ProWritersHub (W6) - Wash your hands regularly to stay healthy
Introduction
Our hands are one of the most- frequently use part of the body. It is responsible for virtual all sorts of activities that we engage in. What work you think of - cooking, weeding, writing, typing, carrying and holding objects - is done with the hand. We use the same hand to eat, clear dirt from the eye, pick our nose and so many other things. It explains why it is very easy to transmit germs and bacteria from the hand into our body.
Washing our hands regularly is probably the cheapest and most neglected medicine ever. That is because when they hands are regularly washed, we avoid transmitting bacteria that causes illness into our body. In this presentation, I will talk about the following:
- What is the proper way to wash your hands?
- When should you wash your hands
- Why is using running water and liquid soap the best?
- If there is no running water from a tap, what should you do?
- What are some diseases that can be prevented by washing hands regularly?
- Do people in your area wash hands regularly?
- What can be done to create more awareness for hand-washing?
Alright let us quickly start with the first item on the list.
What is the proper way to wash your hands
People wash hands in many ways. Some wash their hands with just water poured into a container. Other people wash hurriedly without soap especially when they are hungry. Some do not remember to wash hands at all. But when it comes to washing hands properly, many health experts agree on the following recommendations:
- First of all remove all jevelry such as ring and bangle from your hands.
- Wet your hands with little running water preferably from a tap
- Apply some quantity of liquid soap or bar soap and scrub all parts of the hand including the fingers and back of the hand for at least 20 seconds
- Rinse your hands will sufficient, clean running water until the hand is washed clean of any soap particles
- Use a neat towel to dry your hands.
If you follow the above steps, you would have washed your hands the proper way.
When should you wash your hands?
Most people only remember to wash their hands when they want to eat. And most times, they do it the wrong way. The short answer here is that you should wash your hands as often as possible, or several times within the day. While there is no universal hand-washing timetable, you should not forget to wash your hands properly before or after the following activities:
- Immediately you finish blowing your nose, wash your hands
- Before you start handling or preparing food
- Wash your hands immediately after using the toilet
- Nursing mothers should quickly wash their hands after changing the diaper of their babies
- If you take care of a sick patient or family member, remember to wash your hands
- Before you insert your fingers into the eye or nostrils, please wash your hands
The above and many other activities can lead to directly transmitting germs into the body or food if the hands were not properly washed.
![1.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWiT1rp61bLTHwTW65bEEN1KUavC6YR42UYvH114LUtTU/1.png)
From Pixabay
Why is using running water and liquid soap the best
Many people use bar soap to wash their hands, which is not actually wrong. However, some health experts recommend liquid soap because it forms lather easily which help to remove bacteria and dirt as you scrub your hands. Additionally, some liquid soaps contain ethanol which also helps to kill any germs or backteria on the hand. However, whether you use bar soap or liquid soap, the most important thing is that you should use soap when washing your hands.
Running water is the recommended water to be used for washing hands. Some people pour water into a bowl and wash from there. This is very wrong. Washing from a source like the bowl does not wash away the dirt and germs on the hand. Running water carries away the germs and dirt and makes your hand to be clean completely. So always try to wash from running water and not pour into a bowl.
If there is no running water from a tap, what should you do?
![1.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRxCr9phHWEyLJdPh2GigwYzALwP5qynEqQpFyvC7L59R/1.png)
From Pixabay
Running water is recommended for proper hand-washing. However, one may not always be close to a tap from which to get running water. in that case, it is recommended that you improvise. For example, you can have a friend or family member pour water on your hands as you wash them. They can pour water from a bowl. Alternative, you can use a water container or water bottle to fill up water which can be used to wash hands.
The above are suggestions that can work anywhere. The bottom line is that you use running water. Whether its from a tap, bowl, bottle or other containers, try to wash your hands with running water.
What are some diseases that can be prevented by washing hands regularly?
As your hands is used to handle almost everything, it comes in contact with germs that can then be transmitted to the body, causing illness. The more we are exposed to humans, animals and other objects that have germs on them, the more like we will contract germs when we touch them. Many illnesses and diseases can be prevented by simply washing your hands. Some of them are:
- Common cold
- Corona virus
- Diarrhea
- Respiratory infections
- Eye infections
The above is not a comprehensive list but represents some of the illnessness that can easily be transmitted through contaminated hands.
Do people in your area wash hands regularly?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Regularly washing hands the proper way is not popular in my city Aba. Most people only remember to wash hands when they want to eat. Even at that, they do not wash hands with either soap or running water. Again, they also have a wrong mentality that such dirty hands do not kill Africans. However, the truth remains that many people die or get sick as a result of sicknesses transmitted through dirty hands.
I believe that if we can create more awareness and do proper sensitization on this issue, people will appreciate the health implications of dirty hands, and they will likely improve in this area of hand-washing.
What can be done to create more awareness for hand-washing
Government sensitization workshops: The government has a lot of work to do in order to create awareness. From time to time, they need to organize workshops especially in rural areas. In these workshops, they should be able to teach participants the importance of washing hands and the proper way to do it. Such regular gatherings will be a great avenue to educate the masses on why they should take washing hands serious.
Television/Radio Commercials: From time to time, public and private organizations, especially those in the health sector should sponsor Radio and TV commercials that educate the viewers and listeners the importance of washing hands. The more people hear or see these commercials regularly, the more they are likely to take hand-washing serious.
