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2009-08-29 07:24:21
When should you wash your hands ?
+ After using the bathroom
+ After blowing your nose or coughing
+ Before eating, preparing or serving food
+ After touching pets or other animals
+ After outdoor activities
+ Before and after visiting anyone who is sick
+ When your hands are dirty
+ After changing a diaper
Many cases of colds, flu, and foodborne illness are spread by unclean hands,
and these diseases are responsible for billions of dollars each year in health
care expenditures and productivity losses in the United States, Dr. Daly
pointed out. Worldwide, infectious diseases remain the leading cause of
illness and death.
We need to remember the common sense times to clean our hands, said SDA s
Sansoni. For example: after using the bathroom, after coughing or sneezing
into our hands, before food preparation and when we eat, after changing
diapers, after petting your dog or cat, and after taking out the trash.
"Wash your hands!" How many times have you heard that from your parents? You
might think they're just nagging you, but actually the most important thing you
can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands.
Hand Washing
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if you don't
wash your hands frequently, you can pick up germs from other sources and then
infect yourself. You're at risk every time you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
In fact, one of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their
nose or their eyes after the cold virus has gotten on their hands.
If people don't wash their hands frequently (especially when they're sick),
they can spread germs directly to other people or onto surfaces that others
touch. And before you know it, everyone around you is coming down with
something!
The First Line of Defense Against Germs
Think about all of the things that you touched today from the telephone to
the toilet. Maybe you blew your nose and played with your dog. Whatever you
did, you came into contact with germs. So it's easy for germs on your hand to
end up in your mouth (maybe when you scarfed that handful of popcorn with your
teammates right after soccer practice).
By frequently washing your hands the right way, you'll wash away germs such
as bacteria and viruses that you have picked up from other people, through
contaminated water and food, from tainted surfaces, or from animals and animal
waste.
How to Wash Your Hands Correctly
There's a right way to wash your hands. A splash of water and a drop or two of
soap won't do the trick. Follow these simple steps to keep your hands clean:
works fine. If you suspect that your hands have come into contact with someone
with an infection, think about using an alcohol hand sanitizer.
sides of your hands, your wrists, between your fingers, and around your nails.
Wash for 15 seconds about how long it takes to sing "Happy Birthday."
open the door because toilet and door handles harbor germs. Throw the towel
away after you leave.
To prevent chapping or dry skin, use a mild soap with warm water, pat rather
than rub hands dry, and apply a moisturizing lotion liberally afterwards.
When there is no soap or water available, waterless hand soaps or scrubs are a
good alternative. They're usually available as a liquid, wipes, or towelettes,
and often come in small travel sizes that are perfect for keeping in your book
bag, car, locker, purse, or sports bag.
Remember, proper and frequent hand washing is the key to preventing the spread
of many common infections. So hum a few verses of "Happy Birthday" and lather
up!
Dirty hands 'poison thousands'
handwash
Handwashing removes harmful germs
Almost a third of men and many women do not wash their hands after going to the
toilet vastly increasing the risk of food poisoning, says a survey.
Many are transferring germs straight from toilet to plate because they also do
not wash their hands before preparing food.
To launch National Food Safety Week on Monday, the Food and Drink Federation
stressed that even healthy guts can contain potentially harmful bacteria.
They illustrated the danger by releasing pictures which revealed just how many
bugs are carried by unwashed hands.
hands
The light patches are germs carried on the hands
People were asked to make a impression on special agar jelly with an unwashed
hand.
When ultraviolet light was used to compare the amount of bacteria growing
within the handprint with those from a washed hand, the difference was visibly
dramatic.
Estimates suggest as many as 4.5 million people suffered from food poisoning in
the UK last year - although fewer than 100,000 cases were reported to the
authorities.
The main culprits were salmonella, campylobacter and e.coli.
A quarter of men
The survey of more than 2,000 people found that a quarter of men, and 17% of
women did not always wash their hands before preparing food.
It found 31% of men and 17% of women confessed to not washing hands after going
to the toilet - many of these believed the toilet was clean, or that they were
only coming into contact with their family's germs.
One in five said they did not bother because their hands looked clean.
Professor John Krebs, chairman of the Food Standards Agency, said: "Handling
food with dirty hands is asking for trouble. Food poisoning is still a big
problem in the UK and the simple step of washing our hands will help reduce
risks and clean up our act."
Handling food with dirty hands is asking for trouble
Professor John Krebs, Food Standards Agency
Other findings of the survey were disturbing - for example, only 37% of people
knew the correct working temperature of a fridge.
Forty-two per cent did not always wash their hands after playing with pets, and
more than half did not wash before eating food.
Professor Hugh Pennington, a microbiology expert from the University of
Aberdeen, said: "There will be those who accuse us of being patronising by
focusing on something as basic as handwashing.
"I say to them: 'The next time you meet someone and shake their hand - there's
a one in five chance that they are one of those who do not always wash their
hands after going to the toilet'."