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Clean as a whistle
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And you do not need to be a medical expert
to ward away disease. Infections can be prevented by simple personal hygiene. You know what
they say about cleanliness being next to godliness. Well it seems it’s next to wellness, too!
I
nfections comprise 8 of the 10 major
causes of disease in the Philippines:
pneumonia, bronchitis, diarrhea, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, chickenpox,
and dengue fever. A clean body and a clean
environment can prevent all of these diseases.
It all boils down to hygiene.
Hygiene refers to the set of practices
associated with the preservation of health
and healthy living (read: disease prevention).
The word came from the name of the Greek
god Hygeia, the goddess of health. It was
said that her sister Panacea, the goddess of
cure, hated her. After all, if everyone remained
healthy, nobody needed to be cured!
Unknown to many, there are actually many
kinds of hygiene.
• Personal hygiene
- keeping your body clean and healthy
• Culinary hygiene
- prevention of food-borne diseases
• Domestic hygiene
- relates to cleanliness and safety at home
• Occupational hygiene
- cleanliness and safety in the workplace.
This issue focuses on the first two, since these
are the ones you have direct control over, and
are in fact your own personal responsibility.
A Slice of Orange is a newsletter
designed to help clarify basic health
information and offer juicy tips on
uplifting your health.
Editorial team
Alvin Delfin
Christine Llenes
Voltz Olea, MD
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Your body is God’s temple
You should be more meticulous about the
skin on your hands. You use your hands
to hold food, and microorganisms from
your hands can easily enter your body
through the mouth. Touching your eyes,
nose and mouth can also spread viruses
and bacteria that can give you colds, flu,
pneumonia, mumps, measles, chickenpox
and sore eyes (conjunctivitis).
Hair
If you are blessed with hair, maintain it.
Keep it at a length and style that’s easy
to maintain. The last thing you want is hair
touching your food. In fact, a person’s hair
harbors as much germs as your hands.
Wash your hair regularly, and make sure
to rinse well. Residue can trap germs.
Wash your brush or comb regularly.
Skin and hands
The skin is the largest organ of the body,
and every square inch of skin is home to
at least 50 million bacteria. While most of
these germs are harmless, it brings down
a point: your skin is bacteria haven—good
bacteria or bad.
Make sure to bathe regularly and wash
your hands. A mild soap will do, and then
rinse off the soap well.
Keeping your hands
clean could be the one
most effective thing
to ward off disease.
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and
water before and after every meal and
after visiting the toilet. If you cannot wash
your hands, use alcohol or alcohol-based
hand gels. Let the alcohol dry up first before touching anything with your hands.
This simple measure of keeping your
hands clean could be the one most effective thing you can do to ward off diseases.
And while we’re talking about hands,
keep your nails short. Dirty fingernails are
not only unhygienic—it’s also a major turnoff!
Teeth
Gone are the days of the five-minute tooth
8
A u g u s t
2 0 0 9
Clean and kikay
While a kikay kit may not be
fashionable to some guys, it can
help anyone improve their personal
hygiene habits. After all, that’s why
it is more formally called a body
hygiene kit. This kit includes:
•Alcohol
•Toothbrush and toothpaste
•Safety razor and shaving cream, or electric razor
•Hairbrush or comb
•Sunscreen lotion, spray or gel
•Tweezers (optional)
brushing. It takes only 2 minutes to effectively keep your teeth clean.
Brush at least twice a day (thrice is better), and brush before going to bed!
Rinse your toothbrush well, and dry after
use. A moist brush can harbor bacteria
and molds.
And then of course, floss!
V o l u m e
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Hand wash? Hand rub?
You are what you eat
Here are some tips to ensure that
your food is indeed safe to eat:
Clean hands prevent infections of the
eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. But to
prevent the next leading infection,
gastroenteritis, you have to watch what
you eat (and no, we’re not talking about
fatty foods and heart disease).
Food borne diseases are varied. They
can be caused by bacteria, viruses,
protozoa (such as amoeba), and
intestinal parasites (read: worms, yuck).
• Clean kitchen tops and tables. Disinfect with alcohol or bleach
(rinse off afterwards).
• Cook meats well. Avoid meats cooked rare. Cooking meats through and through is the only way to ensure that any bacteria or parasites in the
meat are killed.
• Wash your hands with soap or alcohol before eating (yes, we’re repeating it here because it’s that important.) Make sure you also
wash your hands after touching
uncooked meats.
• Store food properly. Keeping your food inside the refrigerator keeps
vermin away and prevents microbes from flourishing on the food.
• Do not consume food beyond their expiry date (it is not true that there
is an allowance of a few months).
• Dispose of leftovers properly. This lessens the chance of someone else eating spoiled food. It will also help keep vermin away.
When your hands are visibly soiled,
you should wash your hands for 40
to 60 seconds. But what if your hands
“seem” clean?
Then you should do the
20-second hand rub.
STEP 1. Apply a palmful of soap or
alcohol in a cupped hand. Cover all
surfaces.
STEP 2. Rub hands palm to palm.
STEP 3. Rub right palm over left
dorsum (back of the hand), with
interlaced fingers. Repeat with the
left over the right.
STEP 4. Rub left thumb with clasped
right hand, then vice versa.
STEP 5. Rub fingertips of left hand
over right palm, then vice versa.
STEP 6. Let your hands dry.
A slice of trivia
Viruses can be transferred from one person to another through the hands. Which viral
disease of the eye can be prevented through proper hand washing?
Freshen up on your researching
skills, e-mail us the answer at
[email protected]
and win a prize!
We’ll include the answer in the
next issue of A Slice of Orange.
From those with the correct
answer, 50 people will be
randomly chosen to receive gift
packs from Rhea Alcohol.
Dengue fever can turn deadly
once blood platelet counts
start going down and the
blood begins to thicken. What
Answer to last issue’s question:
blood test can detect these
initial but alarming signs of
dengue hemorrhagic fever?
A test called a complete blood
count or CBC can check if
blood platelet levels are falling,
or if the blood is getting thicker.
Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits?
E-mail us at [email protected].
The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for
all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.
© 2009 ActiveLink
Benefits Made Better
ActiveLink
104 VA Rufino Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, 1229 Philippines
T: +632 817 4606 / 817 7900
www.activelink-consult.com
Special blood tests that can
directly detect the virus can
also be performed.
The Orange
wants to he
ar
from you!
Dying to ask
us your health
related questio
ns? Itching to
share your pe
rsonal health
tips?
Want to sugg
est topics for
future
issues? Feel
free to contac
t us.
You can e-m
ail our team at
orange@activ
elink-consult.c
om.