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Healthy Habits

Healthy Habits

December2009 A publication of the Natick visiting Nurse association
Natick VNA is a not-for-profit agency committed to excellence
in providing caring and compassionate multi-disciplinary health care services to patients in their homes. Through the generosity of our donors and our communities, we endeavor to provide services regardless of
a person’s ability to pay.
Natick VNA
209 West Central St.
Suite 313
Natick, MA 01760
(508) 653-3081
www.natickvna.org
 “Handwashing is the most effective way to stop the spread of infections and decrease risk of flu,” says Ellen Munroe, Director of Nursing for the Natick VNA. Every fall and winter, we all hear and see lots of press coverage about preventing the spread of colds and flu. They tell us to get plenty of sleep to keep our resistance up, stay home if we are sick to prevent spreading germs, and most importantly to wash our hands frequently.
December 6 is the beginning of National Handwashing Awareness Week, which seeks to “decrease the spread of infectious diseases by empowering individuals to educate and help protect their communities”. According to Dr. Will Sawyer, a family physician who created the Henry the Hand program as a fun way to teach his own children the importance of hand hygiene, “90% of all commonly touched surfaces are contaminated within 24 hours after an infectious agent is introduced”. To help stop the spread of these infectious agents, Dr. Sawyer advocates four principals of hand awareness:
  1. Wash your hands when they are dirty and before eating.
  2. Do not cough into your hands.
  3. Do not sneeze into your hands.
  4. Above all, do not put your fingers in your eyes, nose or mouth.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following steps for hand washing:
  1. Wash your hands with hot running water and soap. Children should use warm running water.
  2. Rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday To You[b1]”)[m2]
  3. Pay special attention to your wrists, the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
  4. Leave the water running while you dry your hands on a paper towel.
  5. Use a dry[m3] paper towel as a barrier between the faucet and your clean hands when you turn off the water.
Ms. Monroe says that “soap and water are the best way to get your hands clean, but if they are not available then hand sanitizer is acceptable”. Dr. Sawyer also advocates using the “Sniff Test”. If the handssmell clean, they are clean. If the hands do not smell clean, they probably are not clean and perhaps contaminated with something you do not want to give or receive from anyone else.

With the regular seasonal flu, H1N1 and even the common cold, the best way to keep germs from spreading is to keep your hands clean. Following some good common sense will help keep you healthy this winter.