Stay healthy with proper hand-washing habit

MANILA, Philippines - It is a well-known fact that regular hand washing with soap and water is a most effective way to prevent the transmission of germs that cause local and systemic infections, including invasive diarrhea that resembles shigella, and more often, a non-invasive toxin-mediated diarrhea that resembles cholera.

According to a report on disease surveillance, every year there are more than 9,000 cases of acute blood diarrhea and almost 100,000 cases of influenza-like diseases in the Philippines. To prevent being a victim, washing your hands properly and regularly is a must.

It has been proven that repeated hand washing during particular moments of the day such as before eating, after using the toilet or upon arrival from work or school, can abort the spread and contamination of diseases by as much as 50 percent.

This is especially true if you work in a public place where you are touching doorknobs, escalator hand railings and keyboards that everyone has in common.

It is always best to wash your hands with soap and water, of course. But, in reality, that is not always an immediate option. What happens if you are shopping in the mall and you need to rush to the public toilet and you find there’s no toilet paper or liquid soap around? You have no choice but to relieve yourself, and now your hands feel icky. What do you do?

In this sort of situation you should rinse your hands with the water in the sink and then reach for the hand sanitizer.

Hand sanitizer works by removing the surface layer of oil from your skin. This prevents bacteria from settling in and making you sick if your hands inadvertently make it to your mouth. It helps to have a ready hand sanitizer which you can use to protect yourself in case running water and soap are out of reach.

Most hand sanitizers are packaged in almost the same way and make the same claims. Doctors who specialize in the control of infections have affirmed the importance of alcohol concentration in hand sanitizers. Patients who use a product with less than 60 percent alcohol actually spread the bacteria around their hands. It is important to shop around a bit and find a sanitizer with a 60-95 percent concentration of alcohol. Sub-standard hand sanitizers act as a distributor of bacteria rather than an eradicator.

If you are careful in selecting a sanitizer with a higher concentration of alcohol, you can help prevent illnesses that might be transmitted by touch. Bactigel contains 68 percent ethyl alcohol, the highest alcohol content among locally manufactured hand sanitizers.

Distributed by Kohl Industries Inc., Bactigel comes with a patented rubber holder and strap, which you can hang on bag handles and easily use when you are on the go. It also comes in three sizes: a 1L or a 500 ml pump dispenser and a 30 ml bottle.

Bactigel hand sanitizer is available at all Mercury Drug, National Bookstore, SM Supermarkets, SM Savemore, SM Hypermart, Robinson’s Supermarket, Shopwise, South Star Drug, Waltermart, and Rustan’s outlets nationwide.