PERSONAL HYGIENE:
In continuation of the health tips I always reveal to you, this time I will give you tips about personal hygiene.
Firstly, I have to define personal hygiene.
WHAT IS PERSONAL HYGIENE?
Personal hygiene is the first step to good grooming and good health.
OR
Personal hygiene may be described as the principle of maintaining cleanliness and grooming of the external body. It is in general looking after yourself.
Elementary cleanliness is common knowledge. Neglect causes problems that you may not even be aware of. Many people with bad breath are blissfully unaware of it. Some problems may not be your fault at all, but improving standards of hygiene will control these conditions. Dandruff is a case in point. More often than you know, good looks are the result of careful and continuous grooming.
Personal hygiene can be controlled by sustaining high standards of personal care and humans have been aware of the importance of hygiene for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks spent many hours in the bath, using fragrances and make-up in an effort to beautify themselves and be presentable to others.
Personal hygiene products are a billion dollar business in the commercial market, with many high profile celebrities endorsing products that aim to keep us looking our best. In fact, hygiene is actually a scientific study.
Maintaining a high level of personal hygiene will help to increase self-esteem and confidence whilst minimizing the chances of developing imperfections.
Poor Personal Hygiene:
Failure to keep up a standard of hygiene can have many implications. Not only is there an increased risk of getting an infection or illness, but there are many social and psychological aspects that can be affected.
Poor personal hygiene, in relation to preventing the spread of disease is paramount in preventing epidemic or even pandemic outbreaks. To engage in some very basic measures could help prevent many coughs and colds from being passed from person to person.
Social aspects can be affected, as many people would rather alienate themselves from someone who has bad personal hygiene than to tell them how they could improve. Bullies may use bad personal hygiene as a way of abusing their victims, using social embarrassment as a weapon.
Poor personal hygiene can have significant implications on the success of job applications or the chance of promotion; no company wants to be represented by someone who does not appear to be able to look after themselves.
Many sufferers of mental illnesses like dementia or depression may need extra support and encouragement with their personal hygiene. Their carers should make sure that they have everything they need and assist them when permitted and when possible.
Children and Personal Hygiene:
Children should be taught the importance of hygiene as early as possible, with oral care, washing, toilet hygiene and hair care being taught as part of everyday routines. Singing songs or making a game out of the activities will help to ensure that they enjoy looking after themselves. Bath time can provide an ideal opportunity for spending quality time together, and for teaching about the importance of cleanliness. Toys such as dolls can be used to educate children in correct bathing techniques.
Food Hygiene:
Probably the most important aspect of all, food hygiene is very closely associated with personal hygiene. Poor personal cleansing can have a very significant effect on the start and spread of many illnesses through contact with nutritional consumables, some that can be potentially lethal.
Aspects of Personal Hygiene:
There are many contributory factors that make up personal hygiene with the main ones being washing, oral care, hair care, nail care, wound care, cleansing of personal utensils and preventing infection.
Personal hygiene is as it says, personal. Everybody has their own habits and standards that they have been taught or that they have learnt from others. It is essentially the promotion and continuance of good health. Hope you enjoyed this post?. Please stay healthy always.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
COMMON DISEASES OF THE BODY CONTINUED
I hope you enjoyed my last two post about the care of the heart and effects of smoking.
Well, this article is the continuation of the brief description of the common diseases of the body:
DEAFNESS:
This is inability to hear a sound adequately. It can be partial or complete. It could be as a result of problems involving the auditory apparatus or the nerve supplying the ear. An otolaryngologist should be consulted in each circumstance.
ECTOPIC PREGNANCY:
It is a pregnancy which occurs outside the uterus or womb. There are different types, depending on which part of the pelvis the fertilized egg gets implanted. By far, the commonest variety is tubal pregnancy. The symptoms include amenorrhoea, lower abdominal pain, dizziness and fainting attacks. Whenever there is a suspicion of ectopic pregnancy, a gynaecological opinion is mandatory.
EPILEPSY:
This is attributed to some inherent instability in the function of the brain. It is a chronic disease where the victim suffers from recurrent fits. The age at which this occurs varies; at puberty, childhood or adult life.
In a typical attack of epilepsy, the body will look stiff and rigid, followed by jerky movements, which gradually diminish.
The patient at this stage may bite his tongue or foam from the mouth. When this is occurring, he or she should be allowed to lie flat on the floor and a handkerchief inserted in between the teeth. Also unwanted materials should be removed including tight clothing. The severity of the fit varies from individual to individual, just as the period of loss of consciousness. There is yet no known cure for epilepsy. Regular intake of drugs will improve the condition and prolong the attack free intervals.
FRECKLE:
A freckle is a small darkening of the skin of the face due to the production of a pigment from the skin which protects it against sunrays. In some, this pigment forms small patches known as freckles; while in others, the reaction to this pigment causes the blowing of the skin. Freckles are mostly caused by too-much exposure of oneself to the sun and the logical remedy is to avoid over exposure to sunrays.
