Hygiene

From Free net encyclopedia

Hygiene is the maintenance of healthy practices. In modern terminology, this is usually regarded as a particular reference to cleanliness.

Outward signs of good hygiene include the absence of visible dirt (including dust and stains on clothing) or of bad smells. Since the development of the germ theory of disease, hygiene has come to mean any practice leading to the absence of harmful levels of bacteria.

Good hygiene is an aid to health, beauty, comfort, and social interactions. It directly aids in disease prevention and/or disease isolation. (That is, good hygiene will help keep one healthy and thus avoid illness. If one is ill, good hygiene can reduce one's contagiousness to others.)

Washing (with water) is the most common example of hygienic behavior. Washing is often done with soap or detergent which helps to remove oils and to break up dirt particles so they may be washed away.

Hygienic practices -- such as frequent hand washing or the use of boiled (and thus sterilized) water in medical operations -- have a profound impact on reducing the spread of disease. This is because they kill or remove disease-causing microbes (germs) in the immediate surroundings. For instance, washing one's hands after using the toilet and before handling food reduces the chance of spreading E. coli bacteria and Hepatitis A, both of which are spread from fecal contamination of food.

Adequate hygiene require an adequate and convenient supply of clean water. In much of the developing world maintaining an acceptable level of cleanliness is difficult or impossible for much of the population due to lack of adequate water supply and sanitation. This results in the rapid spread and extent of diseases such as trachoma which are rare in the developed world.

1 Some hygienic practices

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Some hygienic practices

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Personal hygiene

Image:Cat cleaning itself.jpg

Daily washing of the body and hair
More frequent washing of hands and/or face
Brushing teeth two to three times daily
Regular bathing in a steam shower.
Cleaning of the clothes and living area
General avoidance of body fluids
Not touching animals before eating
General avoidance of unhygienic people
- Holding a tissue in your hand or using the upper arm/elbow region over mouth when coughing or sneezing, not a bare hand.
- Suppression of habits such as spitting or nose-picking
- Washing hands before eating
- Not licking fingers before picking up sheets of paper
- Not touching feces

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Food preparation and consumption

Cleaning of food preparation areas and equipment for example using designated cutting boards for preparing raw meats and vegetables.
Washing of hands after touching uncooked food when preparing meals
Not using the same utensils to prepare different foods
Non-sharing of cutlery when eating
Not licking fingers or hands while or after eating
Refrigeration of foods (and avoidance of certain foods in environments where refrigeration is or was not feasible)
Labeling food to indicate when it was produced (or, as food manufacturers prefer, to indicate its best before date)
Proper storage of food so as to prevent contamination by vermin
Disposal of uneaten food and packaging
Institutional dish sanitizing