Define hygiene & its uses in daily life

Define hygiene & its uses in daily life

First attested in English in 1677s,.In Greek it means "(art) of health", The term "hygiene" is derived from Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation. Hygiene is also a science that deals with the promotion and preservation of health, also called hygienics.

Hygiene is an old concept related to medicine, as well as to personal and professional care practices related to most aspects of living. In medicine and in home (domestic) and everyday life settings, hygiene practices are employed as preventative measures to reduce the incidence and spreading of disease.

Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. Some regular hygienic practices may be considered good habits by a society while the neglect of hygiene can be considered disgusting, disrespectful or even threatening.

 In the manufacture of food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other products, good hygiene is a key part of quality assurance i.e. ensuring that the product complies with microbial specifications appropriate to its use. The terms cleanliness (or cleaning) and hygiene are often used interchangeably, which can cause confusion. In general, hygiene mostly means practices that prevent spread of disease-causing organisms. Since cleaning processes (e.g., hand washing) remove infectious microbes as well as dirt and soil, they are often the means to achieve hygiene. Other uses of the term appear in phrases including: body hygiene, personal hygiene,sleep hygiene, mental hygiene, dental hygiene, and occupational hygiene, used in connection with public health. Hygiene is also the name of a branch of science that deals with the promotion and preservation of health, also called hygienics. Hygiene practices vary widely, and what is considered acceptable in one culture might not be acceptable in another.

Hygiene is another term meaning "cleanliness." 

You can prevent from microbes by performing some hygienic procedure. 

Hygiene is more than just being clean. It is defined as the many practices that help people be and stay healthy. Practicing good personal hygiene is smart for two reasons. First, it helps prevent people from catching and spreading illness and disease. Second, it helps people feel good about themselves and their bodies. In American society, cleanliness is an important issue; poor hygiene is seen as unacceptable and unhealthy. 
Good hygiene includes thoroughly and regularly washing one's body (especially hands), washing one's hair, brushing and flossing teeth, and caring for gums. These grooming habits will reduce the threat of bacteria that constantly reside on the body. While a certain amount of bacteria areharmless, and even beneficial, to the body, a build-up of bacteria can harm a person's health. 

As children grow older, their bodies go through a number of changes. While good hygiene is important for everyone at any age, it can require greater care at the onset of puberty. When puberty arrives (usually between the ages of eight and sixteen), it means the body is becoming sexually mature. Hormones, certain chemicals made by one's body, produce both physical and emotional changes. It is the physical changes that require greater attention when it comes to hygiene. For a young girl or boy, this means taking more time and care cleaning one's body, especially the sexual organs, dealing with acne, bad breath, and a stronger body odor, as well as doing more to prevent cavities and gum disease. 

·         Following are some points which should be inculcated in day-to-day life.

The best way to keep the body clean and free of infection is to wash on a daily basis. This means taking a shower or a bath and using soap and hot water to wash away the bacteria that build up over the course of the day. This also means washing one's hands several times a day. Since the hands touch many foreign objects as well as many familiar objects (like one's nose, mouth, and eyes), washing hands, especially after going to thebathroom, will prevent harmful bacteria from damaging one's health. 


Wash hands thoroughly with soap after using the toilet, changing diapers, handling pets and before handling food.

·         Clean & Trim the nails of both hands. Tie your hair before handling the food.

·         Kitchen should be well lighted & ventilated (with either chimney/exhaust fan) & with meshed windows.

·         The cooking and eating area should be preferably elevated.

·         Keep the cooking, washing, and utility area and kitchen clothes clean.

·         Protect the kitchen & food items from insects, pests & other animals.

·         Before spraying insecticides, in the kitchen walls/cupboards, remove all the food items. Spraying should be done during night time. Wet mop the cupboards before storing again.

·         Do not store raw foods (vegetables, dals, cereals, masala, i.e. powdered spices) for long periods. "First in first out" (FIFO) practice should be followed by all and, more so, in regions where the humidity is high.

·         Storage of food items should be in airtight containers/utensils to protect them from dust, insects, and moisture.

·         Separate raw, cooked & ready to eat foods while shopping, preparing or storing foods.

·         De-weed the green leafy vegetables & then wash them, repeatedly in clean water till they are free from dirt/mud.

·         Wash & Soak the vegetables/fruits in water & then scrape. (Soaking removes pesticides, preservatives present on the surface. Vendors polish the brinjals& apples with engine oil to give a shinning look, so soak & scrub them thoroughly).

·         Cruciferous vegetables should be soaked in boiled water to remove worms.

·         Raw Vegetable/Fruits for Salads should be washed thoroughly in running water before cutting.

·         Do not consume cut fruits from the street vendors.

·         Clean the dals/cereals- wash them 2-3 times before cooking/soaking.

·         Transfer the cooked food into a clean serving utensil before consuming (this is to prevent the erosive action of salt/turmeric/tamarind/lemon with aluminum, brass etc.).

·         Boil the milk before consumption & keep it in a cool place/refrigerator to prevent curdling. Do not consume raw milk.

·         While buying meat/fish/poultry make sure they are freshly cut.

·         Clean fish/ poultry/meat thoroughly before cooking. Cook them thoroughly before consuming.

·         Do not leave food outside in summer months for long time. Try & eat freshly prepared food everyday.

·         Refrigerate perishable foods promptly, prepared food and left over within 2 hours. If refrigerator is not available then regulate the amount of food cooked, so that food doesn't have to be stored.

Do not store food for too long in the refrigerator/freezer.

·         Boil/filter the drinking water before storing it in a clean vessel & cover it. Use a spoon/glass with a long handle to drink water. Don't insert your hand/fingers in drinking water. Don't drink directly from bottles containing drinking water which are shared amongst individuals.

·         Do not use packed food beyond its expiry date. Do not consume food in tetra packs/tins which have leaks or are puffed, even if they are well within the expiry date.

Benefits of Good Hygiene

 

Engaging in good personal hygiene practices not only helps prevent illness but may also make you feel better about yourself by boosting your confidence and self-esteem

Occupational (or "industrial" in the U.S.) hygiene is generally defined as the art and science dedicated to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, communication and control of environmental stressors in, or arising from, the workplace that may result in injury, illness, impairment, or affect the well being of workers and members of the community

The term "occupational hygiene" is synonymous with industrial hygiene The term "industrial hygiene" traditionally stems from industries with construction, mining or manufacturing and "occupational hygiene" refers to all types of industry such as those listed for "industrial hygiene" as well as financial and support services industries and refers to "work", "workplace" and "place of work" in general. Environmental hygiene addresses similar issues to occupational hygiene, but is likely to be about broad industry or broad issues affecting the local community, broader society, region or country.

Food safety^[1] is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards.

Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Debates on genetic food safety include such issues as impact of genetically modified food on health of further generations and genetic pollution of environment, which can destroy natural biological diversity. In developed countries there are intricate standards for food preparation, whereas in lesser developed countries the main issue is simply the availability of adequate safe water, which is usually a critical item.^[2] In theory food poisoning is 100% preventable.

The five key principles of food hygiene, according to WHO, are

1.   Prevent contaminating food with pathogens spreading from people, pets, and pests.

2.   Separate raw and cooked foods to prevent contaminating the cooked foods.

3.   Cook foods for the appropriate length of time and at the appropriate temperature to kill pathogens.

4.   Store food at the proper temperature.

5.   Do use safe water and cooked materials.