Health practitioners: Doctors, nurses and other health professionals should take the lead in educating their patients on the importance of washing hands regularly. I believe they have a lot of work to do in this regard. When they recommend regular hand-washing as part of medicine, their patients are going to gradually imbibe the culture.
Hand-washing stations: The Government or even well-meaning individuals and organizations should install hand-washing units especially in public places. All the amenities needed for washing hands properly should be made available such as running water, soap, and non reusable towels. This would be another great way to created this awareness.
Conclusion
Washing the hands regularly should be part of your hygiene routine. When you do that, you save money on hospitals bills. You and your family will stay healthy and strong too. Lets wash our hands regularly - everyday!!
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This post is so educative
That part you said about nursing mother's washing their hands after changing their babies diapers should be strictly adhered to
In my locality, there's this slang that "germs no dey kill Africans" but it's a huge lie as many of us are being buried due to negligence and ignorance when to comes to health safety
I quickly smiled to the way you said this raw truth below:
You ask them why Africa has the lowest life expectancies of any other continent, they wouldn't know that such a mentality is part of the answer. We really need to educate them about some of these seemingly harmless practices that are actually - to quote you - burying us in negligence and ignorance.
The other day, I was in a Keke and two women were discussing how to clear a baby's nostrils. One was proudly saying he still uses mouth to suck it. The way she was sounding is as if we owe her a trophy for her mediocrity - do i even know the meaning of mediocrity? Na you start big grammar ooo. Hahahah.
@precious123.
Lol
My boss is a graduate of linguistics, let me consult my dictionary
Everything you said is the bitter truth and it must be told
Precious Washing your hands is an important part of being healthy. Washing your hands can help prevent the spread of germs, viruses, and bacteria.
@afshaan is really health conscious, look at the way he's analyzing this handwashing practice
Yeah little bit specially after facing some health issues recently that's what I'm looking more conscious haha
You see this habit, please do not, I repeat do not discourage some Naija mothers from doing it, ha! except you are ready to hear history of how their great great mothers did it to them. But come to think of it, that's how the nostrils of most of us were cleaned. 🤔, but it's unhygienic anyways.
So @focusnow was the other woman able to tell how she cleans her baby's nostrils?
It is recommended that you wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you can't wash your hands for 20 seconds, then you should use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Its not only in your locality, it's a general slang in this Naija. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic when people were advised to wash hands regularly and wear nose masks, some people refused still quoting the slang above. It's just an ike gwụrụ (I don tire) situation.
Smiles....... ignorance is a big disease and it's not helping matters
Yes it is even deadlier than some diseases but we are hopeful that people will learn and practice this simple task of hand washing.
Every time you touch your face, you are spreading germs to your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you don't wash your hands often enough, these germs can lead to eye infections, colds, and the flu.
I've been a victim of flu and cold which was as result of bad weather, I never knew flu could be as a result of dirty hands as well
Curated by @marlyncabrera
SteemCor07 - Lifestyle Curation Team
Thank you my boss for posting this.
I learned a few things today, especially improvising if you do not have a running tap around.. so we really don't have any excuse for not washing our hands..👏👏
You got the point. No excuse for not washing hands. Were you able to wash your hands properly today? Hope you had a great Monday @uduakabraham
Hand sanitizers are quick and easy to use and can help get rid of germs and bacteria.
This is a well researched work. Good work.
@chikaeli. Thank you so much. Washing hands is one of the cheapest medicine. The challenge is that our people have made it expensive because they prefer to pay hospital bills than prevent illness by washing hands.
Wow sir you have give a well cleared thoughts about washing of hands to stay healthy .
What you said is very good government should go into the rural areas that we have in this country and teach them the important of washing hands before and after eating and also after going to the toilet or sneezing, this will help to reduce the amount of sickness that the rural People is suffering because most of them do not know the Benefits of washing hands .
You have do so well sir @focusnow I really appreciate your good thoughts that you just listed in washing of hands. Kudos
Did you know that washing your hands is the best way to prevent the spread of germs?
Exactly, very cheap medicine, all that it will cost one is clean running, soap and few seconds spent on doing it.
Nice post by @focus,we should always try to wash our hands everytime we finsih doing one or two activities like blowing the nosezusing the toilet and others.
Did you know that washing your hands regularly could potentially prevent the spread of a lot of different illnesses?
you are right sir, washing your hands in the running water is the best way to wash your hands, that is why during the COVID-19 period, people put tap in the front of their house or buy a bucket and give it to any plumber to fixed tap on the bucket. That Is what people use during that time.
thank you very much Sir for this great contents I really enjoyed reading and I have learned from it.
My regards.
If you want to avoid getting sick, it's important to wash your hands after touching anything that could potentially be contaminated with germs.
Please use microphone for this point and raise the volume very loud so that people at back can hear you 😄.
Exactly, people respond or react easily to what they hear or see. It was because I saw my parents engage in this practice regularly that I was able to take it serious. So I believe when constant education is carried out, people will engage in regular and proper hand washing.
Germs are transmitted through touching, so it's important to wash your hands when you're sick or in a public place.
@afshaan, you are right, but it would have been great if your comment was in line with the subject/point discussed here. Thanks.
You have written a great article as regards regular and proper hand washing. Unfortunately, in our land, we see washing our hands as stress, unless and until when we want to eat food. Washing from a running water remains the best, alas we grew up washing from bowl and that seems to be right to many people in our place.
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Yeah boss One of the most important things we can do to prevent the spread of germs is to wash our hands.