The Importance of Good Hygiene

by Dr. Marina Claudio

The World Health Organization states that, "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to continue good health and stop the spread of diseases." Hygiene practices help to protect us and others from infections and their spread. Our bodies have a protective shield covering us - our skin. Even with this protective shield, we can still be at risk for infections. The most common ways that infections can enter our bodies is through our eyes, nose, throat, genitals, anus, breaks and cuts in the skin and through our blood.

One important example of a personal hygiene practice to lower and prevent infections is washing your hands. To wash your hands correctly, lather up with soap for 20 seconds, the amount of time needed to sing the ABC song. The longer you wash, the more germs will be washed away. Be sure to rinse well with running water. Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and then use it to turn the doorknob when leaving the bathroom. If soap is not handy, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer may be used.

Be sure to wash your hands after using the toilet, after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose, before meals or handling food, and after touching blood or any body fluid.

Here are some other examples of good personal hygiene practices:

• carry tissues and use them to catch coughs and sneezes, or sneeze into your elbow; be sure to throw away used tissues as soon as possible

• shower or bathe regularly

• wash scalp and hair

• wear clean clothing

• brush teeth

• do not share brushes and combs to prevent and stop the spread of lice

• cut finger nails

• clean or wipe the anal area after having a bowel movement

Keeping a clean living space also helps to lower the risk of infection. Regularly clean surfaces in the kitchen (such as counter tops and food preparation areas) and the bathroom (such as toilet bowls, seats, flush and door handles, bath and basin surfaces) in order to lower the of spread of germs. Cleaning is also important to stop the spread of fungal infections. A fungus is a living organism that is different from bacteria and viruses. One example of fungus is mold. Mold can live on walls, floor tiles and on shower curtains. Mold can cause infections, allergic responses, can damage surfaces, and cause smelly odors.

Good habits take time to develop. These new practices can then become everyday routines. Teaching our youth to practice good hygiene can also help to create and support these good habits early.

The sooner we can put these practices into our daily routines, the sooner we can lower the danger of disease spread.

Dr. Marina Claudio is a board-certified family physician who has been in practice since 2003. She is currently a Medical Director at Molina Healthcare of Illinois/Wisconsin. She's a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the UIC/Advocate Illinois Masonic Family Medicine Residency Program.