The importance of hand-washing in disease prevention

¶ … Lifebuoy saves the Day": The importance of hand-washing

There is an old nursery rhyme: "for want of a nail, the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe, the horse was lost, for want of a rider, the horse was lost." This rhyme's meaning is simple: seemingly inconsequential carelessness can be very significant and ignoring proper precautions can have grave consequences. This principle can clearly be seen in the importance of hand-washing with soap. Soap is a simple, everyday commodity but it is vitally necessary to remove the dirt, oils, and residue that carry viruses and bacteria from the outside environment into our bodies.

Nurses, doctors, and food service personnel are all required to wash their hands by law, to avoid spreading communicable diseases. Diseases spread due to a lack of proper sanitation span from influenza to E. coli and salmonella poisoning to drug-resistant bacteria. The consequences of not washing one's hands can be a stuffy nose, an upset stomach, or worse, given that the dehydration caused by vomiting can be deadly, especially to a young child, an elderly person, or someone with a compromised immune system.

Washing your hands to stop the spread of disease doesn't have to be complicated. You don't need an expensive bar of scented soap or cleanser. You don't need to buy a name-brand foaming lotion. All you need is a simple cake of soap, some hot soapy water and to take the time to scrub your fingers, palms, and under your nails.