There are a lot of things that we need to do to stay healthy. We need to eat right, get regular physicals and take medication as needed. We must workout regularly and make sure to get enough sleep.
All of these factors have been instilled in our minds from a young age. However, we often don’t think enough about the importance of practicing good hygiene to stay healthy.
There are a number of diseases that can be caused by a lack of cleanliness. Some of the worst are listed below. You will obviously need to practice good personal hygiene to mitigate these risks.
Salmonella
Salmonellosis is an infection by ‘Salmonella’. One of the most common and widespread causes is food poisoning. Every year, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), it affects tens of millions of people around the world. On June 7th, precisely on World Food Safety Day, it happened to nine people in Manacor.
It is contagious and in most cases the symptoms are relatively mild. However, they are definitely not pleasant. Treatment may not even be required but critical patients, such as young children or the elderly, are seriously affected by the dehydration that accompanies it and can even cause death.
There are a number of causes of salmonella. It is frequently caused by eating undercooked poultry. However, many people don’t realize that it can be due to poor hygiene as well.
One often overlooked caused of salmonella is poor bathroom cleanliness. Your toilet may grow the salmonella bacteria if the rim is not cleaned regularly. The Journal of Applied Microbiology found that salmonella stayed on the surface of the toilet long after someone had an infection.
This can be especially common if your toilet is regularly overflowing, because contaminated water and excrement can infect it. You will need to clean the toilet and also fix any problems causing it to overflow. This may involve contacting a plumber like this.
Athlete’s foot
This disease is caused by an infection that originates in the spaces of the toes. It is incredibly common. Experts estimate that between 3% and 15% of the population suffers from it .
In reality, what happens is that a fungus is present and spreads. Among the most common symptoms we find are itching, redness, cracks, presence of scales and even blisters. Usually, you will also notice a bad foot odor.
This problem can be combated by simply washing your feet daily. In addition, it is necessary to change shoes regularly and use fungicides, at home if necessary.
Gingivitis
This disease is usually caused by not following correct oral hygiene. It is produced when bacteria are concentrated inside the mouth and spread along the gums. To avoid gingivitis, the right thing to do is to brush your teeth every day. In addition, it is also advisable to use a mouthwash that will really help protect your mouth (if in doubt, we recommend consulting a dentist).
The lack of hygiene in the mouth will also produce bad breath.
Flu
It’s true that everyone has almost the same flu symptoms, especially as winter approaches. We already know what its symptoms are: headaches, fever, mucus, general malaise, etc. However, the lack of hygiene can be key to end the disease and that is, if we do not clean ourselves properly (we shower daily, wash our hands with gels that protect us from bacteria, etc), we will continue to weaken our immune system, which makes it more difficult to end the flu.
The difference between the flu lasting 3 days and more than 2 weeks could be directly related to the lack of hygiene, although there are also many other factors involved. We talk more about fighting the flu here.
Vaginal infections
These infections can occur at any time in our lives and it is in this area that fungi or bacteria can concentrate waiting for the right conditions to spread. This is why vaginal health is so important.
The most common symptoms of a fungal infection in the vaginal area are irritation, burning during urination, itching, and the presence of a whitish or yellowish substance.
In order to prevent this from occurring, it is crucial to wash the female genitals after urination.
In addition to all this, it is necessary to know that bacteria are capable of proliferating in unwashed sweat, which remains dry, and then will be more difficult to be eliminated.