Look, Ma, Clean Hands!
Catching a cold may seem harmless. But more serious infectious diseases including meningitis and bronchiolitis can spread from germs on unclean hands.
According to William Sawyer, MD, of Sharonville Family Medicine, "The majority of disease is spread by our hands to other surfaces and to other people." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states the most important thing we can do to stay healthy is to clean our hands.
To avoid spreading germs, Dr. Sawyer emphasizes these four Principles of Hand Awareness:
- Wash your hands when they are dirty and before eating.
- Do not cough into your hands.
- Do not sneeze into your hands.
- Above all, do not put your fingers
into your eyes, nose or mouth.
And learning early can help create lifelong good habits.
Teaching Proper Hygiene
- Encourage children to cough and sneeze into
the crook of the arm (the "elbow"). - Teach by example, noting when and why you wash
your hands. - Soap and water remain the best way to rid hands of
germs. Wash for 15-20 seconds (while you sing the
alphabet song) with a good lather covering all
surfaces: between fingers, backs of hands,
fingertips, and under nails. Rinse well with running
water. - Use hand sanitizers or moist wipes if soap and
water are not available.
Tips for Reluctant Washers
For younger children, make hand washing fun:
- Try soaps in different shapes and smells, use
foaming soaps, or make your own glycerin soap
with a treasure inside. - Take the sniff test: "Oooh, they smell so good!"
- Use praise and positive reinforcement.
For your older child, try these startling statistics from the CDC:
- Some viruses and bacteria can live up to two hours
on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs and desks. - Dog and cat saliva can contain more than 100
different germs that can make you sick.
