Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

H
hand washing Frequent hand washing with
soap and warm water is one of the most effective
means of preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Hand contact is a primary method of transmitting
bacterial and viral infections. Hand
washing kills or removes most pathogenic agents.
To wash the hands:
• Turn on tap to dispense water that is warm but
not too hot to hold the hands under its flow.
• Get hands wet.
• Apply soap, preferably liquid soap from a dispenser.
• Work the soap into a lather that covers all surfaces
of the hands, taking a full minute.
• Rinse hands under running water.
• If it is not possible to turn off the water without
touching the faucet handles, leave the water
temporarily running.
• Dry hands thoroughly using disposable towels
or a heated air dispenser.
• Use a paper towel to cover the faucet handle,
then turn off the water.
WHEN TO WASH THE HANDS
after changing a diaper after cleaning dirty dishes
after handling raw meat after holding an infant
or poultry
after petting or handling
after sneezing or coughing animals
into the hand
after sneezing, coughing, or
after using the bathroom
BLOWING THE NOSE
before eating
before holding an infant
before preparing food before serving food
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It is particularly important to wash the hands
after going to the bathroom. Fecal-to-oral transmission
spreads many gastrointestinal infections.
Some studies suggest that many people wash their
hands only when they believe someone is observing
them. Though hand washing sounds like a
simple solution to a complex problem, health
experts project it could significantly reduce infectious
diseases.
See also BACTERIA; ENTERITIS; FOODBORNE ILL-
NESSES; GASTROENTERITIS; PERSONAL HYGIENE; TRANS-
MISSION MODES; VIRUS.
health education Health experts consider
instruction about health and disease to be a fundamental
dimension of preventive medicine.
Health education formalizes such instruction
within structured settings such as schools, workshops,
and classes. At its most basic level, health
education the form of the fundamental instruction
children receive in school about the functions of
the human body. All states in the United States
have governmentally mandated health education
requirements, typically for kindergarten (K)
through grade 8 or grades K through 12. Other
health education curricula may target college-level
students. Some health education programs focus
on the needs of specific populations, such as childbirth
education classes for pregnant women and
their partners or DIABETES education classes for
people who have diabetes. Businesses may offer
health education programs for their employees
and their families with the dual goals of improving
personal health and reducing time lost to illness or
injury.
See also LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH.
health insurance Health insurance is the financial
platform for health care in the United States.
As such, it plays a significant role in access to