Why Hand Washing May Be Your Best Medicine

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Why Hand Washing May Be Your Best Medicine

Everyone knows hand washing is important. But a new study shows how

washing your hands often, and at the right time, can have a big impact

on your family's risk for getting sick.

Most studies on hand washing focus on medical and food service

workers. But this month's American Journal of Infection Control

focuses on washing hands at home as a way to stop infections from

spreading. Several studies show hands are the single most important

transmission route for all types of infections.

Even though most people know to wash their hands after using the

toilet or handling a diaper, studies suggest many people are still

ending up with germs, particularly those spread by feces, on their

hands after leaving the bathroom or caring for a baby.

One study looked in homes of infants recently vaccinated against

polio. After vaccination, the virus is known to shed in the baby's

feces. Researchers found the virus on 13 percent of bathroom, living

room and kitchen surfaces. While the virus from the vaccine didn't

pose a health risk, the study shows how feces-borne viruses can travel

through the home.

Another study found that in homes where salmonella cases had been

diagnosed, the bacteria were still lurking in toilet bowls three weeks

after the outbreak. Water splashing on the toilet seat was a source of

contamination.

Doorknobs, bathroom faucets and toilet flush handles are key sources

of germ transmission in the home. That's why people should focus on

cleaning such surfaces regularly and always wash hands after touching

them. In one study, a volunteer touched a door handle that had been

contaminated with a virus. He then shook hands with other volunteers,

and further tests showed he had spread the virus to six people.

The study authors note that the timing of hand washing is key. It's

obvious to wash hands after using the toilet, after sneezing or before

eating or handling food. Other crucial times for hand washing are

after changing a diaper or cleaning up after a pet, or after touching

garbage cans, cleaning cloths, cutting boards, dish rags and utensils

that may have come into contact with raw food.

While it may be hard to believe that something as simple as regular

hand washing can make a difference in your family's health, consider

what happened in Hong Kong during a 2003 outbreak of SARS, a severe

and potentially deadly form of viral pneumonia. The outbreak triggered

extensive public and community health measures promoting basic

hygiene, including regular hand washing. Not only was the SARS

outbreak contained, but other cases of respiratory illnesses,

including the flu, dropped sharply.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/why-hand-washing-may-be-your-best-medic\

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comments so far... *

1. December 19th, 2007 5:28 pm

Sound advice. I would add that we should avoid touching our

mouth, nose, and eyes with unwashed hands. If you can't wash your

hands, use a tissue, and make sure the part that touched your hands

does not touch your face.

— Posted by Jack F. Bukowski, MD, PhD

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2. December 19th, 2007 6:16 pm

Most cross contamination of virus (the cause of

the common cold and flu) is due to aerosolized germs exhaled

from an infected family member either being directly inhaled before

they settle on surfaces by other family members, or from

touching the contaminated surfaces once the virus has settled on them

and then transmitting the virus to ones own nose or eyes. The best

defense is a very effective indoor air sanitation system that actually

kills enough of the floating germs to prevent family member to family

member cross contamination. Unfortunately,

current purported air purifying products fall well

short on this capability.

— Posted by peter e. gordon

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3. December 19th, 2007 6:58 pm

I agree with both Jack and 's comments. I use therapeutic

grade essential oils to combat bacteria and viruses. Note that this

grade of essential oil is VERY different than the novelty aromatherapy

products we see all over the market, some of which don't even have any

real essential oil in them at all.

I've been using therapeutic grade essential oils for everything

for the past 20 years and to be perfectly honest, I cannot imagine how

people live without them! I don't use any of the commercial chemical

products or medicines at all - I rely only on my essential oils. I

have a blog, aromatherapy4ublog.com where I discuss all the wonderful

things that can be done with them if any of you would like to take a

look. What I like most about essential oils is that they are something

we evolved with - my body recognizes them and knows how to process

them. — Posted by