Touching is a natural part of our lives. We touch to explore our world, handle things, and interact with people. Touching also exposes us to many kinds of germs and bacteria, however.
Medically reviewed by Jobelle Ann Dela Cruz Bigalbal, MD · General Practitioner
Touching is a natural part of our lives. We touch to explore our world, handle things, and interact with people. Touching also exposes us to many kinds of germs and bacteria, however.
We can pick up these harmful microorganisms with every touch. The best and simplest way to protect ourselves is to wash our hands thoroughly and often.
Proper Hand Washing Technique should be part of our daily routine — this is something we’re taught at home and in school.
Yet a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that people fail to wash their hands correctly 97% of the time.
That’s a frightening report especially with the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowing when and how to wash your hands can make a significant difference in your health.
Washing your hands is easy — just lather soap and water. It’s important to know, however, that rushing the process will still leave germs on your hands. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following steps for hand-washing:
If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer or alcohol-based hand wipes that contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol or isopropanol.
Carry one or both with you when you travel, and keep them in your car or purse. These products can help reduce the number of germs on your hands and the surfaces you touch, but they do not get rid of all types of germs.
If you use sanitizer, rub your hands and fingers until they are dry. This usually takes 20 seconds. The alcohol kills many types of germs on your hands but not all. As soon as you can find a sink, wash your hands.
The novel coronavirus has everyone hyper-aware of washing their hands.
It’s recommended that you wash hands after being in a public place and touching things and surfaces that are frequently touched by other people, like door handles, tables, office desks, and grocery carts.
It’s also a good idea to wash your hands after using your phone or shaking hands.
Even though you’re at home and believe you can’t be exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, you should still wash your hands especially in the following situations:
Washing your hands frequently can bring many benefits to you. Here are three reasons why you should wash your hands:
Many germs, like Salmonella, E. coli O157, and norovirus, are transmitted via fecal matter, while respiratory illnesses caused by the family of coronaviruses are spread through sneezing and coughing.
These germs can get onto your hands if you don’t wash your hands properly after using the bathroom or after sneezing or coughing into your hands. You can then spread these diseases when you touch commonly used surfaces.
You may also pick up these germs you happen to touch objects that were touched by an infected person.
Hand-washing with soap is effective in removing germs from hands. This helps prevent infections because:
Teaching people about hand-washing helps them and their communities stay healthy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that hand-washing education in the community:
Preventing illnesses reduces the amount of antibiotics people use and the likelihood that antibiotic resistance will develop. Hand-washing can prevent about 30% of diarrhea-related illnesses and about 20% of respiratory infections.
Antibiotics often are prescribed unnecessarily for these health issues, resulting to the overuse of antibiotics – the single most important factor leading to antibiotic resistance around the world.
Proper hand washing technique can also prevent people from getting sick with germs that are already resistant to antibiotics and that can be difficult to treat.
Disclaimer
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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