean and allow for the early detection and treatment of tooth, gum,
and mouth diseases.

Covering coughs and sneezes. When a person sneezes or coughs,
saliva and other mucus containing bacteria and viruses are released as
droplets into the air. To limit transmission, sneezes and coughs should be covered
using a disposable tissue, a handkerchief, one’s sleeve, or one’s hand, which
should be washed as soon as possible after coughing or sneezing into it.

Environmental hygiene. Housekeeping is important because disinfecting surfaces, especially in the kitchen and bathroom, kills disease-causing bacteria. All cloth towels should be washed in hot water with detergent. Dishes should be washed with dish soap and hot water.

Impact

Hygiene practices, especially handwashing, reduce the incidence of illness, lower the cost of medical care associated with illness, decrease the number of lost days from work and school, and potentially save lives.

Bibliography

American Medical Association. “Hand Washing, Alcohol-Based Rubs Help Curb Influenza Outbreaks.” American Medical News 52.6 (2009). Print.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An Ounce of Prevention Keeps the Germs Away: Seven Keys to a Safer, Healthier Home. Atlanta: CDC, 2002. Print.

Heymann, David L., ed. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. 18th ed. Washington, DC: Amer. Public Health Assn., 2004. Print.

"Hygiene in Lower Income Countries." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, 24 June 2014. Web. 31 Dec. 2015.

Marriot, Norman G., and Robert B. Gravani. Principles of Food Sanitation. 5th ed. New York: Springer, 2006. Print.

Wallace, Robert B., ed. Maxcy-Rosenau-Last Public Health and Preventive Medicine. 15th ed. New York: McGraw, 2007. Print.