As per a survey, only 5% of people properly wash their hands on a daily basis. Therefore we have decided to launch an awareness campaign from 25th June- 31st June to educate and encourage people about the benefits of hand washing.
First let us start by debunking the 7 Myths about Hand Washing.
FACT: Using soap alone is not sufficient to provide full protection during hand wash. First of all the duration for which hand is being washed. Research has shown that, hands should be washed for at least 30 seconds following the proper steps (refer to 7 Steps of Hand Hygiene).
Secondly, the soap itself matters. Some studies have shown that germs and infections may spread from soaps used by multiple people. Although chances and propensity may be low, still you should be aware of it.
FACT: Hand Sanitizer can never replace conventional handwashing with soap and water. The simple reason is that when we are using Hand Sanitizers, only the surface germs are being killed. But the dirt and grime on our hands are removed. This can cause problems if you ingest that when consuming food
FACT: The simple answer is NO. Whenever you are buying Hand Sanitizer, check the alcohol percentage. 60% is the bare minimum and the percentage moves upto 90%. Any hand sanitizer which contains less than 60% alcohol content will not be effective
FACT: Most of us make this simple yet biggest mistake. We may follow all steps and properly wash our hands. But after that, we often dry it using a previously used towel or napkin. Therefore all the germs from the towel or napkin gets transferred back to our hands.
FACT: Lot of research has been conducted on whether using warm or hot water improves killing of germs on the hands. But the data is inconclusive. It can therefore be said that, there is no additional benefits of using hot water. Instead, persistently using hot water to wash can cause dryness to the hands
FACT: Researchers found that paper towels are superior to air dryers and can help remove bacteria, unlike air dryers which can increase bacteria counts. Because air dryers have been shown to spread bacteria between three and six feet from the device, paper towels are also far less likely to contaminate other restroom users.
FACT: It is not always necessary to wash our hands after touching something. Only thing we should try to avoid is unnecessary contacts of our hands to our face, especially, eyes, nose and lips. However, before eating something, we should definitely wash our hands, especially if we are using our hands. Unnecessary frequent hand washing can dry our skin and also remove the helpful commensal bacteria that thrives in our skin.
7 Steps of Hand Hygiene (as per WHO)
Hands should be wet with soap or liquid soap applied for a good lather. The ideal temperature of the water should be between 35 ° to 45 ° C.
Hands should be rubbed palm to palm.
Rub the back of the left hand with the right palm, swap the hands and repeat for few times.
Bring the hands facing each other and join the fingers together into clasped hands. Next, rub the palms and fingers together.
Interlock the fingers and rub the backs of them against the palms.
Enclose the right hand around the left thumb and rub along with the rotation. Swap the hands and repeat it.
Rub the right fingers in a circular motion in the left palm. Repeat the same with the left fingers. ÂÂ
Few Tips for a Healthy Hand Hygiene
Nail Hygiene
Role of Ring Wearing with Hand Hygiene
A number of studies have shown that ring wearing increases the likelihood of bacterial contamination; in particular these studies have demonstrated that the skin under rings can be more heavily colonized than areas of skin without rings and can be a major contributor to hand contamination.
A quick and simple technique to stop infections is by washing our hands. Cleaning our hands can stop the transmission of germs particularly those that are hard, if not impossible, to treat and are resistant to antibiotics. Healthcare professionals don't wash their hands nearly as often as they should.
The WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care offer healthcare professionals (HCWs), hospital administrators, and health authorities a thorough analysis of the research on hand hygiene in healthcare, as well as specific recommendations to improve procedures and lessen the spread of pathogenic microorganisms to patients and HCWs. The current Guidelines are meant to be used in any circumstance when healthcare is provided to a patient or to a particular population group.
Below are the 7 steps of Hand Hygiene as recommended by the WHO -
Hands should be wet with soap or liquid soap applied for a good lather. The ideal temperature of the water should be between 35 ° to 45 ° C.
Hands should be rubbed palm to palm.
Rub the back of the left hand with the right palm, swap the hands and repeat for few times.
Bring the hands facing each other and join the fingers together into clasped hands. Next, rub the palms and fingers together.
Interlock the fingers and rub the backs of them against the palms.
Enclose the right hand around the left thumb and rub along with the rotation. Swap the hands and repeat it.
Rub the right fingers in a circular motion in the left palm. Repeat the same with the left fingers.
Gallstones, a very prevalent issue has arisen in modern society as a result of lifestyle changes, the intake of junk food, and irregular eating patterns. The development of these stones usually starts in the gall bladder and sometimes these stones start coming upwards towards the common bile duct along with the secretion of bile during the digestion process. Usually, there is no onset of symptoms and these issues are sometimes mistaken for indigestion, which is a transient condition but if the size of the gallstones increases in number and size for an extended period, then this leads to the severity and might worsen the condition of the patient is not detected early.
