Hot Topic: Clean Hands...Better Health
Take a good look at your hands. It’s what you don’t see that can cause health problems. Just about every minute of every day there’s a chance that our hands are picking up unwanted germs. That’s why hand washing is so important. Washing your hands is the best way to prevent catching – and reduce spreading – colds, the flu, skin infections, and digestive viruses.
You can reduce your risk of contracting certain diseases by following these basic tips:
Wash your hands after:• Using the toilet
• Coughing or sneezing into hands
• Engaging in any activity that may have contaminated hands (i.e. handling garbage)
• Tending to someone who is sick
Wash your hands before:
• Handling (preparing or eating) food
• Treating a cut or wound
• Eating or drinking
• Smoking
• Brushing teeth
• Engaging in any activity that involves hand-to-mouth contact.
Wash your hands frequently throughout the day even if you think they don’t need to be washed and use the same method of hand washing every time:
• Wet hands with warm water
• Apply a generous amount of soap and lather hands well
• Rub hands together for 20 seconds, paying special attention to the areas between fingers and under nails
• Rinse hands thoroughly with warm water
• Dry hands with a disposable towel
• Use a disposable towel to turn off the faucet and open the door
And because children tend to spread germs more readily, it’s important to teach them proper hand washing techniques. The more children wash their hands, the less likely they are to pick up germs that can make them sick.
If soap and water aren’t readily available, alcohol-based hand sanitizer can also help eliminate germs.
WWW Address: http://www.gachd.org/hot-topic/clean_handsbetter_health.php