Health eKids Newsletter

February 2004

Arkansas Children's Hospital Promotes Hand Washing—A Powerful Weapon to Fight Flu

Hopefully you and your family received a flu shot. But that shot isn’t the only thing you can do to help keep you healthy. Arkansas Children's Hospital advises washing your hands often to help stop the spread of unwanted bacteria and infectious diseases, including influenza. In fact, getting that flu shot and washing your hands regularly are the two best weapons you can arm yourself with to fight off that nasty flu bug.

Richard F. Jacobs, M.D., Chief, Pediatric Infectious Diseases for Arkansas Children's Hospital, and Horace C. Cabe Professor of Pediatrics at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, says that hand washing is simple yet vitally important to your health. “After decades of enhanced knowledge in infectious diseases, it is amazing that people seem to pay the least attention to one of the most reliable methods of prevention of spread of an infection, to wash your hands!" Dr. Jacobs also says that hand washing combined with flu vaccine and the common sense practice of avoiding close contact with persons who have flu-like symptoms will significantly reduce your chances of getting the flu.

How are germs spread?

You pick up germs from other sources and then you infect yourself when you:

• Touch your eyes
  
• Or your nose
  
• Or your mouth

One of the most common ways people catch colds and the flu is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with these viruses. You can also spread germs directly to others or onto surfaces that other people touch. Those germs are spread by sneezing, coughing, touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and then touching other surfaces such as computer keyboards, phones, television remote controls, sink faucets, drawer pulls, etc. Before you know it, everybody around you is getting sick. That’s why it is very important that everyone in your family learn and practice the healthy habit of washing their hands, and that includes small children.

How often should you wash your hands?

The answer is -- as often as possible, whether at home or work. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is especially important to wash your hands:

• Before, during and after you prepare food
  
• Before you eat and after you use the bathroom
  
• After handling animals or animal waste
  
• When your hands are dirty
  
• More frequently when someone in your home or workplace is sick

Is there a proper way to wash your hands?

There is a proper technique to getting your hands clean. Here are things to remember:

• Use warm water.
  
• Wet your hands before applying soap.
  
• Rub your soapy hands together for at least 10-15 seconds. Remember that it isn’t the soap itself that kills germs on your hands. It is the slick, soapy lather combined with vigorous scrubbing action that helps dislodge and remove germs from the skin. Don’t forget to scrub around fingernails and between fingers.
  
• Rinse your hands thoroughly to remove all soap. The germs will be whisked away with the soap and residue.
  
• Turn off water with a paper towel. You don’t want to pick up new germs from the faucet handles.
  
• Dry your hands with an air-dryer or a clean paper towel.
  
• If in a public restroom, open door with paper towel, discarding towel after you leave.
  

Don’t let dry hands be an excuse for not washing them. Keep lotion handy to apply after you wash, especially during dry, wintry weather. And remember, the simple act of frequently washing your hands is vitally important for the health of you and your family.

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