Washing your hands is an extremely important part of staying healthy. We use our hands for the majority of daily tasks that we participate in and that means we are always exposing them to a multitude of germs that live around us. Unfortunately, many of us only wash our hands about half the time that we should be. The biggest problem is that we don’t realize these germs are now on our hands and then we proceed to touch our face, our noses and mouths.
Your nose and mouth are a direct entry point for germs to go into the body that can cause you to catch common colds as well as the flu. In order to stay healthy this flu season, make sure to wash your hands very often, and avoid contact with your hands to your nose or mouth.
How can you engage in proper hand hygiene?
Wash your hands often, and especially after touching objects in a public place. The places where you are most likely to pick up germs that will make you sick are grocery stores (from the grocery carts), movie theaters, elevators, airports, airplanes, cabs, trains, buses, public restrooms and other places where your hands are exposed to objects that many others have touched. Your best bet is to carry around antiseptic hand rub, such as alcohol-based hand sanitizer. When using hand sanitizer make sure to cover all surfaces of the hands and fingers and rub them together for 15 to 20 seconds until they are dry.
Are you washing your hands properly?
Many people quickly run their hands under cold water and consider their hands clean, this isn’t the case. The only effective way to wash your hands of germs that can make you sick is to use antiseptic soap and warm water and to rub your hands together for at least 15 to 20 seconds. When you are rubbing your hands together make sure you are covering all surfaces of the hands and fingers. Remember to use warm water, not hot water, as this can dry your skin out.
When is it most important to wash your hands?
- Before you eat
- Before preparing food
- After contact with someone who may be sick
- After contact with public objects
- After using the restroom
Make sure that you are properly wash your hands throughout the day as well as cleaning underneath your fingernails to keep from catching viruses and infections this fall and winter season. To further prevent your body from getting sick your best option is to see your doctor in Arlington for a flu shot, this is the strongest preventative measure.
If you are feeling sick or need a flu shot, in order to avoid the wait and the hassle come visit us here at Urgentology. Urgentology is an innovative, trusted, and highly recommended urgent care in Arlington with an expert medical team and we would be happy to help. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or pop in for a visit today.
Important: If you have a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest Emergency Room. Information in this site is not intended to be used as a diagnosis for your symptoms. If you experience any of these symptoms, please seek medical attention or visit Urgentology Care.