PERSONAL HYGIENE

Prof Joas B Rugemalila

Personal Hygiene 1
 Introduction

Definition of hygiene
 Conditions or practices conducive to
health maintenance at the personal
level (life essentials ~ air, water, food, +
shelter and recreation; quantity and
quality)

Objectives
1. Health protection and promotion
2. Disease prevention (at primordial,
primary, secondary, and tertiary levels)

Personal Hygiene 2
 Strategies
1. Access to safe and adequate water
supplies
2. Adopting body cleanliness practices
3. Protection (shelter) against injurious
elements
4. Access to an adequate balanced diet
5. Safe environment (waste disposal)

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 Skin Cleanliness

Regular baths with water and soap (detergent)

Removes dirt and dying epidermis, and thereby

Unblocks pores of sweat and sebaceous glands

Frequency of baths determined by
1. Sweating levels
2. Environmental temperatures
3. Physical exertion

At least 2 baths in tropical humid climates

Dry baths recommended during
1. Freezing temperatures
2. Severe illnesses
3. First 2 days after birth

Lotions/creams may be used to moisturize skin

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 Skin Cleanliness

Areas requiring to be kept dry
1. Armpits
2. Groins
3. Perineum
4. Areas between toes
5. Nail beds

Skin cleanliness prevents scabies, louse
infestations, typhus, relapsing fever,
actinomycoses and leprosy

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 Skin Hairy Areas

Areas include
 Scalp, nostrils, beard, armpit, and pubis

Should be washed and dried at every bath

Scalp hair kept long should be
 Washed at least once monthly
 Combed twice daily

Hair oils, shaving creams and after shave lotions are mostly
options

Keep short hair for easy maintenance

Shaved hair does not decompose easily
 May block toilet closets
 Should be either buried or burnt

Hair hygiene prevents foul smell, lice infestations, and fungus
infections

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 Body Orifices

Eyes
 prevention of neonatal conjuctivitis and
trachoma
 Wash with water and soap at least BD
 Irrigate with normal saline/water if
exposed to non-penetrating injurious
substances
 In pops endemic for STIs, apply silver
nitrate drops to eyes of all newborns
 Use sun glasses for protection against too
strong lights and reflections
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 Ears

Wash external parts at every bath

Clean canal regularly with mounted moist
swab to remove drying wax and loose
foreign bodies

Hygiene prevents
1. Accumulation of wax and foreign
bodies
2. Impairment of hearing
3. External and internal ear infections

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 Nose

Blow/wipe nostrils at every bath to

remove discharge, dust, crusts, and
relieve congestion

Avoid picking nostrils with sharp nailed
fingers to avoid damaging superficial
blood vessels and precipitating epistaxis

Use mask in dusty environments

Hygiene prevents rhinitis

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 Mouth

Brush teeth, gums and tongue at least twice daily

Gargle several times after each brushing session

Use of dental creams is optional

Flossing/medicated gargles on professional advice

Commonly used medicated gargles
1. Hydrogen peroxide
2. Potassium permanganate
3. Mint

Hygiene removes food debris thereby preventing
1. Foul smell
2. Dental caries
3. Gingivitis
4. Candidiasis
5. Tonsillitis

Personal Hygiene 10
 Female Genitalia

Wash at each bath/change of sanitary towels

Observe cleaning direction of anterior to posterior
 Avoids spreading feacal borne infections to
urethral/vulval openings

Prompt change of baby nappies for similar reasons

Intra-vaginal sanitary towels not recommended to avoid
toxic shock

Microbiscides & condoms recommended for unsafe sex

Hygiene prevents
1. UTI
2. Vaginitis
3. STIs
4. HIVs/AIDS

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 Male Genitalia

At every bath retract prepuce and wash all
penis parts ~ urethral orifice, glans penis,

Circumcision recommended if prepuce has
pin-hole opening retaining dirt and/or urine

Use of condoms recommended for unsafe sex

Genitalia hygiene essential for prevention of
1. UTI
2. Balanitis
3. STIs
4. HIV/AIDS

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Penis Parts Requiring Cleaning

Personal Hygiene 16
 Anus

Wash at every bath and after defaecation

Females should observe anterior to posterior
cleaning direction

After washing dry whole perineum
preferably using absorbent disposable paper

Hygiene essential for prevention of
1. UTI in females

2. Fungal infections

Personal Hygiene 17
 Hands

Wash with running water and soap

1. At every bath

2. After defecation, micturition, and soiling

3. Before handling food and drinks for

oneself or others

After washing use tissue/absorbent paper or
personal towel to wipe dry

Cut and trim nail ends

Long nails facilitate dirt accumulation &
disease transmission to oneself and others

Personal Hygiene 18
 Hands (contd)

Use soft and or heavy duty gloves when
handling potentially infective and or sharp
materials

Hand hygiene prevents
1. Penetrative injuries and cuts

2. Hand bacterial infections

3. Fungal infections of nails beds and finger

webs

Personal Hygiene 19
 Hands (cont)

Hand hygiene prevents
4. Parasitoses: whipworms, ascariasis,
schistosomiasis, hookworm etc
5. Oral faecal transmitted infections to
others: typhoid, polio, hepatitis B, etc

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 Feet

Wash/scrub with water and soap at every
bath and after risky exposure

Wipe dry after washing with special care to
nail beds and toe webs

Use appropriate protective footwear/gear for
potential exposure to
 Sharp or cutting objects
 Infection transmission

Cut regularly nail ends

Use dry socks and change same regularly

Personal Hygiene 21
 Feet (contd)

Feet hygiene prevents
1. Foul odors
2. In-growing nails to soft tissues
3. Penetrating injuries and cuts
4. Fungal infections of nail beds and toe
webs
5. Skin penetrating infections: hookworm,
schistosomiasis

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 Personal Clothing

Clothing and bed linen

Most cultures require persons to be decently
and appropriately dressed

Appropriate dressing/clothing also
determined by
1. Age

2. Sex

3. Climate

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 Personal Clothing

Should be cleaned appropriately and regularly
 Water and soap

 Ironed, or

 Dry cleaning

Steaming &sterilization may be specially

recommended to control lice, scabies,
actinomycosis

Hygiene required for prevention of

Hypothermia

Above infections

Personal Hygiene 24
 Recreation

Sports and games

 Affordable access to
 Games requiring only mental engagement eg
board games
 Sports requiring physical indulgence

Prevention of
1. Mental distress
2. Metabolic diseases eg type 2 diabetes mellitus
3. Nutritional disorders eg obesity
4. Hypercholesteremia

Personal Hygiene 25
 Personal Hygiene Other Topics

1. Adequate balanced diet

2. Waste disposal
3. Housing

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 END

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