Why you need to wash your hands

May 5th, was observed as world, “Hand washing day: by the W.H.O. (World Health Organization). This is to show how important, is a simple thing like hand washing in preventing diseases and promoting good health. As per the W.H.O., the number of health care associated infections at any given time is 15.5/100 new patients. In those undergoing surgical procedures, it is as high as 31. These figures are for the infections acquired in a health care setting. This can be a hospital, dispensary, clinic or any such place including home, where a sick person is being cared for by others. In this set-up unclean hands become a source of infections being transmitted from one person to another. It could be from patient to another patient or another person or health personnel to the patient. The same applies to individuals anywhere. Hand washing can prevent transmission of many infections like cold, cough, diarrheal diseases, typhoid, aggravation of chronic bronchitis, eczema, fungal infection, e.t.c. One should always wash hands after going to the toilette even in your own home. While preparing, serving or eating food, hands should always be washed. It is good to wash hands after handling raw food material particularly meat. If one sneezes or coughs, it is advisable to wash hands to remove contamination of germs on the surface; otherwise germs settle on the hands and can infect another person or re- infect the same person aggravating his illness. Similarly hand washing is also advisable after touching animals domestic or otherwise. One may keep cats or dogs as pets and fondle them affectionately. But hands should be washed after that before touching any food or water. Because animals harbor germs on their bodies, tongue sand paws, which can cause illness in human beings. Toxoplasmosis is one such infection which can pass from pet cats to men. It is said that one needs to wash hands after contact with body part of any other human being except clean hands. But here is the million dollar question. Hand touching by means of, hand shake”, is the most common activity involving physical contact with another human being. How can one be sure whether the hands of the other person are clean or not? Thus whether to wash hands after hand shake can be debatable and decision lies in hands of the individual. Maybe with this risk in mind, the traditional form of greeting in most Asian societies was to bow or greet with folded hands, but not a, “hand shake”. It is also important to know the correct technique of hand washing. A very ideal antiseptic technique is that which is used by surgeons before operation. After washing hands thoroughly they are not supposed to touch anything and only put on the gloves. The packet of gloves is also opened by an assistant and they simply slide their hands inside the gloves. But this strict ritual is not to be followed by all. A good hand washing involves use of soap and adequate amount of water. Ideally warm water should be used because that serves as antiseptic, but considering the high price of fuel, I think one can do without it. It is advised to rub hands thoroughly with soap till the count of 10 to 20. Soap should be scrubbed very well over tips of fingers and in between fingers, under nails and back of hands, to remove all possible contamination. The scrubbing movement should begin from center of the hand to the peripheral edge. This prevents any potential movement of grime or germs from periphery to center. After scrubbing with soap it is necessary to rinse the hands adequately with water to remove any traces of soap. Washing hands is not only good to prevent diseases but also has an aesthetic value. Clean, scrubbed hands look more pretty than hands with any grime or oil visible, howsoever well manicured they may be. Similarly smelly hands do not appeal to anyone. Handkerchiefs and disposable tissues though used much are no substitutes for a hand wash regarding cleanliness and hygiene. Howsoever busy one may be, but a person needs to remember the simplest means to remain healthy, i.e. to wash hands regularly. rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk