Health in your hands

BANGALORE: If you are not into the habit of handwashing yet, beware! You could be exposing yourself to a raft of dangers and health hazards.

Millions of bacteria love to hang out at your palms, interdigital spaces, behind your nails and in between the pores. But in order to combat these tiny creatures, all you need to do is wash your hands and keep them clean and dry. Keeping hands clean is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of infection and illness. Moreover, handwashing has been proved to be an effective and primary weapon in the infection control arsenal.    

According to a recent study, poor hygiene and lack of awareness regarding proper hand washing technique, together contribute to about 88 per cent of deaths from diarrhoeal diseases, accounting for death of 1.5 million children under the age of five every year.

The focus of this year’s Global Handwashing Day is cleanliness at schools. Playgrounds, classrooms, community centres, and public spaces will be awash with activity to drive handwashing behaviour change.

“Hand washing is the first step towards ensuring good health. Hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 30 seconds to get rid of the harmful bacteria and germs. Rinsing should be done preferably with running water after leathering,” says Dr Raju S, Physician in Bangalore.

Though handwashing is an effective way to keep diseases at bay, but if not done properly, it might prove to be inefficacious.

“ Washing hands with plain water is not adequate. Soap should be used and hands should be rubbed together for at least 30 seconds to make lather. Handwashing is never complete without drying. A clean cloth is an ideal medium and preferred over hand driers,” says Raju.

According to experts, hands must be washed after using toilet, before eating and cooking, after blowing nose or sneezing, before handling a child and after touching pets.

“Alcohol-based hand gels are effective in combating the infection. But I still prefer soap as it is readily available and as effective as sanitisers. The priority is to inculcate the habit of hand washing,” said Raju, adding that there is no specific water temperature advised for an effective handwashing and normal water is preferred as it help avoid dry skin.

Children are especially susceptible to the bacteria and virus as they do so much of exploring on their hands. After washing their hands with mild soap for 15-20 seconds, their hands should be dried with clean towel. “ Single use  paper towels are the best for children, but cloth towels can be used, provided you replace it everyday. Avoid using alcohol-based hand sanitisers,” he adds.

bngexpresso@expressbuzz.com