Global Hand Washing Day 2018: 4 ways you can spread infections if you don’t wash your hands

Here are a few gross things that can happen if you don't hand wash regularly, moreover, you will add to the continuous burden of spreading infection that is already a challenge to control in most communities and the society at large.

Do you wash your hands often? Probably you do it without fail before and after having your meals and using the loo (we know of many who don't and that is gross) but what about the other times? Wondering which other times we are talking about? Well, to wash your hands you really don't need an excuse to do so. But if you still ask us when is the right time to wash hands we would say often. Because you are accumulating bacteria, viruses and other disease-spreading microbes on your hands every time you touch any surface, object or even your mobile phone (it is a storehouse of deadly microbes). It is true that you cannot keep your hands germ free all the time but frequent hand washing can help you prevent the consequences. Here are a few gross things that can happen if you don't hand wash regularly, moreover, you will add to the continuous burden of spreading infection that is already a challenge to control in most communities and the society at large.

You can contaminate your food

You might not believe this, but the faecal matter is lurking in more places than you might think including your hands. So it's no surprise that these germs can get into food and make you sick, according to the CDC. So make sure you wash your hands after scrubbing the bathroom, after changing a diaper, after using public transportation and always before touching or preparing food. According to the CDC, a large percentage of foodborne disease outbreaks are spread by contaminated hands. Appropriate hand washing practices can reduce the risk of foodborne illness and other infections.

You can get diarrhoea and give it to others too

You can develop unpleasant digestive issues that can lead to diarrhoea if you eat or meals or touch your snacks without washing hands. In fact, hand-washing can prevent about 30 per cent of diarrhoea-related sicknesses. If you are preparing food with dirty hands you are going to serve contaminated foods to your family and friends and increase the risk of having mass diarrhoea.

You can contribute to antibiotic resistance

If you can't be bothered to wash your hands, think of how your laziness could be contributing to an antibiotic-resistant superbug. According to the CDC reducing the number of infections by washing hands frequently helps prevent the overuse of antibiotics the single most important factor leading to antibiotic resistance around the world.

You can spread a whole lot of viral infections

Not just poop contaminated hands could have urine or saliva too? These are the carriers of scary diseases like typhoid, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus, which are spread by contaminated hands.