How Does Washing Hands Prevent Illness?
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Carriers
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We all know that germs are everywhere, waiting to infect the body when the opportunity presents itself. One of the most known and least practiced ways to prevent this germy onslaught, however, is hand washing. Germs come in four major types: bacteria, protozoa, viruses and fungi, all of which can infect the body externally or internally. Our hands touch more than we can recall in a normal day and are a major risk to picking up these germs in communal areas. After hands come into contact with the things we touch, germs that live on our hands are transferred to the instruments we use. If they are not washed properly, our hands become a carrier for germs. Since our hands come into contact with communal devices so often, it is easy for us to pick up germs that cause illness from others. Think of all the things you touch that other people touch on a daily basis as well. Phones, door knobs, toilet handles, refrigerator doors and even sink handles are all places where germs that cause illness sit and fester until they are passed off to someone else.
How Illnesses Are Caused by Germs on Hands
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The germs that live on your hands gain nutrients from dead skin and other organic material that may exist on the body. These germs can cause many illnesses, including colds, flu, sore throat, diarrhea, athlete's foot and rashes. Doorknobs and countertops are often host to many harmful viruses and bacteria, possibly from uncooked food or from not being properly disinfected over time. Viruses cannot live long outside a host, which is a plant, animal or human being. Unclean hands serve as a means to transfer these germs directly into the body through contact with either the nose, mouth, ears, anus, urethra or even an open wound or scratch.
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Prevention of Infection
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In order to lower the rate of illness-causing germs from getting into the body, one of the biggest lines of defense is properly washing your hands. When washing your hands, you should use warm water. Rinse your hands thoroughly first with the warm water, then lather them with soap. Contrary to popular belief, any soap will work fine at this point, and antibacterial soaps don't give any edge to killing germs. In recent studies, it was also shown that antibacterial soaps can cause germs to become more resistant by creating a stronger strain of bacteria. After you have lathered your hands, you will want to scrub them for 30 seconds, getting all the surface area of your hands and wrists, including the back of your hands and under the fingernails. Rinse your hands using warm water until they are soap free and then dry them using a clean, dry cloth or blower. A good technique to get children to wash their hands long enough is for them to sing the "Happy Birthday" song at least twice before rinsing their hands off.
If your hands do not have visible dirt on them, using at least 60 percent alcohol-based hand sanitizer is even more effective at killing germs than hand washing. At least a half teaspoon of the product should be rubbed over the surface area of your hands in much the same fashion as washing until your hands are dry. This will kill the majority of harmful germs that cause illnesses on your hands, hence keeping them from infiltrating your body.
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- Photo Credit Picture provided by Marrit.
