Personal Hygiene PDF

Personal Hygiene UNIT FIVE Personal Cleanliness Keeping personal cleanliness costs very little when it is compared with its importance. In this case everybody can practice it at home with the available materials. Personal cleanliness includes; th...

Personal Hygiene UNIT FIVE Personal Cleanliness Keeping personal cleanliness costs very little when it is compared with its importance. In this case everybody can practice it at home with the available materials. Personal cleanliness includes; the hygiene of the hand, body, feet, tooth, eye, cloths, genital areas, and the like. Figure 2. General body, face, and hand cleaning (source: community health worker’s manual, 1985) 5.1 The Hand Ethiopia being located in the tropical region, germs are numerous in: ƒ Dust ƒ Dirt ƒ Most objects we handle everyday Moreover, the relatively hot and humid climate makes our hands sweat and the oily secretions from the skin form a suitable 14 Personal Hygiene environment for germs to grow and multiply. Failure to perform appropriate hand hygiene is considered to be important route for disease transmission because there is always poor compliance even among educated people. Finger nails, if not properly cleaned and trimmed, are suitable locations for accumulation of dirt and germs. 5.1.1 Consequence of poor hygiene of fingernails If the hygiene of fingernails are not good it will have the following consequences: ƒ Skin disease by way of scratching the skin followed by contamination of the normal skin ƒ Intestinal worms will be harbored in the fingernails and most probably there is a possibility of transfer into the mouth when eating. ƒ Contamination of food during food preparation: The chance of contracting disease this way is remarkable where hands are often used for preparation and feeding. 15 Personal Hygiene Courtesy: photo Worku, 2004 Figure 3. Hand washing before and after toilet visit as well as before food preparation is mandatory personal hygiene. 5.1.2 Hand washing equipment Like some urban communities of Ethiopia, standard hand washing basins are hardly available due to economic constraints and lack of basic facilities like piped water. But the absence of this facility will not hinder from having appropriate hand washing. Hand washing facilities can be constructed from the local material that we have in any household. On the other hand, if preparing and constructing convenient hand washing facility is impossible, we just can use metal or plastic cans for pouring water (fig. 2). 16 Personal Hygiene Stopper made of wood or plastic Water coming from the delivery hole during hand washing Figure 4. Hand washing equipment made from local clay pot (Agaw, 2004) For more convenience we can prepare hand washing unit from local clay pot (fig. 4), plastic or ‘Kil’. From these materials we can make by perforating a water delivery hole with a stopper for delivering water. The hand washing clay pot can be made by local potters and this hole can be made from the very beginning while making the pot. If this is not possible, perforation of the delivery hole can be made using sharp iron material like knife and the stopper can be made just from the local materials available in the area. Such hand washing equipments can be hanged on outdoor, so that it will be easier for the family members to wash their hands and face after toilet visit, before and after meal or after contacting dirt material. 17 Personal Hygiene Figure 5 shows the hand washing equipment made from the available plastic material in Jimma hospital. This equipment is used by individuals who are working in hospital to take hand washing after their job. Courtesy: photo Worku, 2004 (photo taken with permission) Figure 5. Portable hand washing basin can be easily constructed for rural health centers and even for hospitals that do not have reliable water distribution systems. 5.1.3 Control measures to prevent the transmission of diseases from hands ƒ Keep finger nails always clean ƒ Keep finger nails always trimmed or short ƒ Use soap for hand washing before and after eating ƒ Use soap for hand washing after visiting latrine 18 Personal Hygiene ƒ Use soap for hand washing before any food preparation is carried out. Improper hand washing is no better than no hand washing at all. It is a common practice, even among the intellectual community, to quickly wash hands without using soap. The reduction in germ load on our hands will not be remarkable by using water alone and thus we should convince first ourselves and then the health workers and the community about the importance of hand hygiene and how correctly to perform it. But when soap is a constraint, we can wash hands for longer time (about 30 seconds), or after toilet visit or touching dirty matter, one can wash his/her hand using ash. Using ash for hand washing will help to increase the friction while rubbing the two hands. 