Hand Washing – What Are The Health Benefits Of Clean Hands and Health Risks of Unclean Hands?
Posted by admin on February 16, 2011
Would you rather share a kiss than shake hands with a stranger? Most people wouldn’t, but do you know it is a fact that you could be at far greater risk of passing on or contracting an infection by shaking someone’s hands than by sharing a kiss?
The explanation for this is quite straightforward. Hand washing is an excellent infection preventive tool. Let’s face it, germs are everywhere. They are in the air, in water, in food, in the office, in the home, in the kitchen sink, in the laundry, in the shower and bath tubs, in the water closet, germs are virtually everywhere, but they are not indestructible. Germs that cause terrible infections such as salmonella, campylobacter, norovirus, E. coli, staphylococcus and more can circulate directly from person to person through the hands. Stomach germs can be passed on if you put your finger in your mouth or forget to wash your hands before preparing food after engaging your hands with unsanitary chores such as using the toilet.
The bottom line is this: breaking the chain of infection depends on how well you can wash your hands. Hand washing can help to prevent the passing on of nasty and deadly viruses and bacteria. But hand washing goes beyond merely dipping your hands under a dribbling tap and thinking that will do. Far from it. Read the rest of this entry »

