Hygiene is the maintenance of healthy practices. In modern terminology, this is usually regarded as a particular reference to cleanliness. The term Hygiene originates as a reference to Hygieia, who was a daughter of Asclepius and the goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation. 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.

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.

Hygienic practices—such as frequent hand washing or the use of boiled (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. In much of the developing world maintaining an acceptable level of cleanliness is difficult or impossible for much of the population due to lack of adequate water supply and sanitation. This results in the rapid spread and extent of diseases such as trachoma which are rare in the developed world.

Hygienic practices

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, and saliva.
• Not touching animals before eating. If so, contacted areas washed.
• General avoidance of unhygienic people.
• Holding a tissue in your hand or using the upper arm/elbow region over mouth when coughing or sneezeing, not a bare hand.
• Suppression of habits such as spitting or nose-picking.
• Washing hands before eating.
• Not licking fingers before picking up sheets of paper.
• Not touching faces.

Food preparation and consumption

• Cleaning of food preparation areas and equipment for example using designated cutting boards for preparing raw meats and vegetables.
• 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.
• 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).
• Proper storage of food so as to prevent contamination by vermin.
• Disposal of uneaten food and packaging.
• Institutional dish sanitizing.

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.

Personal services

• Sterilization of instruments used by hairdressers
• Sterilization by autoclave of instruments used in body piercing

Grooming

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.

See also

References

• Alliance for Prudent Use of Antibiotics on hand washing
• Centers for Disease Control on hand hygiene in healthcare settings
• Washing your hands video
• Handwashingfacts.com

Hygiene | Medical hygiene

Hand washing

Хигиена | Hygiena | Hygiejne | Hygiene | Higiene | hygiène | היגיינה | 衛生 | Higiene | Hygiëne | Гигиена | Hygiena