January 17, 2007 - Your Health Is In Your Hands

Your Health is in Your Hands

In many cases, your health is, literally, in your hands. As we enter continue through cold and flu season, please think carefully about what you can do to protect yourself and the health of others.

It is impossible to completely avoid the germs that cause diseases like strep throat and influenza. However, it is in our power to reduce the risks we face when we encounter them. Hand washing is the 20-second solution to protecting yourself from many diseases

Think about how many things you touch in the course of a day-beginning with the alarm clock that wakes you in the morning right through to the back door lock you check on your way to bed.

Here is a clear picture of just how vulnerable we are, as printed in the issue of “Apple”, a publication of the Calgary Health Region.

ATM buttons have more germs than a public restroom doorknob

Kitchen sinks have more germs than a toilet bowl or garbage can

One in five public surfaces (like shopping carts; buses and payphones) test positive for at least one body fluid

Germs trapped under artificial nails and chipped nail polish have been linked to hospital outbreaks

Shared hand lotion can grow bacteria

Research shows there is no difference in illness between households that use antibacterial products compared with those that don’t

Most household diseases are caused by viruses, which are not killed by antibacterial products.

Each time you touch something, you are putting yourself in contact with germs that were put there either earlier by you or someone else. And those germs are just looking for a nice, warm pair of hands where they can settle in and grow.

From your hands, it’s just a motion away to your eyes, nose or mouth, where the germs can have a heyday.

Your job is to prevent those first little germs you contact from spreading to areas where they can do damage.

Believe it or not, Mom was right. The best way to prevent “a bug” is to keep clean.

Wash your hands regularly with good old-fashioned soap or an alcohol-based product. The friction used when washing your hands in combination with the cleansing agent is what works best. Rinsing your hands isn’t washing them, it’s simply wetting them.

Health Canada recommends washing your hands:

Before food preparation, serving of food and eating

After toileting, blowing your nose, touching pets or changing diapers

To make sure your hands are really clean:

Wet hands, apply soap and rub your hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Cover all surfaces of your hands including thumbs, wrists, the web between your fingers and your nails. (Tip: have your children slowly sing the “Happy Birthday” song while washing). Rinse the soap off and gently blot your hands with a towel. Turn off the faucet with the towel, not your hands, to avoid contact with “bugs” again.

Alcohol hand rubs are an easy, waterless way to sanitize your hands and kills bacteria and most viruses. However, alcohol hand rubs does not remove visible dirt.

To avoid dry cracked hands from frequent hand washing, especially in the winter months, use hand lotion. Intact skin is a good defense.

Some other tips:

Faucets, all handles, telephone receivers, kitchen countertops and computer keyboards should be disinfected about three times a week. Any product labeled as a disinfectant by Health Canada is suitable.

The best prevention is good hand hygiene in combination with immune system maintenance; immunization; good nutrition and adequate rest. Does this take thought and effort? Absolutely. Would that time be better spent recuperating from a nasty bout of the flu? The choice is up to you.