Washing your hands

How many times did mom tell you to wash your hands?  Well, mom  was on to something!  Hand washing, when done properly, is one of the  easiest and most effective ways to prevent many types of illnesses.
This  time of year many of us are worried about catching a cold or even worse  – the flu.  While most people quickly recover from a common cold, the  flu can be much more serious. Those over age 65, young children and  persons with chronic illnesses such as diabetes are especially  susceptible to complications caused by the flu.
According to Los  Angeles County Department of Public Health, on average five to 20  percent of the population get the flu every year.  In fact, the flu is  responsible for approximately 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths  each year in the United States.
Washing your hands doesnt take  much time or effort, but certainly has its healthy benefits, said  Jonathan Fielding, MD, MPH, Public Health Director and County Health  Officer.   Germs are easily spread by not covering a cough or sneeze,  and by touching everyday objects, such as door knobs, hand rails and  counter tops.  Staying healthy can be as simple as washing your hands.
Despite  the overwhelming evidence, several studies have shown that adults fail  to wash their hands frequently and effectively.  In a 2000 study, 1,021  people were asked Do you always wash your hands after using the  bathroom?  An overwhelming majority of adults, 95 percent, said they  did wash their hands.  However, when adults were observed in a  subsequent follow-up study in public restrooms in five major  metropolitan areas, only 68 percent actually washed their hands!
Parents  and caregivers hand washing isnt just for adults.  To help keep your  children from getting sick, make sure they wash their hands often and  properly. To get kids into the habit, teach by example. Wash your hands  with your children and supervise their hand washing. Tell your children  to wash their hands for as long as it takes them to sing their ABCs,  Row, Row, Row Your Boat or the Happy Birthday song.
To keep  those hands clean and prevent getting sick:
Use warm running water  with a bar or liquid soap
Rub your hands together for 15-20 seconds  to work up a good lather.  Be sure to wash in between your fingers,  under your nails  and scrub the tops and palms of the hands
Rinse  all soap off your hands with warm, running water
Dry your hands  using a disposable paper towel.  Germs can hide in a cloth towel.
After  drying hands, grasp the faucet handle with your used paper towel to  turn off the water.  Avoid touching the sink or faucet handles-theyre  too germ friendly. Throw your used paper towel in the trash
Always  wash your hands:
After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into  your hands
After using the toilet
After changing a diaper
After  touching animals or animal waste
Before and after preparing food;  and before eating
After handling garbage
Before inserting or  removing contact lenses
When using public restrooms, such as those  in airports, train stations, bus stations and restaurants
The Los  Angeles County Department of Public Health recently launched Clean  Hands. The comprehensive public education campaign is designed to  encourage hand washing to avoid getting sick and to help prepare for  pandemic flu – an outbreak of a new flu virus for which people have  little or no immunity and there is no vaccine.
For more information  about influenza and how to protect you and your family, please visit  our dedicated website http://lapublichealth.org/acd/flu.htm