ASTHMA:
Asthma occurs when the airways in your lungs (bronchial tubes) become inflamed and constricted. The muscles of the bronchial walls tighten, and your airways produce extra mucus that blocks your airways. Signs and symptoms of asthma range from minor wheezing to life-threatening asthma attacks.
INFLUENZA:
This is also called flu
Influenza, commonly called the flu, is not the same as the stomach viruses that cause diarrhea and vomiting.
Influenza is a viral infection that attacks the respiratory system, including your nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs.
Anyone can get the flu, but young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those with chronic illnesses are especially vulnerable. If you're at high risk of flu, your first line of defense is an annual flu shot.
Approximately 50 million people died worldwide in the 1918 influenza pandemic. Today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 36,000 people in the United States die each year of complications of influenza and more than 200,000 are hospitalized.
HYPERTENSION:
Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.
You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without a single symptom. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke
High blood pressure typically develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.
DEPRESSION:
Most health professionals today consider depression a chronic illness that requires long-term treatment, much like diabetes or high blood pressure. Although some people experience only one episode of depression, most have repeated episodes of depression symptoms throughout their life.
Depression is one of the most common health conditions in the world. Depression isn't a weakness, nor is it something that you can simply "snap out of." Depression, formally called major depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a medical illness that involves the mind and body. It affects how you think and behave and can cause a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may not be able to go about your usual daily activities, and depression may make you feel as if life just isn't worth living anymore.
Effective diagnosis and treatment can help reduce even severe depression symptoms. And with effective treatment, most people with depression feel better, often within weeks, and can return to the daily activities they previously enjoyed.
I hope you've learnt something from this post. In my next post, I will be telling you about some diseases and thier old names..............
Stay healthy.
Well, this article is the continuation of the brief description of the common diseases of the body:
DEAFNESS:
This is inability to hear a sound adequately. It can be partial or complete. It could be as a result of problems involving the auditory apparatus or the nerve supplying the ear. An otolaryngologist should be consulted in each circumstance.
ECTOPIC PREGNANCY:
It is a pregnancy which occurs outside the uterus or womb. There are different types, depending on which part of the pelvis the fertilized egg gets implanted. By far, the commonest variety is tubal pregnancy. The symptoms include amenorrhoea, lower abdominal pain, dizziness and fainting attacks. Whenever there is a suspicion of ectopic pregnancy, a gynaecological opinion is mandatory.
EPILEPSY:
This is attributed to some inherent instability in the function of the brain. It is a chronic disease where the victim suffers from recurrent fits. The age at which this occurs varies; at puberty, childhood or adult life.
In a typical attack of epilepsy, the body will look stiff and rigid, followed by jerky movements, which gradually diminish.
The patient at this stage may bite his tongue or foam from the mouth. When this is occurring, he or she should be allowed to lie flat on the floor and a handkerchief inserted in between the teeth. Also unwanted materials should be removed including tight clothing. The severity of the fit varies from individual to individual, just as the period of loss of consciousness. There is yet no known cure for epilepsy. Regular intake of drugs will improve the condition and prolong the attack free intervals.
FRECKLE:
A freckle is a small darkening of the skin of the face due to the production of a pigment from the skin which protects it against sunrays. In some, this pigment forms small patches known as freckles; while in others, the reaction to this pigment causes the blowing of the skin. Freckles are mostly caused by too-much exposure of oneself to the sun and the logical remedy is to avoid over exposure to sunrays.
ASTHMA:
Asthma occurs when the airways in your lungs (bronchial tubes) become inflamed and constricted. The muscles of the bronchial walls tighten, and your airways produce extra mucus that blocks your airways. Signs and symptoms of asthma range from minor wheezing to life-threatening asthma attacks.
INFLUENZA:
This is also called flu
Influenza, commonly called the flu, is not the same as the stomach viruses that cause diarrhea and vomiting.
Influenza is a viral infection that attacks the respiratory system, including your nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs.
Anyone can get the flu, but young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those with chronic illnesses are especially vulnerable. If you're at high risk of flu, your first line of defense is an annual flu shot.
Approximately 50 million people died worldwide in the 1918 influenza pandemic. Today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 36,000 people in the United States die each year of complications of influenza and more than 200,000 are hospitalized.
HYPERTENSION:
Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.
You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without a single symptom. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke
High blood pressure typically develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.
DEPRESSION:
Most health professionals today consider depression a chronic illness that requires long-term treatment, much like diabetes or high blood pressure. Although some people experience only one episode of depression, most have repeated episodes of depression symptoms throughout their life.
Depression is one of the most common health conditions in the world. Depression isn't a weakness, nor is it something that you can simply "snap out of." Depression, formally called major depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a medical illness that involves the mind and body. It affects how you think and behave and can cause a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may not be able to go about your usual daily activities, and depression may make you feel as if life just isn't worth living anymore.
Effective diagnosis and treatment can help reduce even severe depression symptoms. And with effective treatment, most people with depression feel better, often within weeks, and can return to the daily activities they previously enjoyed.
I hope you've learnt something from this post. In my next post, I will be telling you about some diseases and thier old names..............
Stay healthy.
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