How hygiene is affecting your health!

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Hygiene is the act off keeping clean, hygiene is important as it helps prevent diseases in many ways.

From personal to environmental hygiene, nothing comes close to warding off infections like hygiene does, whether in a large population or family unit, hygiene is essential to living a healthy life.

There several ways to be hygienic all of them if observed will help you and your family live well

 

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1) HANDWASHING
Hand washing is the most important hygiene by far according to the world health organization hand washing saves lives and prevents illnesses. Our hands are the biggest carriers of germs we shake peoples, eat meals, we type on our laptops and swipe our android phones.
Hand washing can save you from trips to the hospital, it is one of the cheapest ways to avoid illnesses.

 

WHEN SHOULD YOU WASH YOUR HANDS?
i) Wash your hands before eating

ii) After eating

iii) Wash your hands before and after coming in contact with a sick person

iv) Wash your hands after using the rest room.

v) After being in contact with animals.

vi) After taking out the trash

 

HOW TO WASH YOUR HANDS

1) Wet your hands

2) Lather your hands with soap by rubbing them together.

3) Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds, pay attention to areas like in between your fingers and your nail beds.

4) Rinse your hands well under clean running water.

5) Dry your hands using disposable paper towel.

Note: If you are on the go and water is unavailable, alcohol hand rubs or hand sanitizers as they are called, can be used to help keep your hands germ free.

 

2)DENTAL CARE (Care of the teeth and mouth)
Oral care is very important, if neglected it could lead to a variety of disease conditions, examples include cavities, gum disease, halitosis which is the term for mouth odor and this could lead to a poor self image. Poor oral care has also been linked to some heart diseases.

 

HOW TO MAINTAIN GOOD ORAL HYGIENE

I) Brush twice daily especially if you are a sweet tooth, this helps to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. While brushing pay attention to certain areas like your tongue.

II) Floss: flossing helps to remove plaque which is a film of bacteria that clings to the teeth. It also helps to prevent cavities.

III) Rinse your mouth properly after brushing, it helps to take out particles that are stuck in between your teeth.

IV) Eat right: A diet rich in calcium helps to keep your teeth healthy looking and strong. Calcium can be found in milk and many other foods.

V) Replace your tooth brush with a new one every three to four months.

VI) Visit your dentist at least once a year, not only when you have toothache.

 

3)BATHING
Take your bath daily, taking your bath regularly helpsprevent body odur. Take your bath at least once a day if the weather is really cold cause you sweet less in cold weather and twice if you live in tropical zones where the weather can get very hot.

4) CLOTHING HYGIENE
Clean clothes are as important as clean hands. Always wear clean clothes, this helps to prevent body odour and skin infections.

 

5) ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE

A clean environment ensures less chances of falling ill and transferring infection from unclean surfaces into the body. Take out the trash regularly and keep toilets and bathrooms clean.

 

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10 FACTS ABOUT COLDS AND FLU

Flu and colds are both respiratory illnesses caused by different viruses while colds are milder than flu they both share the similar symptoms.
1) Colds and flu have similar symptoms
The common cold and flu present the same way but the symptoms of flu appear abruptly and are more serious than the symptoms of a cold.
2) Flu can lead to serious complications
A flu can cause mild to severe illness and can sometimes lead to death if not managed properly, especially in people who are termed higher risk for example people above the age of 65, people with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, pregnant women and children under the age of 5.
3) Colds and flu are more common in winter time and in raining season in tropical climates.
Colds are more common in the winter and raining season (spring), during this time the weather is cooler damp and a favorable environment for most of the viruses that cause colds and flu. In winter people stay indoors more often with each other which increases the chances of infection if one person in the house is infected.
4) The cold and flu are both contagious.
They are both spread when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes and tiny droplets from the persons mouth is released into the environment, food or water around them, these tiny droplets contain the cold or flu virus and can be spread from person to person.
5) They can be transferred by someone who doesn’t look sick.
A cold or flu virus may be present for two are three days before the person gets sick, it is important to always cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing so as to avoid infecting family and friends with a cold or flu.
6) They can both be treated.
A cold might not need serious medical attention but flu should be treated by a health care provider because you may need antiviral drugs to help clear the symptoms.
7) Flus and common cold differ in duration of illness.
A cold may last from 3-7 days while the flu may take up to 1-2 weeks to clear up, you should stay at home during this period as adequate rest is paramount to the healing process.
8) They are caused by different kinds of viruses.
The common cold is caused by viruses that affect the nose, throat and upper respiratory tract, there are over 200 hundred viruses that cause the common cold. Flu or influenza is caused by more severe viruses.
9) It could be difficult to differentiate flu from the common cold.
It could be difficult to self diagnose a flu, that is why it is important to visit a hospital if you experience symptoms such as severe body ache, nausea and vomiting, severe headache, fever and extreme fatigue.
10) If not properly managed colds or flu infection can affect other parts of the body.
Colds and flu when not properly managed can lead to bacterial infection being spread to the ears, nose, it can cause can condition such as tonsillitis etc.

TREATMENT

1)Rest: Adequate rest is important in the recovery process of colds or flu, it helps your body to get back to it optimal level of functioning.

2) Hydration: Fluids are important because they help keep you troat moist and replace lost fluid from your body.

3) Nutrition: It is important to eat right, as it will help boost your immune system. Eat soft foods if you have a sore throat, soups and hot beverages are also recommended to help clear blocked airways.

4) Medication: Antiviral and antibiotic drugs maybe prescribed for you by your health care provider if symptoms are severe, pain killers can be included to help relieve symptoms like fever and body ache.

NB: DO NOT GIVE ASPIRINS TO CHILDREN.

PREVENTION

1) Hand washing: This is important to reduce the possibility of spreading infection, as colds could be transferred by shaking other people.

2) Avoid contact with sick people: As colds and flu can be transferred through contact, it is important to be careful around people with cold or flu, wash your hands for every time you come in contact with them. This doesn’t stop us from taking care of our loved ones who are down with a cold or flu.

3) Vaccination: There are vaccinations that help prevent flu and can be taken once a year. The flu vaccination is highly recommended for high risks groups such as children under 5 years of age and pregnant women.

How To take care of Your Brain.

The brain like every other organ in the body, it needs to be taken care of in order to prevent dementia and stay mentally active even when we are old. Some of the big CEOs today such as warren buffet are still active mentally because they exercise their brain. 

Here are a few tips to having a healthier brain.
I) Read for at least 30 minutes on a daily basis, it could be a chapter of a book , a blog post, Newspaper etc. Reading helps the brain process information faster and keep its engine oiled.
II) Protect your head, head injuries can lead to permanent brain damage and consistently having seizures. Wear helmets when riding a bike or playing a dangerous sports.
III) Learn a new skill once in a while, even a seemingly mundane skill such as basket weaving can do a lot for your mental capacity.
Iv) Exercise regularly, this helps to relax your body hence you are able to think better.
V) Play strategy games e.g board games such as chess, scramble draft etc.

VI) Get enough rest and sleep, it is important to sleep for at least 8 hours, sleep deprivation impairs cognitive functioning.

VII) Eat healthy, it is important to eat the right kinds of food, eat lots of fruit and vegetables.

VIII) Reduce alcohol consumption.
All these are important in order to maintain a healthy brain.

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