Why you should wash your hands every time you go to eat

Surely you still remember when your mother or grandmother 'demanded' you to wash your hands every time you went to eat, regardless of whether you went for lunch or snack (or even to eat a simple bauble). And the truth is that they did it with reason: do you know the amount of germs that come into contact with our hands when we have them dirty? We do not necessarily have to see them as black as coal, it is enough to touch a contaminated surface (for example, through the body fluids of a sick person, of the flu or a cold) so that these germs swarm at their ease.

The result is more than obvious: when we do not wash our hands regularly, especially before taking a certain food with your hand and taking it to your mouth, we are increasing the risk of suffering a good number of diseases, among which the common cold, flu, infectious diarrhea, hepatitis A and bronchiolitis.

Why is it important to wash our hands well?

We must bear in mind that with our hands we take and touch everything. Let's take an example. We are in a bookstore buying a book, and while we find the one that catches our attention, we tend to pick up one liter after another in order to read your summary. We do not like it, and we put it back on the shelf.

So far so good, especially if we consider how wonderful and recommended reading is. But, what if before taking it, has passed through the hands of a person who has sneezed in them? Their germs have remained on the lapels of the book, and from there they have finally reached our hands.

Now we go to the cashier, we buy the book and suddenly we feel like having a snack in the cafeteria next to the bookstore. We ordered a tea and a portion of apple pie, which we eat with our hands. If we had washed them properly, we would have avoided contagion with these germs. But since we have not done so, we have increased the risk of getting infected and of finding colds within 7 days (which is the approximate incubation period for this type of virus).

Are you now aware of why it is important to wash your hands, especially every time you go to eat?

How to wash your hands properly, correctly:

First of all you must have patience and know that, for hand washing to be effective, it is convenient to carry it out for at least 20 seconds. Here we explain the most appropriate steps:

  1. Wash your hands with hot water. It is the best way to eliminate germs from our hands, since they 'die' when coming into contact with hot water. Of course, it is essential that it is not so hot that you do not burn.
  2. Use soap Apply it on your hands and rub vigorously for 20 seconds. Pay special attention in the area under the nails (where germs love to live), and the area between your fingers.
  3. Rinse your hands well and finish with a little more hot water.
  4. To end Dry your hands thoroughly with the help of a clean, dry cloth, napkin or towel.

As simple as it is simple, do not you think? Remember that hand washing is our first line of defense against the spread of infectious diseases, especially in the fall and winter seasons. Therefore, what better to do it for only 1 minute ?.

Image | Sean Winters This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician. We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor.

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