Personal hygiene comprises of maintaining cleanliness as well as grooming of the external body. Maintaining a high level of personal hygiene helps one to stay healthy, wards off infections and also increases self-esteem and confidence.
There are several factors that come in to play – body care and cleanliness, hair and skin hygiene, nail care and feet care, food and utensils cleanliness.
Benefits Of Maintaining Good Personal Hygiene
If you don’t have a good standard of hygiene, a host of implications can issue.
- There is an increased risk of getting infections; you can contract infections easily if you do not maintain personal hygiene and you also transmit infections quickly to others.
- Social and psychological aspects get affected too. People will alienate themselves if you do not observe good hygiene measures and smell offensive. It can drastically affect your self esteem and cause undue embarrassment.
- Poor hygiene can have considerable repercussions on the success of your job too.
- Parents need to be extra careful when it comes to children’s personal hygiene and cleanliness.They must be taught correct brushing and oral care, bathing, washing hair washing hands after going to the loo as well as before and after meals. Children have a developing immune system and tend to catch infections easily; hence it is important to keep an eye on their personal hygiene status.
Simple Ways To Maintain Good Personal Hygiene
- Bacteria gain entry in to the body when we come into contact with them. Playing in the garden, handling raw food, changing diapers, and emptying garbage cans – all render us vulnerable to various disease causing microbes. Ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after any of these activities. Also, make sure you wash fruits and vegetables well before eating them.
- Wash your hands after – eating, visiting the loo, food preparation, treating wounds, coming into contact with a sick or injured person, handling contact lenses, changing diapers, blowing your nose, coughing, and handling garbage.
- It is very vital that you keep nails short and clean; that’s where bacteria tend to hide and get lodged there.
- Maintain good oral hygiene. Keep the teeth, gums and tongue clean; brush your teeth twice daily, floss regularly, clean the tongue and rinse the mouth well. The mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria, and it conveys harmful bacteria throughout the body, infecting and damaging the GI tract, respiratory system, heart, and kidneys.
- Menstrual hygiene is very vital. Use good pads or tampons during menstruation. Change regularly. Furthermore, immediate disposal of menstrual products is crucial to prevent any infection.
- Feet care is important; and regrettably neglected very often. Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection, caused by fungi which proliferate in damp, warm places. When you wear shoes without socks there is an increased risk of developing infections. If you play sports, always carry an extra pair of socks to keep your feet dry after the game. Wash feet thoroughly with warm water; you could add an anti-bacterial such as tea tree essential oil. Dry them well and moisturize them. Those who play sports could apply an anti-bacterial or anti-fungal powder before putting on shoes.