Personal & environmental hygiene

We all have our bad days when you may have worked out in the gym and not had an opportunity to take an extremely necessary shower. You spend painful hours avoiding people and praying that no one smells the stench exuding from your body and clothes.

There are others who will also make no attempt to spare your nose from inhaling fumes that could rival rotten fish any day. I have had the unpleasant experience of being subjected to such weapons of mass destruction in the consulting room. After one such episode several years ago I decided never to venture into Obstetrics and Gynaecology as a Specialty but that decision though it may have saved me from early retirement certainly did not spare me from this torture.

Taking care of our body goes a long way to improve our health and also has the added benefit of making us feel good and more confident, so I am sharing a few points today.

Easy to follow steps that protect us from infectious diseases and keep us healthy:

A.

Wash your hands with SOAP and WATER (wiping your hands in your clothes is unacceptable):

• AFTER using the toilet

• AFTER cleaning a child or adult

• BEFORE eating

• BEFORE cooking or handling food

• AFTER multiple handshakes e.g. after a funeral or party

These simple steps can reduce the incidence of vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pains and certain pneumonias.

B.

• Brush your teeth properly at least twice a day (morning and last thing before sleeping. Toothpaste must contain fluoride) – it may even protect you from heart disease

• Two baths a day is ideal. Wash your hair regularly and comb or brush it. Availability of water may make this a huge challenge.

• Do not continue wearing soiled clothing – sweat, grease/oil, ingredients from cooking etc

• Wash your clothing with soap or a detergent DO NOT just dry them in the sun.

• Hair in armpit and pubic area should be shaved regularly. It amazes me why people prefer to keep this even in hot weather when they sweat so much.

• Keep fingernails (especially) short to avoid trapping dirt

• Wipe dry the area in between your toes after a bath

• Change your underwear daily

• Do not wear socks unwashed for days.

• Wash your bed sheet and towel at least once a week

C.

• All refuse should be well covered

• Indiscriminate defecation should be avoided (can you imagine how faeces may leak into burst pipelines?)

• All water storage containers should be tightly covered

• Drinking water should be boiled and filtered (boiled, at least), and allowed to cool before drinking.

• Eat food while warm and be sure the source is reliable

D

• Ensure your gutters are clean

• Do not entertain pools of water – they can breed mosquitoes

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Moms’ Health Club

(dressel@healthclubsgh.com)

*Dr Essel is a medical doctor and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy and fitness nutrition.

Thought for the week – “If we make hand washing with soap and water a habit, we will reduce the incidence of diarrhoea and vomiting”