Learning Outcome

• To understand what is Personal Hygiene and

Describe what are acceptable and poor
personal hygiene practices
• To know its importance in the Community and
Public Health
 What is Hygiene?
• a condition promoting sanitary practices to
the self. (Personal Hygiene)
• the practice of personal hygiene is employed
to prevent or minimize the incidence and
spread of communicable diseases.
• a concept that is commonly used in medical
and public health practices.
 Hygiene VS Cleanliness
CLEANING
is removing dirt, wastes or unwanted things
from the surface of objects using detergents and
necessary equipment.
HYGIENE
focuses on the prevention of diseases through
the use of cleaning as one of several inputs.
 Why is hygiene important in CPH?
1. Preventing fecal - oral transmitted diseases
The fingers may get contaminated with one’s
own feces, either directly or indirectly. Activities
during defecation and child bottom-washing are
additional opportunities for the contamination
of the fingers that facilitate the transmission of
infections.
 Why is hygiene important in CPH?
2. Aesthetic values of personal hygiene
Cleaning oneself produces pride, comfort and
dignity at home and in public places. Caring
about the way you look is important to your self-
esteem.
 Why is hygiene important in CPH?
Social impact
• A person with poor personal hygiene might be
isolated from friendship because telling the
person about the situation might be sensitive
and culturally difficult.
• The success of a job application or the chance
of promotion could be affected by poor
personal hygiene.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Body hygiene (skin care)
The body has nearly two million sweat glands.
Moistened and dried sweat and dead skin cells all
together make dirt that sticks on to the skin and the
surface of underclothes. The action of bacteria
decomposes the sweat, thereby generating bad
odor and irritating the skin.
• groin, underarms and feet, and in clothing that
has absorbed sweat.
• Skin infections such as scabies, pimples and
ringworm are results of poor body hygiene
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Body hygiene (skin care)

Scalp Tinea capitis (scalp ringworm) Acne vulgaris (pimples)

