What are the Advantages of Personal Cleanliness ? [ UPDATED 2023 ]

If you want to know about the advantages of Personal Cleanliness, then this article is for you. There are a lots of disadvantages of Personal Cleanliness, but we will discuss that why is personal cleanliness important.

The prosperity of a nation rests upon the health of its citizens. But there are a lot of misconceptions about health.

But…

Before discussing about the Advantages of Personal Cleanliness , you should be aware about what is health ?, what is health education ?  and different concepts of health.

So, lets get started…

HEALTH EDUCATION

Health is a very wide term which has various aspects in it. As said by World Health Organization, “It is the state of complete well-being of individual (physical, mental, and social) and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity”.

Thus…

We can say that it is related with physical, psychological and social development, in the absence of disease or infirmity.

It makes the person to live most and serve the best, i.e., a good citizen is capable to perform his own work for the benefit of society. The health status can be analysed according to health spectrum.

The spectrum of health can be measured at various levels. The low level of health status is a burden over family, society and nation whereas a positive health status of a person is the need of society.

It makes the family, society and nation to grow more. Negative health status of a person has to depend upon others; moreover, lot of money is spent by family and nation to improve or maintain his health status.

A healthy person has to depend upon many other factors like clean, safe and hygienic surrounding; occupation and i.e. preventive aspects; knowledge of diseases and first aid, understanding the diet and posture role of good environment and importance of nature; role of physical activity, recreation, play rest, sleep and relaxation; health developments and health education etc.

The knowledge of health can be better understood by Health Education. Health education guides and modifies our behaviour towards optimum development of knowledge influences our habits, attitude and develops interest towards individual and community health.

1. Optimum Growth and Development : Health education programmes provide full opportunity for growth and development, thus optimum level of growth can be achieved.
2. Educates regarding Health Problems : Health Education educates and guides us regarding health problems, health hazards, etc., thus health is improved.
3. Promotes Healthy Environment : It promotes healthy, safe, clean and hygienic environment, thus improves society.
4. Develops Personal Hygiene : It develops and promotes personal hygiene like hygienic habits, care of teeth, skin, hair, hands, eyes, ears, etc., thus individual is benefitted.
5. Helps to Control Communicable Diseases : It helps society by checking communicable diseases at early stages.
6. Prevention from Diseases : Health Education guides us regarding the preventive and treatment steps to be taken against various communicable diseases.
7. Knowledge about Medicines : It gives us knowledge about medicines and latest medical advances to improve health.
8. Promotes Healthy Diet : It educates us relating to good and balanced diet, its factors affecting diet.
9. Promotes Physical Activity : It teaches us the importance of various physical activities like aerobic exercises, anaerobic exercises, games and sports in our life.
10. Removes Stress : Health Education helps us to romove stress from our lives, thus improves psychological health of an individual.
11. Educates Parents : It educates teachers, parents and guardians regarding maximum development of children.
12. Improves Health Services : It promotes healthy environment through healthy living, health instructions and health services.

PERSONAL HEALTH (HYGIENE)

Personal health is also termed as ‘Hygiene‘, The word ‘Hygiene’ comes from Greek word ‘Hygiea’, the Greek goddess of beauty.

She was the symbol of cleanliness, healthy habits, good structural figure and in all, a symbol of good health. For this, the importance of personal health must be realised as taking care of one’s own body.

Personal cleanliness involves practices that aim at improving the grooming and hygiene of a person. It helps in maintaining a person’s physical presentation and general health.

(a) Care of Skin

(b) Care of Hands and Nails

(c) Care of Hair

(d) Care of Teeth and Gums

(e) Care of Eyes

(f) Care of Ears

(g) Care of Feet

(a) Care of Skin : A beautiful skin is a part of personality. It is one of the sensitive organs of sensory system. It has many functions to perform such as sensitivity, irritability to harmful germs, provides protection from dust and sunlight, secretes sweat, etc.

Skin is of various types like dry skin, oily skin, rough skin. Each individual secretes a pungent odour of sweat which has to be cleaned up properly otherwise this odour of sweat turns into foul smell.

For this…

One has to take bath regularly. The bath can be taken in various ways like tap water bath, pool bath, steam bath, contrast bath, hot water bath. The water used for bath should be clean.

It should neither be very cold nor too hot. For bath there are various types of soaps and bathing agents which can be used to wash the body thoroughly. Rub delicate parts gently.

After bathing dry the body with clean towel. Some use deodorants, talc powder, etc. to remove foul smell in certain parts such as underarms and groins.

Undergarments and towel must be daily washed. Sharing of garments and towel is bad habit and unhygienic. So it should never be done.

(b) Care of Hands and Nails : Hands are the tools that enable us to perform all the manual activities. While doing any manual work, hands come in contact with various articles such as furniture, doors, books, coins, taps, seats, walls, soil, pets and other domestic animals, utensils and so on.

All such articles may carry germs which may stick to our hands and later pass on to other body parts. Dirty hands cause many serious health problems. One should not bite nails.

Bitten nails grow into the skin taking along with them infection causing bacteria. Therefore hands must be cleaned thoroughly with soap regularly, particularly before taking meals.

To protect our hands from infection during gardening and from the chemical irritants like detergents during laundry, gloves should be used. Nails should also be kept short and well-filed.

(c) Care of Hair : Hair should be kept clean and free from parasites, such as lice, by regular washing and combing. Two common and major problems of hair are lice and dandruff.

The best treatment for dandruff is regular washing with a shampoo containing selenium compounds or coal tar extracts. The lice can be killed by washing the hair with shampoo containing lindane.

Combs and hair brushes should never be shared even among family members. Long hair should be properly combed. Gentle massage with hair oil improves the hair growth.

