National Handwashing Awareness Week

According to the Henry the Hand website, Dec. 2nd - Dec. 8th is National Handwashing Awareness Week. Henry the Hand wants everyone to know the dangers of not taking the simple steps to wash your hands.

Washing your hands should be an important part of everybody's everyday routine. According to the Henry the Hand website, in the United States in 1974 Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureas infections accounted for two percent of the total number of staph infections. in 1995 the numbers rose to nearly 22 percent, and again in 2004 the number elevated to a whopping 63 percent.

That is why National Handwashing Awareness Week needs to be taken seriously and a campaign to keep people aware of what a difference washing your hands can make. If everyone stuck to the "4 Principle of Hand Awareness", which are washing your hands when they are dirty and before eating, not coughing into your hands, not sneezing into your hands, and keeping your fingers out of your mouth. The impact would mean a reduction of nearly 36,000 death a year due to the flu and flu like symptoms, as well as a reduction of 90,000 deaths due to nosocomial infections (infections that occur in the hospital)

The amazing fact is that only you are responsible for giving yourself the flu or even flu like symptoms. Direct contact with you mucus membranes is how infectious disease get into your body. With the awareness that National Handwashing Awareness Week brings, the number of people contracting th flu should go down immensely.

Now that you know how important washing your hands is, there is a specific technique you need to learn and teach your children as well. First step to washing your hands properly is to wet your hands with warm running water, next is to add soap, run your hands together making a soapy foam. Wash your hands away from the water for at least 20 seconds. Do not in this 20 seconds allow the water to touch your hands. Be sure you wash the back and front of your hands as well as in between your fingers. You will be amazed at what gets in between them and under your nails. Now rinse your hands completely under the warm water. Do not let the water run down your arm. Now last step is to dry your hands completely with a clean towel. Do this at least 6 times a day, especially after using the bathroom or changing a diaper.

Keeping yourself healthy is as easy as washing your hands. To learn more about Henry the Hand and the effort in making people aware of the importance of handwashing, please visit Henry the Hand.

SOURCE : Henry The Hand Website
http://www.henrythehand.com/