Hygiene Is Essential for Staying Healthy

Hygiene is Essential for Good Health Every day we come into contact with thousands, perhaps millions of harmful bacteria, viruses and allergens. Protecting our health against such negative factors depends on maintaining hygiene. On the occasion of World Hygiene Day, experts from DoktorTakvimi.com – Specialist Dr. Işıl Çeri, Nutritionist Pınar Yaprak and Assistant Professor Hüseyin Taşkıran – explained the ways to ensure home, hand and food hygiene. To protect our health, we must pay attention to hand hygiene, store, cook and consume healthy foods in compliance with food hygiene standards, and clean our homes of allergens, germs and bacteria. On the occasion of World Hygiene Day, celebrated for the first time in Turkey on 16 January 2011, experts from DoktorTakvimi.com – Specialist Dr. Işıl Çeri, Nutritionist Pınar Yaprak and Assistant Professor Hüseyin Taşkıran – are offering important tips on hygiene. With the Covid-19 pandemic, we have come to understand the importance of hygiene even more. Specialist Dr. Işıl Çeri from DoktorTakvimi.com experts, noting that during this period it is advisable to keep nails short and to avoid wearing rings, jewelry and watches in addition to hand and body cleansing, reminds that for hand hygiene hands should be washed frequently throughout the day for 20-30 seconds with lukewarm water and a dermatologically suitable soap, followed by moisturizing with an appropriate cream. Specialist Dr. Çeri notes that disinfectants containing at least 60% alcohol can be used if there is no opportunity to wash hands, and recommends that hands should definitely be rinsed with water when conditions permit. "Especially during winter, frequent hand washing for hygienic reasons, disinfectant use and chemicals used for environmental cleaning can cause eczema on hands," says Specialist Dr. Çeri, continuing her remarks as follows. "Eczema that starts with mild redness, itching and burning can progress if left untreated and neglected. Fluid-filled blisters, cracks, fissures, bleeding and wounds can develop on the hands. This problem can even become chronic. Since the skin's protective layer is damaged, the skin becomes susceptible to bacterial, fungal and viral infections. For this reason, a dermatology specialist should be consulted while complaints are mild."

Walking Barefoot in Bathhouses, Pools and Saunas is Not Advisable

Specialist Dr. Çeri, explaining that foot care and hygiene should not be neglected during the pandemic period, states: "Feet that remain closed during the day should be washed with lukewarm water in the evening and the spaces between toes should be dried thoroughly. The spaces between toes should be checked for redness and scaling, and if necessary, a dermatology specialist should be consulted. In crowded areas such as bathhouses, saunas, SPAs and pools, walking barefoot should be avoided due to the risk of possible fungal, bacterial and viral transmission."

For Food Hygiene, Purchase Your Food from Reliable Sources

Foods can contain many harmful substances such as parasites, molds, bacteria, viruses and pesticides. To prevent foodborne illnesses, it is necessary to pay close attention to food hygiene. Nutritionist Pınar Yaprak from DoktorTakvimi.com experts, reminding that harmful bacteria can lead to infections and poisoning, points out that excessive exposure to pesticides used during the cultivation of food can lead to acute or chronic poisoning, increased cancer rates and hormonal problems.

Never Consume Moldy Foods

Nutritionist Yaprak, emphasizing that for food hygiene we must purchase our foods from reliable brands and places with clean contents, offers the following recommendations: "When purchasing food, we should pay attention to the expiration date, contents, packaging, storage conditions and whether there is mold on it. When consuming at home, moldy food items should not be consumed even in the non-moldy parts. The removal of the moldy part does not mean there are no invisible molds in other parts. Storage conditions and cleanliness of foods are also very important. To protect against Covid-19 and other pathogens, the outer surface of packaged products should be wiped with detergent and, if possible, disinfectant cloth before being placed in the refrigerator/pantry, and raw and cooked products should not come into contact with each other inside the refrigerator and in the kitchen. To remove vegetables from pesticides and pathogens, first soaking them for 20 minutes in water with 1-2 tablespoons of sodium carbonate and 2-3 drops of lemon/mint oil, then washing them will provide significant removal of pesticides. In the second stage, soaking in fresh water with 1-2 tablespoons of apple/grape vinegar will help kill bacteria and viruses."

Keep Your Home's Air Clean

Since we spend most of our lives in our homes, home hygiene is essential for healthier homes… Nowadays, the main health and hygiene problems related to homes include foodborne infections, common cold virus infections, viral gastroenteritis, skin infections and issues related to pets. Assistant Professor Hüseyin Taşkıran from DoktorTakvimi.com experts, noting that toxins in our homes are the most important problem affecting body health, emphasizes that cleaning reduces the risk of infection transmission. Assistant Professor Taşkıran explains the four ways to rid our home of toxins as follows: "You cannot clean the outdoor air but you can keep your home's air clean. For your home and office, you can obtain an air purifier with a HEPA filter. Use chemical cleaning and maintenance products as little as possible. Toxins enter our bodies both from the water we drink and the water we wash with. For this reason, filter the tap water coming into your home, do not drink water from plastic bottles (even BPA-free ones). Make an effort to purchase vegetables and fruits grown without pesticides and products from animals that roam freely and are not given medications or hormones."

Door Handles and Light Switches Should Be Wiped with Cologne

One of the most effective ways to maintain hygiene at home is to clean the most frequently used areas with alcohol. Assistant Professor Taşkıran, noting that frequently used areas such as door handles and light switches can be regularly disinfected with cologne containing a high percentage of alcohol, summarizes what should be done for home hygiene as follows: "Every morning you can ventilate your bed and change the sheets and pillowcases at least once a week to perform effective cleaning in the bedroom. Ventilate the living room and sitting areas, which are spaces where the whole family gathers, every day. In the kitchen, where meals are prepared and food items are stored, pay special attention to daily cleaning of surfaces such as countertops, cutting boards and inside drawers, cabinets and closed surfaces. You should disinfect faucet heads and door handles in the bathroom and toilet, which are common use areas for the family."