Caring of Hair :

(d) Oral Hygiene or Care of Teeth and Gums : Dental caries (tooth decay) and bleeding gums are very common problems of the teeth. These problems may lead to bad smell from mouth, bleeding of gums, pyorrhoea, loss of teeth.

The main cause of tooth decay is food we eat. When we eat food then some particles get embedded in the space between the teeth. It forms a suitable medium between the teeth on which the bacteria causing decay can grow and cause tooth decay.

The diseases caused due to lack of oral hygiene are :

Tooth Abscess : It is decay of teeth. A tooth abscess occurs when there is a bacterial infection in the nerve of the tooth.

Symptoms of a tooth abscess include severe toothache, sensitivity to hot and cold beverages or food, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.

Pyorrhoen : It is an inflammatory disease affecting the periodontis, i.e., the tissues that surround and support the teeth, gum bleeding.

This can lead to the loosening and subsequent loss of teeth.

Gingivitis : Gingivitis is a term used to describe inflammation of the gums. Cavities : A cavity is a very small hole that forms on the surface of a tooth.

Oral Cancer : Oral cancer is a disease resulting from abnormal cell growth in the mouth. lips, tongue or throat.

Leukoplakia : Leukoplakia is a white or gray area that develops on the tongue, inside of the cheek or on the floor of the mouth. Leukoplakia is typically not painful or contagious.

Sialadenitis : This is a bacterial infection that occurs when there is an interruption of salvia flow from the salivary gland to the mouth. The gland is firm and can be painful with swelling of the area. If the infection spreads, one may experience fever, chills and malaise.

• Cleaning the teeth and gums thoroughly after every meal.
• Brushing the teeth with fluoride toothpaste, at least twice a day.
• Reducing intake of sugar and sugary items (during dinner).
• Tooth decay can be prevented on large scale by adding fluorine in water supplies.
• Dentist must be consulted twice a year.

(e) Care of Eyes : Eyes, being a delicate sense organ, should be given special care.

The following precautionary measures can keep eyes  in proper condition.

• (i) People, especially children, should get their eyes regularly checked up. Immediate treatment should be given if any ailment is discovered.
• During reading, the page of a book should be at least at a distance of 12 feet at an angle of 45° to 70°. The horizontal light should be provided sufficiently but not immediately in front of eyes. Look away from the computer screen.
• Eyes should be protected from dust, smoke, bright light, etc., by using good quality goggles or wear sunglasses.
• Precautions should be taken while handling sharp articles like blade, knife, ete. Use safety eyewear.
• Entry of any foreign body in the eye or any injury made to the eye should be taken seriously. The patient should be taken to the eye specialist immediately.
• Trachoma, which is a serious eye disease, should be treated properly. It can even cause blindness.
• For good vision, nutritious food like fruits and vegetables containing vitamin A should be eaten.
• Visit your eye doctor regularly.

Prevention and Treatment of Eye Infection

• A child with infectious eye disease should be kept away from other children.
• A person with infectious eye disease should clean his eyes with a neat handkerchief.
• Flies should not be allowed to sit on sore eyes, as they may spread infection.
• Proper advice of the doctor should be taken for the treatment of eyes.

Care of Ears : Being an important sense organ, following points should always be kept in mind to take proper care of ears :

Thus, the contact of germs, dirt, etc., is maximum from the feet. We must wear proper shoes, slippers or sandles so that this contact of germs should not be made.

Moreover, shoes, slippers. etc., also provide protection and gripping over surface. The shoes must be cleaned up regularly by washing, polishing, etc. Feet must be dried up in sunlight.

By doing this, germs get killed and foul smell from shoes is removed. We must clean our feet properly during bathing, especially between the corners of fingers.

The person with smelling shoes must wear cotton socks. If in still smells then doctor (‘Pedicurist’ foot specialist) must be consulted. Good quality of shoes also prevent the problem of flat foot.

Caring for Your Feet : There are many things you can do to keep your feet healthy.

• Take care of your diabetes. Work with your health care team to keep your blood glucose in your target range.
• Check your feet everyday. Look at your bare feet for red spots, cuts, swelling, and blisters. If you cannot see the bottoms of your feet, use a mirror or ask someone for help.
• Be more active. Plan your physical activity programme with your health team.
• Ask your doctor about Medicare coverage for special shoes.
• Wash your feet everyday, Dry them carefully, especially between the toes.
• Keep your skin soft and smooth. Rub a thin coat of skin lotion over the top and bottom of your feet, but not between your toes.
• If you can see and reach your to nails, trim them when needed. Trim your toenails straight across and file the edges with an emery board or nail file.
• Wear shoes and socks at all times. Never walk barefoot. Wear comfortable shoes that fit well and protect your feet. Check inside your shoes before wearing them. Make sure the lining is smooth and there are no objects inside.
• Protect your feet from hot and cold. Wear shoes at the beach or on hot pavement. put your feet into hot water. Test water before putting your feet in it just as you would do before bathing a baby. Never use hot water bottles, heating pads, or electric blankets. You can burn your feet without realizing it.
• Keep the blood flowing to your feet. Put your feet up while sitting. Wiggle your toes and move your ankles up and down for 5 minutes, two or three times a day, Don’t cross your legs for long periods of time. Don’t smoke.

 

Conclusion of the Advantages of Personal Cleanliness

In this article, we have mainly discussed about the Advantages of Personal Cleanliness. The following points are covered briefly in this article :

• What is Health ?
• Health Education
• Concept of Health
• Importance of Health Education
• Personal Hygiene
• Advantages of Personal Cleanliness
• Care of Body Parts etc.