Trying again, what's the main objective of washing your hands with soap and !


Question: Asked this before, but just got one sarcastic answer. Have read reports that America is too clean in some instances with these antibacterial soaps and wipes etc.? Some experts claim young people's immune systems don't develop properly ergo. allergies asthma, you name it? Still, if you don't wash your hands, you get all kinds of disease spread? Is the purpose of soap and "rubbing & scrubbing" to suspend most of the bacteria, and then rinse it away? Not necessarily to kill the germs, or remove them "all" from the body, but rather to keep the bacteria at a manageable bay, by our immune system?? I'm confounded? If "too clean" ain't good, then exactly what is my objective when I wash my hands?? Isn't it just to suspend "most" of the bacteria, and then wash it away? A little bacteria left over, the immune system can fight or develop a defense?


Answers: Asked this before, but just got one sarcastic answer. Have read reports that America is too clean in some instances with these antibacterial soaps and wipes etc.? Some experts claim young people's immune systems don't develop properly ergo. allergies asthma, you name it? Still, if you don't wash your hands, you get all kinds of disease spread? Is the purpose of soap and "rubbing & scrubbing" to suspend most of the bacteria, and then rinse it away? Not necessarily to kill the germs, or remove them "all" from the body, but rather to keep the bacteria at a manageable bay, by our immune system?? I'm confounded? If "too clean" ain't good, then exactly what is my objective when I wash my hands?? Isn't it just to suspend "most" of the bacteria, and then wash it away? A little bacteria left over, the immune system can fight or develop a defense?

The best way to take care of yourself is to wash your hands frequently using regular soap and water. Soap is a surfactant, which means that it makes water wetter. It doesn't kill germs. It just lifts and rinses away the dirt and bacteria when done correctly. This means that you should build up a lather and rinse it away under running water. As a health care professional I don't advocate antibacterial agents unless in a hospital setting and then only for workers after they have cared for patients in isolation and are unable to get to a sink and wash their hands. Then they can use antibacterial waterless hand cleanser. As a society we are so hooked on super cleanliness that we have now got super bugs that are multidrug resistant and if your not careful they will kill you and your loved ones because of the over use and/or misuse of antibiotics both in soaps and via prescriptions. We need to be exposed to virus' and bacterias in order to develop natural antibodies to them. The human body is an incredible machine, however if we don't let it do the job as intended it will break down. So yes to your question, we are to wash our hands to eliminate most but not all of the bacteria and grime so that our bodies can respond to the bacteria that is left and develop an immune response to it and not be over whelmed while doing so. This was a really good question.

you wash your hands to get rid of microorganisms. The microrganisms are what cause disease. America me be too clean but think about it. we put our hands on EVERYTHING! I mean if we don't at least every once in awhile every germ soemone gets you can catch too. This is how you get sick. its is only to prevent someone from getting sick.

Soap and water wash bacteria from your hands. That way you aren't exposed to the bacteria or if you are exposed it is at a lower rate. Germs and disease do spread more easily if hands aren't washed. I've heard the "too clean" argument too, but we don't have a lot of diseases that those other countries do that "aren't as clean". I think the problem with alergies, asthma, etc. is way to complicated to address in handwashing, when there is pollution, sick buildings, mold, etc.

What is my objective when I wash my hands??
"Throughout the day you accumulate germs on your hands from a variety of sources, such as direct contact with people, contaminated surfaces, foods, even animals and animal waste. If you don't wash your hands frequently enough, you can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth. And you can spread these germs to others by touching them or by touching surfaces that they also touch, such as doorknobs."

Look, wash your hands and quit picking a nits. It helps. Nothing's perfect.

Great question. Some folks argue that too much hand washing can wash away natural immunity since the skin has oils and secretions that have some natural immune features.

That being said, hand washing is considered the # 1 way to prevent transmitting many diseases that can be picked up by touching every day objects that others have touched and left behind bacteria and other microbes. It's mandatory in hospitals and health care settings to wash hands between each patient contact.

Also, there is some evidence that if you collect certain bacteria on your hands and then absentmindedly rub your eye, you can transfer the bacteria or other microbe into the mucous membranes of your eyelids. That can give the germs a way into your body. This can be as simple as a cold virus or more complex - like a bacterial infection.

Of course there is such as thing as obsessive hand washing where people are simply so fearful of germs that they go overboard.

The CDC has information about hand washing and it's health benefits. You can check this out at the link below. It's up to you how often to wash but you're right to ask he question.

Because the hands are the way most germs and bacteria are spread.Its not that you are too clean its just that washing helps contain or detour them from spreading.I agree if you are a clean nut then most likely you will get sick because your body can only fight what it recognizes as a problem.hope that helped but yes it does get confusing.





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