|
Proper grooming and healthy
personal habits can help you
ward off illnesses and feel good
about yourself. Find out which
personal hygiene habits should
be part of your regular routine.
Mom was right: Good personal
hygiene is essential to
promoting good health.
Personal hygiene habits such as
washing your hands and brushing
and flossing your teeth will
help keep bacteria, viruses, and
illnesses at bay. And there are
mental as well as physical
benefits. “Practicing good body
hygiene helps you feel good
about yourself, which is
important for your mental
health,” notes Donald Novey, MD,
an integrative medicine
physician with the Advocate
Medical Group in Park Ridge,
Ill. People who have poor
hygiene — disheveled hair and
clothes, body odor, bad breath,
missing teeth, and the like —
often are seen as unhealthy and
may face discrimination.
Personal Hygiene: Healthy Habits
Include Good Grooming
If you want to minimize your
risk of infection and also
enhance your overall health,
follow these basic personal
hygiene habits:
-
Bathe regularly. Wash
your body and
your hair often.
“I’m not saying
that you need to
shower or bathe
every day,”
remarks Dr.
Novey. “But you
should clean
your body and
shampoo your
hair at regular
intervals that
work for you.”
Your body is
constantly
shedding skin.
Novey explains,
“That skin needs
to come off.
Otherwise, it
will cake up and
can cause
illnesses.”
-
Trim your nails. Keeping
your finger and
toenails trimmed
and in good
shape will
prevent problems
such as hang
nails and
infected nail
beds. Feet that
are clean and
dry are less
likely to
contract athlete’s
foot, Novey
says.
-
Brush and floss. Ideally,
you should brush
your teeth after
every meal. At
the very least,
brush your teeth
twice a day and
floss daily.
Brushing
minimizes the
accumulation of
bacteria in your
mouth, which can
cause tooth
decay and gum
disease, Novey
says. Flossing,
too, helps
maintain strong,
healthy gums.
“The bacteria
that builds up
and causes gum
disease can
go straight to
the heart and
cause very
serious valve
problems,” Novey
explains.
Unhealthy gums
also can cause
your teeth to
loosen, which
makes it
difficult to
chew and to eat
properly, he
adds. To
maintain a
healthy smile,
visit the
dentist at
six-month
intervals for
checkups and
cleanings.
-
Wash your hands. Washing
your hands
before preparing
or eating food,
after going to
the bathroom,
after coughing
or sneezing, and
after handling
garbage, goes a
long way toward
preventing the
spread of
bacteria and
viruses. Keep a
hygiene product,
like an
alcohol-based
sanitizing gel,
handy for when
soap and water
isn’t available.
-
Sleep tight. Get
plenty of rest —
8 to 10 hours a
night — so that
you are
refreshed and
are ready to
take on the day
every morning.
Lack of sleep
can leave you
feeling run down
and can
compromise your
body's natural
defenses, your
immune system,
Novey says.
Personal Hygiene: Poor Hygiene
Hints at Other Issues
If someone you know hasn’t
bathed or appears unkempt, it
could be a sign that he or she
is depressed.
“When people are sad or
depressed, they neglect
themselves,” Novey says. Talking
about the importance of proper
personal hygiene for preventing
illnesses and providing personal
hygiene items may help some
people. Be candid but sensitive
and understanding in your
discussions, Novey says. Despite
your best efforts, your friend
or loved one may need
professional help. You should
encourage them to see a
counselor or doctor if their
personal hygiene doesn’t
improve.
Personal Hygiene: Good Habits
Help Keep You Healthy
For most people, good hygiene is
so much a part of their daily
routines that they think little
about it. They bathe, they brush
their teeth, visit the dentist
and doctor for regular checkups,
and wash their hands when
preparing or eating food and
handling unsanitary items. To
keep those you care about
healthy and safe, help them
learn, and be sure that they are
practicing, good personal
hygiene.
|