Before the COVID, washing of hands and use of hand-sanitizers has always been a must for my sister and I, we went as far as using surgical nose mask for mobility in dusty areas because of dirty causing of acne breakout or itching face.
The term Hygiene has always resonated with me; I could barely associate myself with people who has poor hygiene.
Hygiene here simply means ‘conditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness’.
Did you know that the sole reason for maintaining a good hygiene is to curb germs and viruses? Every day, you come into contact with millions of outside germs and viruses. They can linger on your body, and in some cases, they may make you sick.
There are various types of hygiene which includes;
- Personal hygiene.
- Environmental hygiene.
- Domestic hygiene.
- Food hygiene
This article will focus mainly on Personal hygiene, but will also give insight on the others.
4 Types of Hygiene
1. Personal Hygiene:
Personal hygiene is simply how you care for your body. This practice includes;
- cleaning your body every day
- washing your hands with soap after going to the toilet
- brushing your teeth twice a day
- covering your mouth and nose with a tissue (or your sleeve) when sneezing or coughing
- washing your hands after handling pets and other animals
Maintaining good personal hygiene will also help prevent you from falling ill and also spreading diseases to other people, while helping you feel good about your appearance.
Why is personal hygiene so important?
Good hygiene is vital because it helps prevent you and your children from getting or spreading germs and infectious diseases. The germs that cause many diseases can be passed on through touching other people, getting faeces (poo) on your hands, handling contaminated food, or coming into contact with dirty surfaces or objects.
Conditions that you can develop if you have poor personal hygiene include:
- diarrhoea, especially gastroenteritis
- respiratory infections, including colds and flu
- staph infections
- worm-related conditions, such as threadworms
- scabies
- trachoma, an eye infection which can lead to blindness
- tinea or athlete’s foot
- tooth decay
2. Environmental Hygiene:
Environmental hygiene is simply how you tidy and care for your environments. This includes; Trashing your dirt properly, keeping the grasses low or none at all, removal of stagnant water, removal of harm and toxic gases into the surroundings and lots more.
The aim of environmental hygiene is to create safe spaces so as to prevent diseases. In general, environmental hygiene involves disinfection activities (to control the harmful organisms and bacteria that threaten health), rodent control, disinfestation, and fumigation activities.
When the environment is polluted with toxic waste through either spitting or vomiting, the State is accountable for the respective cleaning of the environment using companies that are in the field of environmental hygiene. This way, children and other people who use the same street are prevented from falling ill due to exposure to such waste. Environmental hygiene takes care of the health of both current and future generations.
3. Domestic hygiene
Domestic hygiene which involves cleanliness, the sanitary preparation of food, and ventilation, generally means cleanliness in homes. Domestic hygiene practices include all the work done to keep people’s clothes, beddings, and houses clean.
These activities include washing clothes and beddings, cleaning the toilet, sweeping and cleaning floors, and washing dishes after meals. It is important to keep the house clean so that it remains a healthy place. In the case where the house and things in it are not often cleaned, dirt and moisture accumulate, making the house ideal for the breeding of parasites, germs, and disease-carrying animals.
These germs can cause infection or sickness to the people living in the house. Domestic hygiene also entails the use of soap, proper ventilation, fresh air, hygiene in food storage, proper waste disposal, and keeping away household pests, rats, and insects.
4. Food hygiene
One of the greatest risks to the health of a population is contaminated food. It is a leading cause of disease outbreaks and transmission. Food that is kept for too long contains pathogens or toxic chemicals whereas foodstuffs that are consumed raw, such as vegetables and fruits, can get contaminated by flies, dirty hands, or unclean water.
Food that has been improperly prepared can also lead to chemical poisoning. For instance, improperly pounded and cooked cassava leaves may contain dangerous cyanide levels. Therefore, to promote good health, food should be prepared and stored properly.
In the next post, we will highlight the perks, types and Importance of Personal Hygiene
Disclaimer: The information published in this article is purely for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any disease and should not be treated as medical advice.
