The Ebola outbreak has supposedly made
people more careful about matters of hygiene and sanitation when they go
out, in their work places and in public gatherings. That is commendable
and should be a way of life even after the disease has been contained.
Doctors say living in a home that harbours dirt and germs is like living in a hot mess.
According to them, we cannot let our guards down and get too comfortable with dirt and germs hanging in our environment.
Public health physician, Dr. Segun
Agunbiade, says germs which are scientifically known as microbes come in
form of bacteria, virus, fungi, protozoa which have been known to cause
pneumonia, urinary tract infections, pelvic inflammation, genital
herpes and tuberculosis.
Agunbiade says the presence of germs in a
household has been found to be the leading cause of infection and
infectious diseases and adds that because they are too tiny for the
physical eye to see, they wreak more havoc when they are left to roam
freely.
“Infection is often the first step to the
onset of a disease. It occurs when bacteria, viruses or other microbes
from your environment enter your body and begin to multiply to cause
disease. Disease occurs when the cells in your body are damaged – as a
result of the infection – and signs and symptoms of an illness appear.
“For instance, pneumonia is caused by the
bacteria pneumococcal, a germ that is in a dirty or unsanitary
environment. When you inhale this bacterium over time, it infects the
respiratory tracts and inflames the lungs and the tissues. Before you
know, you won’t be able to breathe properly because the germs have
blocked the vital tissues there. By keeping your home clean, you have
reduced your risk of contracting communicable diseases by 50 per cent at
least.”
Consultant gyneacologist, Dr. Seye
Olanrewaju, says germs and microbes in the home are also the leading
cause of some diseases like genital herpes, pelvic inflammation and
other urinary tract infections that affect the reproductive system.
According to him, some viruses and
bacteria over time secrete toxins that destroy antibodies in the body
and reduce the body’s ability to fight diseases.
Olarenwaju says, “Germs, especially some
viruses in our homes, are the major reasons why some people have urinary
tract infections which many call toilet disease. You may have actually
picked up the germ in the kitchen, but if you did not wash your hand
before washing yourself after using the toilet, you would infect
yourself due to poor hygiene.”
“Here are some germs that must not be
introduced into some environment like the reproductive area for women.
They can stay in that system for years and cause infections that even
affect conception and virility later. Not all diseases in that region
are sexually transmitted. Your personal and sanitary habits also play a
major role,” Olanrewaju warns.
It is no longer news that malaria thrives
in a dirty environment. The vector, the female anopheles mosquito,
breeds in an unhygienic environment such as places with stagnant water
and dirty drainages.
Malaria kills over 300,000 people every
year. Keeping your environment clean to stay healthy is non-negotiable,
what with the current Ebola outbreak in the country.
You need not panic; most germs won’t
harm, as your immune system protects you against infectious agents.
However, some germs will harm you because of their toxic nature which is
constantly mutating to breach the immune system’s defenses. So keep
your house clean!
Experts advise that one should constantly
disinfect some hotspots in the home at least once a month with powerful
disinfectants and antiseptics.
Knowing where they hide in the home is the way to go. Here are some places you should start from:
Kitchen sink
Even though it comes in contact with hot
water and soap multiple times daily, your kitchen sink is probably
crawling with bacteria – perhaps even more than you will find on the
toilets of public bathrooms, which may be regularly scrubbed with
powerful disinfectants.
A recent study by NSF International, a
nonprofit organisation that develops public health standards, found that
because of the frequent contact they have with food, kitchen sinks are
100,000 times more contaminated than bathroom sinks. Scrub the entire
surface of yours down once or twice a week with hot water and soap,
making sure to remove every trace of coffee grinds, scrambled eggs or
whatever else you see.
Bathtub and shower
Over the course of research in many
homes, scientists found that 26 per cent of bathtubs and showers
harboured the bacteria known as staphylococci, which can cause problems
from superficial skin lesions to urinary tract infections. You can keep
these germs at bay by using a mild shower spray daily or just use
abrasive cleaners every day.
Kitchen sponge
We have heard these scrubbers can be a
breeding ground for bacteria – and the NSF study confirms that it’s not
only possible but likely that the one near your sink contains E. coli
and salmonella bacteria. NSF found that after three weeks of use, 70 per
cent of sponges started exhibiting bacteria – but germophobes should
not wait that long to clean or replace theirs.
A two-minute turn in the microwave can
kill most of the viruses, parasites and spores that grow on sponges, and
the organisation recommends changing to a new one every two weeks or
less.
Carpets
The average vacuum cleaner does not
usually reach the bottom of the carpet, and that area is a haven for
bacteria. Experts explain that hundreds of thousands of different types
of species of bacteria feast on human skin cells that fall onto rugs,
plus tiny pieces of food, pollen and pet dander. Most carpet
manufacturers say the best way to deep clean is to use steam, aka
hot-water extraction, every 18 months.
Kitchen counter
This is one of the most high-traffic
surfaces in people’s homes, say the experts at NSF, with everything from
purses to bags of groceries to packages of raw chicken, leaving behind
all types of germs. After cooking or preparing food, and at the end of
every day, wash the surface with hot, soapy water, then rinse
