When we get out of bed, we usually do various daily rituals to start our day. This usually comes in the form of taking a shower, brushing our teeth, and doing a few household chores right before going to work. If you haven’t noticed, many of our daily chores and tasks usually revolve around personal hygiene. This isn’t a surprise when our body is a prime target for many disease-causing microbes and can produce bad body odor if we don’t take care of ourselves daily.
Other than that, many people generally feel more fresh and comfortable right after taking a well-deserved shower and putting on clean clothes. In general, the body can function better when it’s in an optimal condition. But other than having a psychological and social effect on our daily lives, what’s the importance of practicing good personal hygiene?
Removing Body Odor
First and foremost, one of the most important aspects of good personal hygiene that we need to address is body odor. There are a variety of reasons why our body produces odor. Most would say that sweat is one of the main catalysts to foul-smelling body odor. This is because bacteria usually feed off sweat and start breaking down proteins, releasing body odor.
In most cases, body odor coming from sweat usually comes from sweat glands prevalent in hairy areas of the body, like armpits; this is known as apocrine glands. These glands secret more sweat than usual and can lead to body odor.
Although, there are some instances that body odor can come from other sources, such as problems with the kidney and liver. One of the best ways of combatting this is by using antiperspirants, which effectively reduces sweat, leading to body odor.
If you’re quite keen on body odor, it’s best to consider wearing clean clothes made from cotton and apparel that can reduce moisture when it comes to daily use and even exercise. You might want to consider investing in laundry equipment that can help keep your clothes and apparel clean. If you’re not in the mood to spend too much, such as dry cleaning services that can help keep your clothes clean and reduce problems with body odor.
Fungal Infections
Although many individuals place a lot of emphasis on cleanliness and making sure that organic overgrowths are kept in check, fungal infections can still happen in many places of the body. When environmental conditions are just right, certain types of fungi can thrive, especially when it comes to moist and damp places. This is why an athlete’s foot is known for being one of the most common fungal infections since the feet are known for being moist from sweat.
Even though it might seem like a mild annoyance, this condition can cause problems for individuals that have to rely mostly on motion (such as being an athlete) since this can cause a burning sensation on the foot.
Fortunately, many over-the-counter medicines and solutions can help with fungal infections. In other cases, medication can be taken orally.
Handwashing
It goes without saying that washing your hands is known for being one of the most important hygienic practices. Since last year, the public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many changes to hygienic practices, but handwashing will always be one of the most important practices people need to do constantly.
It’s important to keep in mind that we use our hands to operate tools and equipment and social interactions, such as shaking hands with individuals. This makes it one of the dirtiest parts of the body since it’s used to interact with various surfaces. That said, washing hands is known for being one of the more important daily hygienic practices.
As you can see, practicing good hygiene can have a myriad of benefits to the body. Whether it’s cleaning your clothes, taking daily showers, washing your hand, and even brushing your teeth, these practices can put a stop to bacterial growths that could cause a variety of health complications.
Remember: many diseases could have been prevented by practicing good personal hygiene, such as diarrhea and many types of fungal infections. Not only does having poor personal hygiene affect your social standing among others, but this can also be detrimental to your health. That said, this should be a priority.
