Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : May 13, 2020 11:01 AM IST
स्वास्थ्य मंत्रालय ने दिया सुझाव, कहा- संक्रमण से बचने के लिए हैंड सैनिटाजर के बजाय करें ये काम
Most of us are looking forward to easing of restrictions as offices open and people are again allowed to go about their normal lives. But the end of lockdown does not mean that we are out of the crisis yet. It, in fact, makes it even more important for us to be on our guard and take extra precautions to keep COVID-19 infection away. Social distancing is of paramount importance. You need to keep your hands clean at all costs and practice all the precautionary methods that are prescribed as preventive measures. This brings us to the use of hand sanitisers.
Most people have the habit of reaching for their bottle of hand sanitizer whenever they feel the need to clean their hands. You may also be guilty of this. How many times have you used the sanitizer even when you can just walk to the washroom to wash your hands with soap and water? Getting your hands wet may be a better way of keeping your hands clean. Since the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic, experts have been telling us that hand sanitisers must be used only in the case of emergencies. On all other occasions, wash your hands with soap and water. There is a reason behind this. Shortage of sanitisers is just one of them. Actually, rubbing these alcohol-based sanitisers on your hands frequently is not without some inherent dangers. Many experts warn that it may actually do more harm than good.
Here, let us look at a few health risks of using too much hand sanitisers.
Overuse of alcohol-based hand sanitizers can increase your risk of skin disorders. This, in turn, can invite infections. Santisers can strip the skin of moisture and natural oil and make it dry and rough. It can also lead to irritation and peeling of skin. Viruses can enter the body easily via cut in damaged skin. This leaves it vulnerable to deadly pathogens. Hand sanitisers are useful and necessary to keep COVID-19 away, but overuse can have the opposite effect.
Hand sanitizers are great when it comes to keeping germs and bacteria away. But then, overuse may strip your skin of all micro-organisms. This is not good because your immunity depends on the presence of germs to a certain degree. Your immune system learns to fight off pathogens when it is introduced to germs on a regular basis. Some harmless germs are essential for strong immunity. So, when you use too much hand sanitisers, you kill those germs that boost your immunity too.
Most hand sanitisers contsin benzalkonium chloride, ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol. These may be harmful for certain vulnerable people. Children and pregnant women must keep away from it. Moreover, anti-bacterial hand sanitizers can also contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. And, this is something that nobody wants. So, it is better to go easy on the use of hand sanitisers.