5.2 The feet We are a bit reluctant to wash regularly our feet than to our hands. Is that because they are located further away or because they are less useful parts of our body? Because less attention is paid in cleaning our toes we suffer from a number of health problems. Between the toes, sweating of the skin makes a good breeding site for spores of fungus infection called athlete’s foot. When cleanliness of the toes is neglected, the bad odor generated has social consequences especially if you are working in an office with poor ventilation. 19 Personal Hygiene In most rural communities of Ethiopia, people are used to walk in a bare foot. The people in these communities need to wash their feet frequently than the people who are wearing shoes, because the foot is exposed to the soil and surrounding environment. If individuals fail to have frequent wash, hookworm and jigger flea can easily enter the feet and cause infections. Courtesy: photo Worku, 2004 (photo taken with permission) Figure 6. Regular washing of our feet prevents from fungal attack and undesirable health consequences 5.2.1 How to keep our feet hygienic We can keep our feet hygienic by cleaning: ƒ the feet ƒ the shoes and ƒ socks After the shoes and socks are washed we need to keep in the sunshine to dry and possibly to kill the germs. Like wise, after 20 Personal Hygiene washing feet, individuals need to wait until it gets dry before wearing shoes. 5.2.2 Method of avoiding foot disease ƒ Regular washing of feet with soap ƒ Wearing of clean socks to absorb the sweat if possible ƒ Wearing of shoes if possible In rural village when people cannot afford expensive shoes locally made sandals can be used as effective replacement. The disadvantage of leather shoes that expose the feet for fungal infection is rarely seen in sandal shoes. 5.3 The skin Sweat and oily secretion from the skin cause dust to stick on its surface. This clogs the skin pores and interferes with the natural function of the skin. Moreover, bacteria can readily breed on the surface of the skin to cause various disease and undesirable odor. Certain species of flies can deposit their eggs on clothes when left outside for drying and the larva will grow under human skin causing irritation. If germs or parasites that settle on the skin as a result of poor personal hygiene produce a lesion, the barrier to protect delicate internal organs of the body is lost and systemic infections are likely to occur. 21 Personal Hygiene 5.3.1 Methods of skin care ƒ Wash your body with warm water and soap preferably everyday to remove dust and dirt ƒ Wear the right size and type of clothes to suit local weather conditions ƒ Regular exposure of the skin to air and sunlight is beneficial 5.4 Hygiene of the clothes Clothes help to protect our body from cold and other conditions and to maintain warmth. Clothes that are not clean contribute to the multiplication of pests and the spread of pest borne diseases. Dressing clean clothes day and night is mandatory for better health. The sweat that comes from our body as dirt during activities accumulates on the body. It gives bad smell. Therefore, keeping our clothes clean as we keep our body is very important. Courtesy: photo Worku, 2004 Figure 7. Proper drying of clothes after washing. 22 Personal Hygiene Clothes can be washed and cleaned by water and soap or ‘ENDOD’ or other local cleaning materials. After washing it has to be sufficiently dried by sunshine and/or wind. Proper place has to be sought for washed clothes to avoid recontamination. Health problems that emanate from clothes that are not hygienic are: ƒ Typhus ƒ Relapsing fever ƒ Bad smell ƒ Body itching, ulceration, etc. To prevent the above problems: ƒ Regular washing and changing of clothes especially for children since it frequently get dirty. ƒ Frequent washing, outdoor drying and if possible ironing and putting in clean places. ƒ Regular washing of night clothes such as bed sheets ƒ Regular outdoor airing and washing as required of heavy clothes such as blankets and others. ƒ Boiling for at least 10 minutes and outdoor drying of all clothes that are infested with lice. ƒ Boiling and steaming of night clothes. The clothes should be immersed while boiling. Care should be taken not to release the steam from the clothes. ƒ Delousing clothes with 10% DDT or 1% malathion and keeping them for one day at time of epidemic outbreak. 23 Personal Hygiene ƒ Putting infested clothes in a plastic bag and exposing to frequent sunshine till one can see dead louse. This might take 2-3 days or more depending on the amount of the cloth and sunshine available. In most cases white plastic bad is preferred. ƒ Report epidemics outbreak 5.5 The mouth and teeth It is important in tropical countries to keep the mouth and teeth clean at all times. If this aspect of oral hygiene is neglected, food particles caught between the teeth decay quickly causing gum and tooth disease as well as bad breath. To prevent this undesirable situation, immediately after eating, the tooth should be brushed and the mouth flushed out with copious amount of water. The water used for rinsing the mouth can be clean water or water with a little salt dissolved in it. In situation where proper toothbrush is not available, traditional brushes such as twigs of selected trees can be effective substitutes particularly in rural settings. If tooth decay and gum diseases occur, it is necessary to visit the nearby health facility to correct the problem. 