Hygiene
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hygiene and Good Habits are commonly understood as preventing infection through cleanliness. In broader call, scientific terms hygiene is the maintenance of health and healthy living. Hygiene ranges from personal hygiene, through domestic up to occupational hygiene and public health; and involves healthy diet, cleanliness, and mental health.
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[edit] History
The term hygiene originates as a reference to Hygieia, who was a daughter of Asclepius and the goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation.
Outward signs of good hygiene include the absence of visible dirt (including dust and stains on clothing) or of bad odor/smells. Since the development of the germ theory of disease, hygiene has come to mean any practice leading to the absence of harmful levels of bacteria.
Good hygiene is an aid to health, beauty, comfort, and social interactions. It directly aids in disease prevention and/or disease isolation. (That is, good hygiene will help keep one healthy and thus avoid illness. If one is ill, good hygiene can reduce one's contagiousness to others.)
Washing (with water) is the most common example of hygienic behavior. Washing is often done with soap or detergent which helps to remove oils and to break up dirt particles so they may be washed away. Frequent hand washing is among the most common hygienic advice.
Hygienic practices—such as frequent hand washing or the use of autoclaved (and thus sterilized) water in surgery/medical operations—have a profound impact on reducing the spread of disease. This is because they kill or remove disease-causing microbes (germs) in the immediate surroundings. For instance, washing one's hands after using the toilet and before handling food reduces the chance of spreading E. coli bacteria and Hepatitis A, both of which are spread from fecal contamination of food. Adequate hygiene requires an adequate and convenient supply of clean water.
[edit] Hygienic practices
[edit] In Islam
Hygiene in Islam is a prominent topic but one which outsiders are not very familiar with.
[edit] Personal hygiene
- Daily washing of the body and hair.
- More frequent washing of hands and/or face.
- Oral hygiene—Daily brushing and flossing teeth.
- Cleaning of the clothes and living area.
- General avoidance of bodily fluids such as feces, urine, vomit.
- Not touching animals before eating.
- Avoidance of direct or indirect contact with unhygienic people.
- Holding a tissue over the mouth or using the upper arm/elbow region when coughing or sneezing, not a bare hand. Alternatively, washing hands afterwards.
- Suppression of habits such as nose-picking, touching the face etc.
- Washing hands before eating.
- Not licking fingers before picking up sheets of paper.
- Not biting nails
[edit] Food safety
- Maintain good food and cooking hygiene to prevent food poisoning
- Cleaning of food preparation areas and equipment for example using designated cutting boards for preparing raw meats and vegetables.
- Thorough cooking of meats
- Institutional dish sanitizing.
- Washing of hands after touching uncooked food when preparing meals.
- Not using the same utensils to prepare different foods.
- Non-sharing of cutlery when eating.
- Not licking fingers or hands while or after eating.
- Proper storage of food so as to prevent contamination by vermin.
- Refrigeration of foods (and avoidance of certain foods in environments where refrigeration is or was not feasible).
- Labeling food to indicate when it was produced (or, as food manufacturers prefer, to indicate its best before date).
- Disposal of uneaten food and packaging.
[edit] Medicine
- Use of bandaging and dressing of wounds.
- Use of protective clothing such as masks, gowns, caps, eyewear and gloves.
- Sterilization of instruments used in surgical procedures.
- Safe disposal of medical waste.
[edit] Personal services
- Sterilization of instruments used by hairdressers.
- Sterilization by autoclave of instruments used in body piercing and tattoo marking.
[edit] Grooming
The related term personal grooming/grooming means to enhance one's physical appearance or appeal for others, by removing obvious imperfections in one's appearance or improving one's hygiene.
Grooming in humans typically includes bathroom activities such as primping: washing and cleansing the hair, combing it to extract tangles and snarls, and styling. It can also include cosmetic care of the body, such as shaving and other forms of depilation.
[edit] See also
- Hygiene hypothesis
- Industrial Hygiene (US), in Europe referred to commonly as occupational hygiene, which is the practice of controlling workplace exposure to harmful agents.