What are Gall bladder and Gallstones?
The gall bladder is a little, pear-shaped structure situated beneath the liver on the upper right side of the belly. It holds the bile that the liver produces for digestion and releases it into the duodenum through the bile duct. Water, cholesterol, bile salts, and pigments like bilirubin and others make up this bile. The breakdown of lipids in our bodies is aided by bile.
Gallstones or Cholelithiasis which originate in the gallbladder or bile ducts is solid masses resembling pebbles made of bile precipitates. They range in size from the size of golf balls to small sand grains. Gallstones are usually of two different types:
What are the causes? – There is no exact cause for the occurrence of gallstones, still, some of the causes which lead to the formation of gallstones are listed below:
What are the common symptoms observed?-
What are the Diagnostic tests and Treatments available?-
ERCP
is both diagnostic as well as a therapeutic technique for gallstones which
consists of an endoscope inserted through the mouth with an attached camera that
passes through the food pipe and reaches the top of the small intestine, then
the technician inserts another smaller tube into the first one to reach further
down into the bile ducts. They will inject a special dye through the tube and
then the video X-rays (fluoroscopy) are taken as the dye travels through the
ducts. Through ERCP, a clamp-like tool is inserted through the tube to remove
the stones which are present in the duct. The large-sized gallstones are
removed by lithotripsy in which the gallstones are first crushed or broken down
into smaller pieces and then each piece is taken out through the scope. The 190
series ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) is cutting-edge
technology in the earliest identification of biliary tract neoplasm,
cholangiocarcinoma, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Cholecystectomy- is laparoscopic keyhole surgery for the removal of the gall bladder when the gallstones are accumulated in this sac. It is an ICG Enhanced Fluorescence Guided procedure that requires a small incision, high resolution, minimal blood loss, and a very low risk of infection.
Prevention and Control-
Liver is the second largest organ in the body which produces bile and helps to process the nutrients from food and drinks, further it filters the harmful substances from the food. Liver also helps to resist the infections by removing toxins and bacteria from the blood.
There is a modest amount of fat in a healthy liver. When fat equals 5% to 10% of your liver's weight, it becomes an issue. Steatosis, also known as fatty liver disease, is a common disorder brought about by an accumulation of too much fat in the liver.
Fatty Liver condition isn’t bad until and unless the condition becomes worse and reaches the stage when there is inflammation in the liver (steatohepatitis) along with the extensive damage of liver tissues (cirrhosis). The liver's function starts slowing down by the tough scar tissue that has replaced the healthy liver tissue and eventually the functioning of the liver completely stops. Severe cirrhosis can lead to Liver failure and Liver cancer.
Stages of Fatty Liver-
What are the causes? –
What are the common symptoms observed?-
What are the Diagnostic tests and Treatments available?-
What is FibroScan?
Transient elastography, another name for fibroscan, gauges the velocity of ultrasound waves as they pass through the liver. The normal liver tissue and the areas of fibrosis are both viewed by the ultrasound waves' varying velocity. FibroScan results are available right away after the scan. It is a non- invasive test and used to determine the degree of fibrosis in the liver. This is even done to assess the health of the liver.
Prevention and Control-
Adults frequently complain of joint pain, which is typically brought on by regular wear and tear from daily activities including walking, bending, standing, and lifting. Running and sports involving jumping or fast pivots increase the risk of knee pain and other related issues in athletes. But whether joint pain is brought on by ageing or an injury, it can be bothersome and even crippling in some cases.
Common joint pain typically manifests in the hands, foot, hips, knees, or spine. Pain may be ongoing or intermittent. Joint pain can sometimes be described as discomfort, inflammation, soreness, stiffness, or pain. Joint discomfort can be acute (lasting only a few days) or chronic (lasting more than three months). The joint may occasionally feel stiff, achy, or sore. A searing, throbbing, or "grating" feeling is reported by some patients and furthermore the joint could be stiff in the morning but get looser and feel better with activity.
What are the causes of orthopedic joint pain? –
What are the common symptoms observed?-
What are the Diagnostic tests and Treatments available?-
What is Total Knee/ Hip Replacement surgery?-
It could be challenging to walk or climb stairs if the knee or hip joint has been seriously affected by arthritis or another accident. So, even while sitting or lying down, one could start to experience pain. Replacement surgery is recommended for the patients with bowed knee deformity. The average surgical procedure lasts between 1-2 hours and requires very less hospital stay for about three days. After three to six weeks of rest, the patient can resume back to his daily routine. To correct the alignment and function of knee/hip joint, the orthopedic surgeon will remove the damaged bone and cartilage and then places the new metal implants which are made up of titanium dioxide highly polished with cobalt chromium. These implants mimic the exact the knee/ hip joint and offers the same movement as that of a natural joint. These replacement surgeries do not have any age or weight restrictions and can be performed at any stage of the life. Having a knee/hip replacement surgery improves mobility, reduces pain, and improves the quality of life. Additionally, the majority of these replacements provide a shelf life longer than 15 years.
