This is a great habit to help keep you healthy no matter what is going on around you. Whenever you come home from the store or office or after any activity in a public place, wash your hands thoroughly and always keep them away from your face until you do.
Your exposure to the many viruses and bacteria that cause illness can be minimized if you don’t touch your face. A little bit of thought and preparation can help you limit your contact with any pathogens that are lurking in the environment trying to find a host.
Action – You can practice the best hygiene in the world but you can’t control the actions of all of the people that pass through your life every day. Anyone who is suffering from a cold or the flu puts others at risk when they go out in public, so if you are unwell it is best to stay home. In the meantime the simple act of washing your hands properly can make a big difference in keeping you healthy.
Every doorknob you touch has the potential of harbouring harmful viruses. Most viruses can survive and be active up to 24 hours on hard, non-porous surfaces like doorknobs, and bacteria can also thrive there for some time. Within hours of a sick person touching a surface, multiple people can unknowingly be exposed to these opportunistic bugs.
Steps – Wash your hands after going to the bathroom, before eating and after coming home from public places. Make sure to wash thoroughly using soap for at least 20 seconds. Wet your hands, turn off the tap, then apply soap and massage vigorously, followed by rinsing completely.
If you are exposed to airborne droplets that contain a virus, sometimes blowing your nose can disrupt it enough that it doesn’t get a chance to establish itself. Just do it gently, and if you have a cold never blow your nose with too much force. That can force germ-carrying phlegm into the ear canals and cause an infection. Blow gently through one nostril at a time while pressing a finger over the other one.
Why It Makes You Feel Better – While it isn’t 100% possible to avoid all germs if you spend a lot of time with other people, at least you can take some control over how many of them find their way into your body. Treat your hands as though they are carrying dangerous creatures that want to make you sick. Keep them away from your face, especially the eyes, nose and mouth. Wash them properly and thoroughly and you will have a better chance of limiting your exposure and getting sick.
Example – Carry a tissue with you in your pocket or purse. It comes in handy if you need to sneeze or cough. Wiping down surfaces that can harbour germs and viruses with disinfectant is important if you are in close proximity to someone who is sick. Even wiping down the seat tray on an airplane with disinfectant wipes can be very effective and is simple to do.
By using common sense, taking some precautions, practicing good hygiene and staying away from others if you become ill, you help to limit the spread of infectious diseases that no one wants to have.