The Benefits Of Washing Hands And The Health Risk Of Having Unclean Hands

The Benefits Of Washing Hands And The Health Risk Of Having Unclean Hands

Good hand washing is actually an art. Often poor hand washers are at risk of infecting themselves and passing the germs on to other people.

Hand washing is an excellent infection preventive tool. Let's face it, germs are everywhere. They are in the air, in water, in food, in the office, in the home, in the kitchen sink, in the laundry, in the shower and bath tubs, in the water closet, germs are virtually everywhere, but they are not indestructible. Germs that cause terrible infections such as salmonella, campylobacter, norovirus, E. coli, staphylococcus and more can circulate directly from person to person through the hands. Stomach germs can be passed on if you put your finger in your mouth or forget to wash your hands before preparing food after engaging your hands with unsanitary chores such as using the toilet.

The bottom line is this: breaking the chain of infection depends on how well you can wash your hands. Hand washing can help to prevent the passing on of nasty and deadly viruses and bacteria. But hand washing goes beyond merely dipping your hands under a dribbling tap and thinking that will do. Far from it.

Cultivating the habit of washing frequently is an indication of adopting one of the easiest ways to wipe out germs and reduce chances of becoming ill. It has been shown time and time again that washing the hands with soap and water is the first rule of basic hygiene. Regular hand washing may actually be more effective than drugs in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza. Good hand hygiene is, in fact, the best option in the event of a flu pandemic. Antibacterial soaps have been marked as an effective and necessary way to lower risk of infection. However, many scientists fear that their widespread use could lead to a strain of resistant bacteria and cause the ingredients to lose effectiveness for the times when they really are needed, such as for surgeons prior to surgery. Studies have also found that soap and water work better than the waterless, alcohol based hand wipes and rubs. To make sure you're actually removing germs when you wash your hands, follow this three-step hand-washing technique:

1. Always use warm water rather than cold water. Work up a good lather all the way up to your wrist for at least 10 or 15 seconds and don't forget to get all surfaces including the backs of your hands, wrist, between your fingers and your fingernails. But there could be too much of a good thing. The skin is the primary defense against bacteria-not the soap. So resist the urge to become obsessive about washing your hands.

2. Don't wash too frequently to avoid extracting many of the protective oils which can cause the skin to crack and bleed. Obsessive-compulsive washing can actually increase risk of getting sick by providing an entryway for potentially dangerous pathogens.

3. Mild to moderate washing is indicated but excessive washing, especially with harsh soaps is highly counter productive.

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