“HYGIENE IS TWO-THIRDS OF HEALTH” – Lebanese Proverb
According to the Oxford English dictionary, hygienes are the conditions and practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness. There are various kinds of diseases that can be contracted from the toilet, these groups of diseases are generally known as URETHRAL TRACT INFECTION (UTI). There are different types of hygiene, which are; Personal hygiene, Medical hygiene, Sleep hygiene and Food hygiene. However, the focus of this topic will be dwelling on TOILET HYGIENE, which is an example of personal hygiene.
According to the report on the 2nd of May 2017 by the World Health Organization (WHO), diarrhea disease which is transmitted by fecal microbes found in the toilet is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old. Urethral tract infection is majorly common among females, this is as a result of their susceptibility due to the anatomical structure of their urinary system, their organs are more exposed to infection, however, males are not left out
We have various types of Urinary tract infections, some of which are; Vaginitis, Urethritis, Cystitis, pyelonephritis etc. Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina caused by vaginal bacteria that can result in discharge, itching and pain. Urethritis is an inflammation of the tube carrying urine from the bladder to the outside of the body, pyelonephritis is an inflammation of the kidney due to a bacterial infection.
The Big question remains, how can we prevent ourselves from being infected by these diseases? The most effective way to prevent contracting these diseases is through emulating a hygienic lifestyle of using the toilet.
Avoid entering the toilet with a too long a dress that could mop up the water containing pathogens on the floor of the toilet.
Keeping the toilet seat clean is also of utmost importance, oftentimes users of the public toilet climb on the seat of the toilet with their shoes. This may seem gross, notwithstanding people do it a lot, during this process they pick up fecal microbes with their shoes and can later transmit them to others living in the same room, through food contamination. A better way to deal with unclean toilet seats is to use a toilet seat cleaner. All you have to do is to dispense the sanitizing fluid onto a piece of toilet paper and use it to wipe down the toilet seat before and after use.
Always Shut the lid of the toilet before flushing. Researchers have discovered that each time we flush, microbes are released up to 25cm above the toilet seat, thereafter land on the toilet surface. Whenever you touch these surfaces, the microbes will be transmitted to your hands and eventually, you can contaminate your food using these hands, hence, shutting the lid of the toilet reduced the risk of being exposed to harmful microbes while flushing.
Lastly, washing hands with soap and water and drying them before stepping out. This, in particular, should not be left out, do you know how many times you touch an infected surface each time you go to the toilet? A few examples may be able to give a little insight. When you are about to enter the toilet, you touch the handle, if the lid of the seat is closed, you use your hands to lift up the lid, and even the flush button is also pressed using the hands. This alone is enough to justify why we should never forget to wash our hands and dry them each time you visit the toilet, even if it’s for a non-significant reason because you don’t know where you could have touched with those hand of yours.
My sincere advice to everyone out there is to exhibit an ideal hygienic lifestyle, for, without health, there is no progress. I will end with a beautiful quote “Cleanliness and order are not matters of instinct; they are matters of education, and like most great things, you must cultivate a taste for them” by Benjamin Disraeli a former prime minister of the United Kingdom.
