Personal Hygiene

Personal hygiene refers to practices that lead to cleanliness and health preservation. It is important to maintain good personal hygiene because; failure of keeping a standard level of hygiene can increase the risk of getting an infection or illness.

Poor personal hygiene can increase the risk of infection and illness. This can happen when a person with an illness or infection fails to keep themselves clean.

For example, not washing their hands after visiting the toilet, or after they cough or sneeze. These bacteria from the toilet or the mucus could be passed on to another person, either through the air or through direct contact, and thus affecting the other person.

Poor personal hygiene can also cause food borne illnesses. This happens when the food handle fails to maintain good personal hygiene and thus contaminating the food, which is later consumed by people.

This can happen in the following ways:

1. Failing to wash your hands before handling food.
2. Coughing and sneezing when handling food.
3. Keeping long fingernails that can trap bacteria, when handling food.
4. Double-dipping of used utensils in food.

Poor personal hygiene can also affect social aspects such as the ability to make friends. For example, when you are smelly and dirty, people will avoid you or give bad comments about you. These comments may affect your self-esteem and thus, affecting how you talk to people and make friends.

People who suffer from mental illnesses need extra support and encouragement with their personal hygiene. Their care-takers must make sure they have everything they need and to assist then when possible.