How to wash your hands well, doctors say

Hopefully washing your hands is a superficial and common task in your daily routine. It surprises Dr. Robert Segal, founder of Manhattan's medical practices, however, always shows how many adult adults manage to do a job that is anything but ideal for washing hands .

"As a doctor, I have to be very careful to keep my hands clean and prevent the virus from spreading from one patient to another. But sometimes when I go to a restaurant , I find that people wash their hands too quickly, don't use enough soap, or worse, they don't wash at all, "says Segal. We have also seen it and, frankly, since washing hands is the easiest way to prevent the spread of diseases and diseases, we want to encourage practice. Since the flu season is in full swing, it may be helpful to Segal and Dr. Timothy Laird , a doctor approved by the Health First Board, for advice on how to wash your healthy hands

Believe it or not, there is a great way to wash your hands. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC ) is divided into these five steps:

1. Moisten your hands (wrist) with clean running water (temperature does not matter). Close the tap and apply a good amount of soap.
2. Soap the soap by rubbing your hands. Remember to distribute this foam on the back of your hand to your wrists, between your fingers and under your nails.
3. Rub your hands for at least 20 seconds. The two doctors recommend humming the song "Happy Birthday" twice from start to finish to find the right time. "Before the surgery, surgeons should be in the sink for a full 5 minutes using a brush under the nail and a very strong soap with a brush on each finger on both sides of their hands and rubbing everything in. No one expects the rest of us to rub us so hard , but it gives you an idea of ​​what it really takes to kill most germs, "says Laird.
4. Rinse hands thoroughly with clear water.
5. Dry your hands with a clean paper towel (the best option), a hand dryer (OK), or let them air dry (if necessary).

December 18, 2019 02:18

According to doctors and CDC, you should wash your hands:

• Before, during and after food preparation. "If you keep your hands clean and keep the surfaces for food preparation, such as countertops and cutting boards, and washing raw products clean, you can prevent diarrhea and other diseases," says Laird.
• Just before eating. Think of your hands as kitchen utensils. "The most important germ portals that get into our body are the mouth and nose and our hands," says Laird. "Our hands inoculate germs in our bodies when they touch our face or our food. Then we take in the germs and get sick. "
• Before and after home care for people with vomiting or diarrhea. Viruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea, such as B. Noroviruses are very contagious, and hand washing is the best defense to prevent falls.
• Before and after treating a cut or wound to prevent infection .
• After using the bathroom , changing diapers, or cleaning a child who used the bathroom , "even a microscopic amount of feces can contain millions of germs," ​​says the CDC.
• After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. The contagious germs of a sneeze can live in the air for hours, many different viruses can cause colds, and the flu virus can live on the surface for a few minutes or a few hours after an infected person has been there. been suspended, says Segal.
• After touching an animal, animal feed, treats or animal waste. According to the FDA , pet food can be contaminated with bacteria that cause food-borne diseases such as salmonellosis and listeriosis .
• After touching the garbage. Because ew.

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Depending on where you are while washing, here are a few things to consider

Be diligent in restaurants

When you go out to eat, open the door with your hands, take out the chair and manipulate the menu. That's why washing your hands just before you eat helps keep germs at bay and keep you healthier, says Segal.

Be more diligent in public toilets.

"The door of a public toilet or most things in a toilet is a seedbed of germs," ​​says Segal. "That's why automatic rinsing and paper towel dispensers counteract the spread of viruses. You don't have to touch them." If they're not available, use what's there and dry your hands well: germs stick to moisture, says Segal. Hang up your towel or take a new one and use it to open the door and keep your hands clean. Not everyone will wash their hands after using the bathroom.

Transport a disinfectant

Hand washing has a slight advantage over the disinfectant when it comes to keeping your hands clean. However, a disinfectant that contains at least 60 percent alcohol can help prevent germs if there's no sink or soap nearby. "Rub it around your hands for at least 20 seconds until your hands are dry. It won't work if your hands are very dirty or covered with oil, but it is a good alternative if there is no soap or water, "says Laird. "There are even some germs that are better removed by freezing than soap and water. So in healthcare facilities we try to do a little bit of both. We often use gel and hand scrubs with soap and water after repeated use of the gel. "

Segal recommends wearing disinfectant wipes on aircraft (very germ-containing) and cleaning all surfaces that touch them, e.g. B. aircraft seats, touchscreen, seat belt and storage. Traveling around the country? Use a disinfectant on your hands after touching the seat belt buckles, train seats, and subway posts.

In general, hand washing is an art that deserves to be perfected. "Washing hands is one of the best ways to keep you and your family healthy," says Laird, who is an anecdote about the "father" of washing hands (yes, there is nobody!), Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, said, who examined the incidence of infections in maternity homes in Vienna. "He discovered that washing so-called" cradle fever "could be significantly reduced by washing hands in maternity clinics. However, his conclusions were not in line with the established scientific and medical opinion and the medical community, he ridiculed and rejected him. The doctors were offended because they could be the source of the infections. He was unable to provide a scientific explanation for his discoveries because the discovery of germs as the cause was still years away. He suffered a nervous breakdown and was taken to an institution where he died. The wisdom hand washing was only taken over years later when Louis Pasteur and Joseph Lister discovered that Semmelweis was always right. "

Poor man But thanks to him we will probably live a little longer.

NEXT: Dermatologists say how to shower

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