Remember the times when you were asked not to touch food immediately after coming back from a muddy soccer match? Life seemed so punishing then, as elders at home and teachers at school kept telling you what to do and what not to do. They would generally hand you a long to-do list which included things like brushing twice a day, taking a bath every day, washing your mouth after every meal, cleaning your hands and so on. Today, when you read news articles concerning the growing deadly diseases due to hygiene issues, you feel thankful for the hard lessons. Diseases arising from hygiene issues are usually very contagious. So, it is better that you keep a check on it because you wouldn’t want others to fall sick because of you. For instance, quite a large number of mosquito-borne diseases are found in Florida, many of which are results of negligence like standing water in front of the house, a dirty backyard and so on. These are the conditions where mosquitoes thrive. Little wonder that so many Chikungunya, dengue, and malaria cases can be found in the clinics of Tampa, Orlando, Miami, and other Florida places.
There is no alternative to maintaining a clean surrounding and personal hygiene. Deodorants and make-ups can never clean you; in fact, if you keep on applying them without a proper wash, there are high chances of skin reactions. Let’s find out how important hygiene is for healthy living and what happens when you ignore it.
Let’s Start with the Basics
Think of a situation. You have met a school friend after ages. You are elated, and give her a tight hug and flaunt your best smile. However, instead of smiling back with as much enthusiasm, your friend also has a crinkled nose. What could the reason be? We hate to break it to you, but it probably is your bad mouth odor. Let’s see. Did you wash your mouth after you had that hamburger at lunch? Probably you were too busy and just forgot? We understand, but the germs won’t. Rinsing your mouth after each meal is important, and ignoring dental health might lead to several graver problems in the future.
Recent researches show the connection between oral health and body health. Given the fact that your mouth is the gateway to your body, this is quite a valid point. You may also experience digestion issues because of the bacteria residing in the food particles left in your mouth. So, no matter how small snacks you have grubbed in, do not forget to wash your mouth. Dental decay has remained one of the most common chronic diseases of all.
- Looking after your hair and scalp is essential to maintain a good standard of personal hygiene, no matter how small it is. Both dandruff and lice are very infectious; if you do not wash and rinse properly, getting rid of these problems will be difficult. Dandruff can even affect the skin on your face, causing extreme acne troubles. In case you have a problem of greasy hair, make sure you wash them regularly to avoid stinking smell.
- Let’s take another familiar situation. After a hard day in the office, you return home and as you enter the living room, you grab the cake lying on the dining table. Rubbing the hand on your sleeves, hug your eagerly waiting little kid happily. Do you know that is how you can pass on germs to your child? Aren’t you aware that cleaning ourselves before holding an infant is vital? Yes, you are! Yet you tend to ignore this simple hygiene norm. In fact, most of us are guilty of this. Keeping your hands clean is one of the most important steps because this is the only way through which diseases spread rapidly. Washing them not only helps you to fight sickness, it can even stop the illness from spreading.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness – but how many of us do really care? We dress in our best clothes, use hands to fix our uncombed hair, hide dirt in our home or ignore cleaning the backyard drain. All these expose not only you, but also with whom you are interacting to diseases like fever, dry coughs, asthma, and other bacterial diseases.
Why Is Hygiene Important
Maintaining hygiene is like breathing every day. Apart from the health factor, there are many reasons for retaining this practice.
Personal Reason – It has been found that people with low self esteem and confidence often keep themselves untidy. The depressed nature forces them to ignore personal hygiene, which later perpetuates into problem of poor body image.
There are many who are impressed by the rugged look of television personalities and try to emulate that image. It is very important to differentiate the real life from the reel one. The more you follow the basic personal hygiene principles, the more will you be accepted; the media have nothing to do with it. Also, good hygiene practices keep you healthy and this in turn gives you the confidence to present an appealing body image in society.
Social Reason – If you do not want people to talk behind you, it is better to keep a note about your hygiene because this is the most common topic of gossip everywhere. An untidy look develops a negative image in the social circle and it can even isolate you or leave you in an embarrassing state.
Psychological Reason – Keep yourself clean and you will always feel more confident and recognizable in any social situation. Hard work alone cannot get you recognized; you need to stay healthy as well as clean to achieve success. It is not always about what we think about ourselves that matters. The perception of others is equally important. because that influences our levels of confidence and self-esteem. Maintaining personal hygiene helps us psychologically to live with respect.
However, personal hygiene is not only about keeping oneself clean; it also means how you live in your house or apartment following the laws of sanitation. No matter how small it is, a clean washroom, tidy lawn, and a clean backyard give you a sense of satisfaction and happiness. If you are in Florida, and are down with a mosquito-borne disease, visiting one of the clinics in Tampa may give you a way out. But if you really want to enjoy life and stay healthy, you must re-think about your personal hygiene