A ‘hand’-y way to stay healthy




The holiday season is a time of parties, gifts, food, happiness and joy—and sometimes, the misery of colds and flu. While it’s impossible to avoid exposure to every potential illness-causing bug encountered this season, people can take steps to reduce their risk of getting sick and protect their family and holiday guests.

“One of the most effective protections against the spread of disease is also one of the easiest: Wash your hands,” said Simi Valley Hospital infectious disease specialist Malini Soogoor, MD. “That’s one of those things our parents taught us when we were little, and it turns out that it is great advice.”

It’s no accident that National Handwashing Awareness Week is the first week of December, right in the middle of the busy holiday season, which coincides with the beginning of cold and flu season. Many studies have proved that frequent and proper hand washing can dramatically reduce the risk of exposure to illness-causing organisms and spreading germs to others.

“Often, we forget to wash our hands because they look clean or we believe that we haven’t been anywhere that would expose us to organisms that can make us sick,” Soogoor said. “The reality is that the microbes that cause disease are invisible to the naked eye, so even hands that appear clean can be carrying dangerous germs. And some of those germs can survive on certain surfaces for hours, days or even months.”

The key to effective hand washing is doing it right. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing with soap and water, rubbing the hands vigorously for no less than 20 seconds, about the length of time it takes to sing the song “Happy Birthday to You.” When possible, dry off with a disposable towel to avoid “reapplying” germs from a communal towel.

If soap and water are not available, an alcohol-based handsanitizing gel or wipe will work to eliminate most of the germs on the hands. For those who are traveling or going to a party, it’s a good idea to take a small bottle of sanitizing gel just to be safe.

Hands-free sneezing

Will Sawyer, MD, an infection prevention specialist, has created four principles of hand awareness. They are:

Wash hands when they are dirty and before eating.

Do not cough into the hands.

Do not sneeze into the hands.

Above all, do not put fingers into eyes, nose or mouth.

Most people were taught to cover the nose when sneezing and mouth when coughing. Instead, Soogoor suggests people should develop a habit of coughing or sneezing into their upper arm or the bend of their elbow.

A little extra attention to proper hand hygiene can be the gift that keeps on giving all the way through the holiday season.

Compliments of Simi Valley Hospital



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