Prevention and Control-
Nowadays with the change in lifestyle, consumption of junk food, eating irregularly has led to a very common problem among us – gastric problems such as stomach pain, loss of appetite, bloating, and nausea. These gastric problems arise due to inflammation in the mucosal lining of the stomach, any bacterial infections such as Helicobacter pylori etc. Sometimes these problems are often confused with indigestion which is temporary but prolonged infection in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to severity of the diseases if not detected at the earliest.
What are the causes? –
What are the common symptoms observed?-
What are the Diagnostic tests and Treatments available?-
Prevention and Control-
Dengue is a vector-borne disease transmitted by an infected female mosquito of the Aedes aegypti species that causes high fever. These mosquitoes are different from normal mosquitoes with white bands present on their legs. It often bites during the day and after the infected mosquito bites a human, the symptoms start developing in the body within 3-14 days. It has been seen that dengue infects children more.
Dengue Fever has the following symptoms:
1. High fever usually around 104 °F.
2. Severe headache
3. Rashes
4. Pain behind the eyes
5. Intense muscle and joint pain
6. Loss of appetite
7. Fatigue
Tips to prevent Dengue:
Diagnosis and Treatment:
This day is celebrated in
remembrance of French biologist Louis Pasteur who gave the first dose of the
first vaccine against the zoonotic disease rabies. This day holds importance in
promoting awareness and educating people about the zoonotic diseases that can
be transmitted from animals to the humans.
Zoonoses, also known as zoonotic
diseases, are infectious conditions caused by microorganisms that can pass from
animals to humans. These zoonotic pathogens, which can be bacterial, parasitic,
viral, or even strange agents, can spread through direct or indirect contact
between animals and humans.
Causes- Zoonotic
diseases are caused by a number of factors. Some of them are:
1. Direct contact- due to bites, scratches, or ingesting bodily fluids
including blood, saliva, urine, faeces, or bite wounds from an infected animal.
2. Indirect contact: This might happen in areas where sick animals feed or live and are infected by the zoonotic pathogens.
3. Foodborne: Due to consuming contaminated foods like as raw fruits and vegetables, milk, meat, eggs coming from infected animals.
Symptoms-
Diagnosis and Treatment-
Prevention and Control-
On June 27, 1995, the first National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) was observed. This is a day to encourage people to get tested for HIV, learn their status, and connect with care and treatment.
The theme for 2022, "HIV Testing is Self-care," is apt, given the importance of self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic
This year’s theme focuses on the following goals for partners.
It's also very important, considering the crucial necessity of individual and community initiatives to improve physical and mental health.
What is HIV AND why HIV Testing is necessary?
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that targets the body's immune system, which serves as its natural protection against sickness. If HIV is not treated, it might weaken the immune system to the point that it can no longer fight infection. Early testing helps to prevent this advanced stage of the virus, known as AIDS, is lethal and can be prevented.
HIV is a life-threatening disease that can infect people of all ages, genders, and sexual orientations. Up to one in every seven persons living with HIV remain unaware of their status.
The test is quick and simple: During an HIV test, doctors collect a blood or saliva (swab test) sample for analysis. In about 20 minutes, you'll know if you have the infection. An HIV test is free.
If your HIV test results indicate that you have the virus, you can get the therapy you need to stay healthy. Antiretroviral medications now allow HIV patients to live long and normal lives.
When you know your HIV status, you can take precautions to safeguard current and future sexual partners, as well as encourage former partners to be tested.
This day is celebrated in remembrance of Michael Jackson who suffered from vitiligo and died on 25th June, 2009 to create global awareness about vitiligo. It encourages unity among the people with vitiligo to rule out the discrimination faced by them by the people and raise their voices and visibility in all the areas of life. Over 1% of the total world population suffers from vitiligo where it affects all the genders and ethnic groups especially in the age groups of 20-30 years.
Causes- Vitiligo is an autosomal disease that causes the loss of skin pigment cells called melanocytes. This causes the skin to lighten in patches across the body and face. It is often unpredictable but children born to both parents having this disease are more likely to develop vitiligo. This is non-communicable disease and around 80% of the people develop this condition before the age of 30 years.
Symptoms-
Diagnosis and Treatment-
Genetic
counseling to understand the inheritance of vitiligo in the family history.