Health Blog # 1 - Let me have, Germ-free hands !

Block III. Earth,

Yet-known Solar System,

Some where in the Universe.

January 8, 2019

Dear Esteemed Readers & may be upcoming-admirers,

How has life been treating you people? What can i assume, is a good treatment. But, not the best. Well, it has been the same story line since the big bang, with probably the variable plots.

So you do not need to worry about the story line, instead, need to modify the plot as per your desire and passion.

There are some dialogues, that we heard on regular basis by our beloved Parents.

For example;

“Lunch is ready son! Go and wash your hands”.

“Snacks are set to eat! Go and wash your hands first”.

Not even a single day, I believe, passes without these lines.

Why do our parents advise, mostly scold, us to wash our hands before meal?

Because they care for our health, in a nut shell;

"They care for us".

They are acknowledged with the fact that Hand Wash before every work is the first & foremost defence for us against a group of antagonists known as,

"GERMS"

  

By the way ! who does not know these people. I believe no one will say that he / she never heard about them. If someone unfortunately does not, call me !

It really never means that I'm one of them. #Lame

Remember! 

"Hand Wash is the mandatory task of our daily 

life".

A research conducted in 2010 revealed that;

1.8 million children of below 5 years of age die each year from diarrhoea and pneumonia around the world. ⁽¹⁾

Researchers discovered a fact that; 

1 out 3 children, attacked by diarrhoea

 & 1 out of 5 children, 
affected with pneumonia, 
can be protected from hazardous 
outcomes by Hand Washing. ^{(2) (3)}

Diarrhoea & Pneumonia are the two main killer diseases, affecting a huge population of young children around the world.

So proper hand washing protects you from these killer diseases. Unfortunately if you get affected with them, proper hand washing stops further infectious agents to gain entry in your body and therefore helps the treatment, you are taking, to work efficiently to eradicate and eliminate the disease.

What is the best time for washing hands?

Whenever you are about to perform any of the following tasks, it is the best to time to wash your hands properly; <sup>(4)

1. Before, during & after preparing food.
2. Before eating.
3. Before & after caring someone who is sick.
4. Before & after treating cut or wound.
5. After using toilet.
6. After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used toilet.
7. After sneezing, coughing & blowing your nose.
8. After touching animals, animal waste or animal feed.
9. After handling pets, pet food or pet treats.
10. After touching garbage.</sup>

What should I prefer to wash hands?

Studies show that washing hands with Soap & Water is far more effective way than hand-sanitizer, to keep you protected from a vast variety of infections.

If (Soap-plus-water & Hand Sanitizer) are available, you must prefer Soap & Water.

Remember !

Soap & Sanitizer (The S-Brotherzzz) are your best allies 

against Germ-Force.

When should I specifically use Soap & Water?

You should prefer soap & water;

<sup>1. When your hands are visible dirty or greasy.
2. Before, during & after preparing food.
3. Before eating.
4. Before & after caring someone who is sick.
5. Before & after treating cut or wound.
6. After using toilet.
7. After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used toilet.
8. After sneezing, coughing & blowing your nose.
9. After touching animals, animal waste or animal feed.
10. After handling pets, pet food or pet treats.
11. After touching garbage.</sup> 

When should I specifically use Hand-Sanitizer?

You can use hand-sanitizer in following conditions;

1. When soap & water are not available.
2. Before & after visiting patient at hospital. 

Which hand-sanitizer should I prefer? ⁽⁵⁾

Many studies revealed that the hand-sanitizers, containing 60% alcohol, can effectively kill 60-95% of organisms as compared to those containing low or no concentration of alcohol.

Whenever you buy a hand-sanitizer, must check its alcoholic strength. Always buy sanitizer with 60% strength.

Why should I prefer Soap & water over Hand-sanitizer? ⁽⁵⁾

Soap contains adsorbents. So they adsorb germs and visible dirt or grease. When we pour water, it washes away the soap and all the infectious material trapped in the soap.

Secondly, adsorbents in the soap contain ability to entrap almost all the germs, including those not trapped by hand-sanitizers.

Hand-Sanitizers lack adsorbent properties therefore cannot remove pesticides, heavy metals & other chemicals.

If you use non-alcoholic sanitizer, it can;

1. Not work equally for many germs.
2. Cause germs to develop resistance against sanitizing property.
3. Only mildly reduce the number of germs than alcoholic sanitizer.
4. Kill only some or no germs than alcoholic sanitizer.
5. Cause more irritation of skin than alcoholic sanitizer.

How to Wash hands with Soap & Water? ⁽⁴⁾

Following are the steps while washing hands with soap & water;

1. Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) & apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing together with the soap.
3. Scrub all surfaces of your hands, including the palms, back, finger, between your fingers, and your nails. Keep scrubbing for 20 seconds. Need a timer? Read the table of "1" twice.
4. Rinse your hands under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

How to Wash hands with Hand-Sanitizer? ⁽⁴⁾

Following are the steps while washing hands with hand-sanitizer;

1. Apply: Put enough sanitizing on hands to cover all surfaces.
2. Rub: Rub your hands together, until hands feel dry. This should take around 20 seconds.

Note: 

Do not rinse or wipe off the hand sanitizer before it’s dry; it may not work as well against germs.

*** In the end ***

What are the benefits of Proper Hand Washing?

Following two are the main benefits of hand washing;

1. Keeps you prevented from getting infected by many of the infectious especially killer infections, diarrhoea & pneumonia.

2. Prevent the transmission of infections from one person to another.

3. If unintentionally some dirt sticks to your hands, you can see it & wipe it off during hand wash.

4. The more you hand wash properly, the less you get infections, the less you take antibiotics and the less you develop antibiotic resistance.

*** Advice by DoctorSahab ***

Make your habit of Proper Hand Washing.

Remember! 

Always do proper hand washing, which you have just learnt earlier above.

I will soon upload the video or its link that will show how to hand wash properly ! Wait a little...

Thank You !

Hope you all will remain happy, healthy and humans (3 Hs).

Kind regards,

Doctor Sahab.

References

1. Liu L, Johnson HL, Cousens S, Perin J; Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group of WHO and UNICEF. Global, regional and national causes of child mortality: an updated systemic analysis for 2010 with time trends since 2000. Lancet. 2012 June 9; 379(9832):2151-61.

2. Ejemot RI, Ehiri JE. Hand washing for preventing diarrhea. Cochrane Database Sys rev. 2008;1:CD004265.

3. Rabie T, Curtis V. Hand washing and risk of respiratory infections: a quantitative systemic review. Trop Med Int Health. 2006 March; 11(3): 258-267.

4. Centre of Disease Control and Prevention, CDC: When & How to wash hands. Available from:

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html.

5. Centre of Disease Control and Prevention, CDC: Show Me the Science - Situations where hand sanitizer can be effective & How to Use it in community settings. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-hand-sanitizer.html.