What are the Components of Hygiene?
Body hygiene (skin care)
• Taking a bath or a shower using body soap is very
important to ensuring our body stays clean .Bathing can be
every day or after periods of sweating or getting dirty.
• The genitals and the anal region need to be cleaned well
because of the natural secretions of these areas.
• Dry the body with a clean towel after thorough rinsing.
Change into clean underwear after a bath. Changing sweat-
soaked clothes after each bath is advised. Cleaning the ears
after every bath is also necessary.
• Avoid sharing soaps and towels because of the danger of
cross-infection.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Oral hygiene (oral care)
The mouth is the area of the body most prone
to collecting harmful bacteria and generating
infections. Our mouth mechanically breaks food
into pieces. This process leaves food particles
(food debris) that stick to the surface of our
gums and teeth. Our mouth cavity is full of
bacteria and is a good environment for bacterial
growth.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Oral hygiene (oral care)
The decaying process that takes place on the
surface of the teeth eventually produces a build-up
called plaque (a sticky deposit on which bacteria
grow) that is then converted into tartar (a hard,
yellowish, calcified deposit on the teeth, consisting
of organic secretions and food particles). The result
is tooth decay. In addition, unpleasant smelling
breath (halitosis or stinking odour), teeth and gum
infections could be a result of poor oral hygiene.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Oral hygiene (oral care)
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Oral hygiene (oral care)
• Rinse the mouth after each meal.
• Brush your teeth with a fluoride-containing toothpaste
twice a day – before breakfast and before you go to
bed. Cleaning the mouth with twigs is possible if done
carefully.
• During the day, fill your mouth with water and swish it
around to get rid of anything sticking to your teeth.
• In addition to regular brushing, it is advisable to floss
your teeth at least once a day, usually before you go to
bed.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Handwashing (hand care)
Involves mechanical removal of microorganisms
from contaminated hand surfaces using soap or
detergent. Handwashing should involve more
than a quick rinse under a tap (faucet) or in
running water.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Handwashing (hand care)
• First wet your hands with clean water and lather with a bar of soap.
• Next rub your hands together vigorously and scrub all surfaces up to your wrists.
• Clean under your fingernails.
• Continue for 15–30 seconds or about the length of a little tune (for example, the
‘Happy Birthday’ song). It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that
helps dislodge and remove germs.
• Rinse your hands well with clean running water (pour from a jug or tap).
• Dry your hands in the air to avoid recontamination on a dirty towel – do not touch
anything until your hands are dry.
• Wood ash will also rub off any dirt and smells. The slight irritation you feel when
you wash your hands with ash shows the cleansing power of ash.
• Local seeds such as indod (Lemma’s plant), which are known to be good cleaning
agents, can also be used for regular handwashing.
• Clean sand with water can be used for handwashing to help to rub off dirt.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Handwashing (hand care)
To know when to perform handwashing,
identify critical situations that indicate the
possibility that pathogenic microorganisms are
present on hands, fingers and nail surfaces
 Handwashing (hand care)
Critical situations in everyday activity include:
• After using the toilet (or disposing of human or animal faeces)
• After changing a baby’s diaper (nappy) and disposing of the faeces.
• Immediately after touching raw food when preparing meals (e.g. chicken or other meat).
• Before preparing and handling cooked/ready-to-eat food.
• Before eating food or feeding children.
• After contact with contaminated surfaces (e.g. rubbish bins, cleaning cloths, food-contaminated
surfaces).
• After handling pets and domestic animals.
• After wiping or blowing the nose or sneezing into the hands (respiratory hygiene).
• After handling soiled tissues (your own or others’, e.g. children).
Critical situations in healthcare activity include:
• Before and after contact with an infected wound.
• After contact with blood or body fluids (e.g. vomit).
• Before and after dressing wounds.
• Before giving care to an ‘at risk’ person (e.g. attending delivery, attending a baby).
• After giving care to an infected person.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Face hygiene
• Our face reveals our daily practice of personal
hygiene.
• The most important area to keep clean is the
eyes. The organic substance of the eye discharge
can attract flies and this is dangerous because the
fly is a carrier (vector) of trachoma and
conjunctivitis.
• Never share your face towel with others. (Why?)
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Fingernail and toenail hygiene (nail care)
A nail is hard tissue that constantly grows. Long
fingernails tend to accumulate or trap dirt on the
underside. The dirt could be as a result of
defecation or touching infected and contaminated
surfaces.
• Clip nails short along their shape but do not cut
them so close that it damages the skin.
• Nail cutters should not be shared with others
(Why?)
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Ear hygiene
• Ear wax accumulates in the ear canal that
leads from the outer ear to the ear drum.
• Daily washing with soap and water is enough
to keep the outer ear clean.
• Do not reach farther than you can with your
little finger into your ear. If you feel wax has
accumulated and is plugging your ears and
interfering with hearing, consult your doctor.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Hair hygiene (hair care)
• The hair follicles from which the hair grows
produce oil from the sebaceous glands that keeps
the hair smooth. The scalp (the skin covering the
head) also has numerous sweat glands and is a
surface for the accumulation of dead skin cells.
• Poor hair hygiene could cause dandruff and skin
infections such as Tinea capitis Dandruff is dead
skin on the scalp that comes off in tiny flakes
when sebaceous glands produce too much oil
and accumulates on the scalp
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Hair hygiene (hair care)
• Head hair is a good harbour for head lice
(Pediculus humanus capitis) and nits (eggs of
head lice). The head louse is a tiny insect that
lives by sucking blood. Children are especially
prone to lice infestation.
• Shaving of the head hair is possible in cases of
heavy lice infestation.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Foot hygiene (foot care)
• Our feet sweat as we walk day and night and
the sweat accumulates on all foot surfaces
and between the toes. The sweat may stain
the shoes and can produce an awful odour.
• Athlete’s foot, Podoconiosis
• Toenails can accumulate dirt and this can
increase the potential for bacterial and fungal
breeding e.g. athlete’s foot.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Armpit and bottom hygiene
• body parts that easily get sweaty and where
ventilation is very poor. After puberty, our sweat
gains a specific and unpleasant odor which may
be offensive to others. The armpits and the
bottom should be washed daily.
• Anal cleansing is the hygienic practice of cleaning
the anus after defecation.
– Hands must be washed with soap afterwards. The use
of rags, leaves, stones, corn cobs, or sticks must be
discouraged as these materials can damage the skin.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Clothes hygiene
• 2 layers of clothing: Underwear and outer layer
• Underwear must be washed more frequently
than the outer layer of clothing.
• Washing dirty clothes requires adequate clean
water, detergents (solid or powdered soap) and
washing facilities. If possible, the washed clothes
should be ironed to help the destruction of body
lice and nits. Boiling water or insecticides can be
used to destroy clothes infestation.
What are the Components of Hygiene?
Menstrual hygiene (Personal hygiene for women)
• The vagina is able to clean itself; no special care is
needed other than washing the external genitals.
• Washing the outer genital area with clean water must
be a daily practice. Change tampons and sanitary
napkins or pads regularly. Always wash your hands
before and after handling a tampon or pad. Clean and
soft cloths can be used in place of sanitary pads. The
use of dirty cloths must be discouraged. Menstrual
blood-absorbing items must be properly disposed of in
a burial pit or other appropriate method.
END…