Hygiene is a term used to designate a set of measures and knowledge recurrent in the promotion and maintenance of health. The term hygiene comes from the Greek word hygies, which means sound,is also related to the goddess of Greek mythology hygienic. Such a deity was considered the protector of health and organic well-being.
The word hygiene has always been very related to the specification of the personal hygiene, that is, the habits that promote and maintain the individual's health. As health goes far beyond the fact of not being sick, it is also related to physical, mental and social well-being, currently, the definition of hygiene goes much further, gaining new adjectives and meanings and thus also being linked to a greater well-being.
Hygiene habits
Hygiene habits are precautions that must be taken to ensure better conditions for health and wellness. These precautions may be related to the body, à mind or even to actions that benefit the entire community. Among the hygiene habits that we must cultivate in our daily lives, we can highlight:
Bathe and brush your teeth regularly;
Keep your hands and nails always clean;
Keep clothes and shoes always clean;
Sleeping and waking up always at the same times, seeking to ensure hours of sleep that promote rest of the mind;
Always handle food with clean hands and in clean and suitable environments;
Dispose of garbage in suitable places, etc.
Types of hygiene
Hygiene is a term associated with the promotion and maintenance of health in several spheres. Thus, there are several types of hygiene, such as:
Personal hygiene: care and measures taken individually for the promotion and maintenance of health;
Mental hygiene: care and measures that promote and help maintain mental health. Mental health, according to the World Health Organization, can be defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”.
Body hygiene: care and measures taken in relation to the body to promote and maintain health. Body hygiene also involves oral hygiene, which will be detailed later.
Collective hygiene: care and measures taken seeking the common good.
Food hygiene: care and measures taken in relation to food, such as handling, preparation and storage.
Next, we'll dig a little deeper into some of these types:
Personal and collective hygiene
THE personal hygiene understands measures of self care to promote the health of the individual. Thus, personal hygiene involves other types of hygiene, such as body hygiene, and oral, in addition to mental, is also included here. Personal hygiene care is essential for health promotion and should be done regularly. Some examples are:
To have a bath;
Wash hands;
To brush your teeth;
Sleep properly;
Perform physical activities, among others.
THE collective hygiene, also called public hygiene, has measures taken in relation to public health, seeking the common good. Therefore, the measures taken benefit the entire community. Some of them are:
Sewerage system;
Potable water;
Garbage collection;
Vaccination campaigns, among others.
In addition, collective hygiene involves personal attitudes that generate a social life healthy, for example, maintaining clean collective environments and good social relations.
Oral hygiene
THE oral hygiene it is essential not only for the maintenance of oral health but for the entire body. Many oral diseases they can lead to other illnesses or make them worse, for example heart disease. Among the most common oral diseases, we can highlight bacterial plaque, dental cavity, gingivitis and periodontitis.
Oral hygiene should start even before the first teeth emerge. THE cleaning the baby's mouth must be performed using clean diaper or gauze soaked in filtered or boiled water.
With the appearance of some teeth, cleaning should already be done with small soft brush and with the use of a small amount of fluoride toothpaste (about a grain of rice). However, cleaning should be limited to twice a day. Over time, brushing will be more frequent and should be made use of floss.
To maintain good oral hygiene, it is important to:
Brush your teeth every day, after each meal and before bedtime;
Brush your teeth with a soft bristle toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste and complementing with flossing between all teeth. It is important to floss each tooth twice;
Maintain a healthy diet, mainly avoiding foods rich in sugar;
Go to the dentist regularly.
Read too:care with your teeth
children's body hygiene
The need for special care with the body and the importance of maintaining good hygiene habits should be taught from childhood. And stillin childhood that the individual will incorporate Learnings to your day to day that the will accompany you for a lifetime.
Thus, it is important that parents act by showing, in the home routine, what care the child should have with their body to maintain their health, such as importance of taking a shower, washing your face, brushing your teeth, wearing clean clothes, among others actions. Starting from six years old, the child is already mature enough to take care of their body hygiene, but it is important to maintain adult supervision.
THE school also has a fundamental role in this process. clarifying and raising awareness of the population, from the early grades, on what are hygiene habits, the importance of keeping your body clean, the correct posture, among other actions that will promote your health. At school, children become aware of aspects that involve not only their individual health but that of the entire community.
See too:Bad breath: what it is, causes and how to fight it
