Washing your hands is often considered a simple and unimportant act. Still, the cleaning of this organ can be considered as a preventive measure against several diseases, and it can even save lives.
All over our body there are micro-organisms that live harmoniously without causing us any disease. Some bacteria, for example, live in our digestive tract and are essential for maintaining the health of this system. However, there are also microorganisms that, in contact with our body, can cause serious problems, such as hospital and respiratory infections, diarrhea and the flu, such as H1N1.
A lot of organisms come into contact with our body initially by hand. This is because the hand is often in contact with surfaces that may be contaminated (door handles, ATMs and public transport bars) and even with people patients. It is common, for example, to shake hands with people even when they are ill. At that moment, there may be an exchange of pathogenic microorganisms.
The transmission pathway of various diseases could easily be broken if everyone washed their hands more often. It is important to wash your hands, especially before eating and preparing food, after using the bathroom, coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, playing with animals and handling garbage and before and after caring for injuries and visiting people hospitalized.
It is noteworthy that the care with hand hygiene is also essential for health professionals, being recommended for this public always washes before and after having contact with a patient, before performing procedures and after being exposed to fluids. bodily. These measures are essential to prevent the patient from being contaminated by microorganisms from other people and also to protect health professionals from possible illnesses.
Carefully observe how hand hygiene should be performed
Hand washing can be done with water and soap, with this simple practice being responsible for reducing contamination with a portion of microorganisms acquired through contact with people and objects, in addition to dirt and organic substances. For an even greater cleaning, antiseptic agents are used, such as 70% alcohol.
CURIOSITY: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diseases such as diarrhea could be prevented and reduced by up to 40% if all people washed their hands properly.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/saude-na-escola/importancia-lavar-as-maos.htm