24 Personal Hygiene We should discourage people who are using a piece of glass or charcoal or other hard material because it will remove the enamel part of the teeth. Courtesy: photo Enanu, 2004 (photo taken with permission) Figure 8. Traditional tooth brushes can keep your teeth healthy and your smile fresh! 5.6 The head, nose and eyes 5.6.1 The Head The scalp and hair should be kept clean by washing with soap and warm water at intervals of a week. A dirty scalp harbor parasites such 25 Personal Hygiene as lice, which can transmit disease. Lack of sleep due to irritation caused by the parasites can also be a cause for irritation, inability to sleep and consequently poor health. Dirt on the head can also allow spores of ringworm to develop. Courtesy: photo Worku, 2004 Figure 9. Proper and regular washing of hairs will discourage parasites that are adapted to live on the scalp of our head hiding in the hair. 5.6.2 The Nose The nose, which is part of the respiratory system, contains hairs in the nostrils that filter dirt and germs from the air. Thus the nose serves as a protecting device against the entrance of harmful substances into our lungs and circulatory system. For this reason the nostrils should at all times keep clean by using a handkerchief or blowing at intervals to remove the accumulated dust and spores. This way, the incidence 26 Personal Hygiene of infection that usually starts at the throat can be reduced or controlled. Courtesy: photo Worku, 2004 Figure 10. Periodic blowing of our nose using a handkerchief will keep the air passage clean and the protective role of cilia and mucous in proper functioning order 5.6.3 The eye Dirty eye is the place for common housefly. Regular washing keep the eyes clean. Germs carried on the flies’ legs can be deposited in or near the eyes and may cause diseases, which eventually lead to blindness. The best example in our setting is trachoma which has affected many rural communities of Ethiopia. Trachoma can be prevented by regular eye hygiene. 27 Personal Hygiene 5.6.3.1 When should we wash our eyes? ƒ In the morning together with our face ƒ After exposure to dust or other contagious matter ƒ After it has been touched with a dirty hand ƒ After exposure to smoke and soot The water we use must be clean from contaminants. 5.6.4 The genitalia Emphasis has to be given to keep the pubic and genital areas clean. The Benefits of keeping genital hygiene are: ƒ Prevent disease transmission ƒ Prevent insect infestation ƒ Good relationship with sexual partner ƒ Prevent from developing offensive smell Shaving of pubic hair is one of the main important parts for the genital hygiene. It helps to avoid the harborage of pests and make cleaning of the genital organ easier. 28 Personal Hygiene Cleaning of genital areas can be done during general body cleaning or taking shower. But there are conditions where some one need specifically do cleaning of genital areas. These are: ƒ Before and after sexual intercourse: this will keep the genital area clean and help to avoid from having bad smell. ƒ Ejaculation: Sometimes men can ejaculate while they are sleeping. In this case it is important to wash it. ƒ During menstruation period: females need to clean the genital area frequently during this period. ƒ Before and after delivery: Frequent cleaning of the genital organ before birth will give comfortable condition for the person in charge to deliver the mother. In addition, this helps to prevent the child from getting HIV infection. Since there is high fluid discharge frequent cleaning and caring after delivery helps the mother from developing offensive smell and probably infection. 5.6.4.1 Care that should be taken during menstruation Since it is a natural law, females have a monthly menstrual cycle starting from the age of puberty in the normal circumstance. In order to maintain menstrual hygiene, it is important to use clean and soft cloths. The use of pieces of clothes becomes imperative when pads 29 Personal Hygiene made out of cotton are scarce. These clothes must frequently be changed and washed. The used up cloths should be soaked for some time in water and washed with soap, and dried and ventilated outdoor. In the communities those who can afford to buy, use of disposable sanitary towels or lady pads has to be encouraged. The used pads or cloths have to be burnt or buried to make it out of the reach of people and animals. Exercises 1. Why do we wash out....? - hands - feet - face - the body - the nail - the genitalia 30