Germs are all around us, and unless you wash your hands frequently throughout the day, you can unwittingly spread illness and infection to yourself and others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand washing is the "most important means of preventing the spread of infection." You can acquire dangerous microorganisms on your hands from a number places: other people, food, contaminated surfaces, animals, and animal wastes. If you don't wash your hands frequently, you can infect both yourself and others by touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, and by touching surfaces and other people. The common cold, flu, and gastrointestinal disorders are among the ailments that can be spread this way.

When to Wash
Wash your hands before you treat a cut, cook, or eat; when you put in or take out contact lenses; and after you handle uncooked meat or poultry, go to the bathroom, change a diaper, blow your nose, or play with a pet. Wash your hands after touching surfaces in a public place that others touch frequently as well, for instance a stair rail.

What to Wash With
Don't use antibacterial soaps. Tests have shown they don't clean any better than ordinary soap, and their use might promote bacterial resistance. Use regular soap or an alcohol-based gel hand sanitizer instead.

Brushing teeth
Brushing your teeth is important for the health of your teeth and gums, but recent studies show that the damage from poor dental health may go well beyond your mouth. If plaque and bacteria accumulate under your gums, the result can be gingivitis, inflammation of the gums. If left untreated, gingivitis can lead to periodontitis, a more damaging stage of gum infection and inflammation. New studies have shown that periodontitis is associated with systemic diseases like diabetes, stroke, and heart disease, and also with premature birth in pregnant women.

Runny Nose Photo
Copyright 2006, Marc Levin

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