HAND WASHING

A Forgotten Power Tool - Hand washing
It seems silly to have to write about so basic a habit. Of all the health safety measures available, this is the easiest to forget! Hand washing is the first line of defense against the spread of many infections, from the ubiquitous diarrhoea, to the cough and cold, to more serious illnesses which may need visits to the doctor and/or hospitalization.
Millions of germs inhabit every square centimeter of this planet, while most we could not do without, an equal number can cause disease.
There is no place on Earth that we can avoid germs, unless we are in a deliberately controlled atmosphere like a surgical operation theatre. Unknowingly one becomes infected by touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. Think of what you touched today, the sink and taps in the toilet, handles of your bike, the staircase railing, your shoes, the floor when you picked up a dropped pen. It is impossible to narrate the places where you may have picked up the germs. What matters, is to know that you washed your hands after, then touched any surface of your body, not covered by skin, the God given natural barrier.
Germs spread in many ways e.g. by touching dirty hands, or objects which may appear clean, from using the toilet, through contaminated food or water, through droplets from a cough or a sneeze, via contaminated surfaces, commonly the staircase railing in a public place, handling a favorite pet/animal, contact with a sick person.
Unclean nails are a reservoir of grime and dirt, which can transmit a host of infections. Worm infestations, which in turn cause anemia, malnutrition and diarrhea, are so common that we accept them as part of the tropical exposure.
Would you have ever thought that even handling coins and paper money can cause eye infections and tuberculosis!
Proper hand washing begins with wetting the hands, rubbing soap, making foam for about 15-20 seconds, remembering the backs of the hands, web spaces and nails, then rinsing and wiping. Keeping the nails short and clean
In many old Hindi movies, we see the father enter the house, take off his outer wear, his shoes, and wait at a courtyard tank/well for someone to come and give him water to wash his hands, feet and face, wipe with a clean cloth, then change to home slippers. By not touching the water, he kept the germs away from it, the outside dirt he left near the door, before he touched his children and other family members. Also everyone had to wash hands before sitting down to a meal. How can we have dropped these habits in the name of progress?