Proper hygiene and malnutrition

Hygiene is a set of practices performed for the preservation of health. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and
prevent the spread of diseases.
The Importance of Good Personal Hygiene
-Body Image
Body image influences self-esteem, confidence and motivation. Those who already have low self esteem
and especially those with depression often neglect personal hygiene which perpetuates the problem of
poor body image.
Social Reasons
Most people hate to be talked about, especially in a negative manner. By ensuring that our body is clean
and well presented, we are more assured of projecting a positive body image that reflects our
personalities.
Children should be taught the importance of hygiene and how to achieve good hygiene very early to keep
themselves and others healthy and to reduce the risk of being bullied at school.
Health Reasons
Poor hygiene can lead to poor health. If you have cut yourself, the wound should be cleaned and dressed
suitably, this can help reduced the risk of infection and pain.Hand washing cannot be emphasised enough
as this simple action can prevent a plethora of illnesses and disorders developing. Many people forget to
wash their hands after using the toilet or before handling foods; this can cause a great deal of illness
and even death.
Psychological Issues
By being well presented, clean and tidy, people can feel more confident, especially in social situations.
Our chances of succeeding either in work or social settings, or even with the opposite sex can be altered
by maintenance of good hygiene.
How to Be Hygienic?
Part 1: Put Your Best Foot Forward
Shower daily. This is the best way to get rid of any dirt, sweat, and/or germs that your body may have
accumulated throughout the day, and prevents hygiene-related diseases.[1] As a plus, showering daily
helps you feel, look, and smell your best throughout the day.
.Choose a daily face cleanserRemember that the skin on your face is more sensitive than on other
parts of your body. You can either use your face cleanser in the shower or wash your face separately at
the sink.
Brush your teeth every morning and evening. Regular tooth-brushing helps prevent gum disease, which
has been linked to other illnesses elsewhere in the body like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.[2] It is
especially important to brush teeth after eating sweets or acidic foods that cause tooth erosion.

Trim your hair every 4-8 weeks. Whether you're trying to grow your hair out or prefer to keep it
short, trimming it will keep hair healthy, get rid of split ends, and give an overall cleaner, healthier
appearance.
Clip your fingernails and toenails regularly. Not only will this keep your hands and feet looking their
best, it will prevent hangnails, breakage, and other potential damage to your nails. Short nails can't trap
dirt under them the way long nails do. How often you clip your fingernails will depend on your personal
desired length. To decide, take into account what you use your hands for on a daily basis. If you spend a
lot of time typing on a computer or playing the piano, for example, short nails are probably the best
option for you. If you prefer longer nails, that's fine too, but be sure to trim them every so often to
prevent breakage.
ParT 2 Prevent Illnesses
Wash your hands with soap and water. This is one of the most important ways to avoid getting sick
and spreading germs to others.[4] Wash your hands after using the restroom; before, during, and after
preparing food; before eating food; before and after caring for someone who is sick; after blowing your
nose, coughing, or sneezing; and after handling animals and/or animal waste.
Clean the surfaces in your home regularly. You should wipe the kitchen counter, floors, shower, and
dining tables at least once a week using either soap and water or conventional household cleaning
products. If you live with other people, consider coming up with a system of chores and alternate
cleaning jobs every week.
Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. This is extremely important if you want to
avoid spreading germs to those around you. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after you
cough or sneeze.
Don't share razors, towels, or makeup with other people. Sharing personal items like these with
other people increases the likelihood of spreading Staph infections.[5] If you do share towels or
clothing, be sure to wash them both before and after lending them to others.
If you are a woman change your tampon/pad regularly. Women who use tampons should change them
at least once every 4-6 hours to reduce the likelihood of getting toxic shock syndrome (TSS).[6] Women
who use pads should change them every 4-8 hours. If you plan on sleeping more than eight hours, then
wear an overnight pad instead of a tampon while you sleep.
Keep up with doctor's visits. Seeing your doctor regularly can help catch illnesses and infections early,
making it much easier to treat them. Visit your primary care physician, dentist, gynecologist,
cardiologist, or any other physician you may be seeing on a regular basis. Visit your doctor when you are
feeling sick or think you may have an infection, and be sure to keep up with routine check-ups.

Malnutrition
Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a persons intake of energy and/or
nutrients. The term malnutrition covers 2 broad groups of conditions. One is undernutritionwhich
includes stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age)
and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals). The other is
overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes
and cancer).

What are the consequences of malnutrition?

Malnutrition affects people in every country. Around 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight,
while 462 million are underweight. An estimated 41 million children under the age of 5 years are
overweight or obese, while some 159 million are stunted and 50 million are wasted. Adding to this burden
are the 528 million or 29% of women of reproductive age around the world affected by anaemia, for
which approximately half would be amenable to iron supplementation.
the following groups of people are at highest risk of malnutrition:

Elderly people, especially those who are hospitalized or in long-term institutional care
Individuals who are socially isolated
People on low incomes (poor people)
People with chronic eating disorders, such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa
People convalescing after a serious illness or condition.

Symptoms of malnutrition
A symptom is something the patient feels and reports, while a sign is something other people, such as
the doctor detect. For example, pain may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign.
Signs and symptoms of malnutrition (subnutrition) include:

Loss of fat (adipose tissue)

Breathing difficulties, a higher risk of respiratory failure
Depression and irritability
Higher risk of complications after surgery
Higher risk of hypothermia - abnormally low body temperature
The total number of some types of white blood cells falls; consequently, the immune system is
weakened, increasing the risk of infections
Higher susceptibility to feeling cold
Longer healing times for wounds
Longer recover times from infections
Longer recovery from illnesses
Problems with fertility
Reduced muscle mass
Reduced tissue mass
Tiredness, fatigue, or apathy

In more severe cases:

Skin may become thin, dry, inelastic, pale, and cold

Eventually, as fat in the face is lost, the cheeks look hollow and the eyes sunken
Hair becomes dry and sparse, falling out easily
Sometimes, severe malnutrition may lead to unresponsiveness (stupor)
If calorie deficiency continues for long enough, there may be heart, liver and respiratory failure
Total starvation is said to be fatal within 8 to 12 weeks (no calorie consumption at all).

Children who are severely malnourished typically experience slow behavioral development, even mental
retardation may occur. Even when treated, undernutrition may have long-term effects in children, with
impairments in mental function and digestive problems persisting - in some cases for the rest of their
lives.
Types of Malnutrition:
1. Growth failure malnutrition, as the name suggests, is the failure of an individual to grow as expected
in stature or weight, according to his/her age and gender. Growth failure malnutrition can take three
serious forms:
2. Acute malnutrition or wasting arises out of sudden, drastic weight loss. It leads to three clinical
malnutrition types:
3. Chronic malnutrition or stunting happens over a long period of time and has more long-lasting
consequences. It begins before birth due to poor maternal health and leads to stunted growth in an
otherwise normally proportioned child. Poor breast feeding, infections and lack of availability of proper
nutrients are the main causes behind it. Stunting is dangerous because it becomes irreversible after an
age. Therefore, it becomes important to nip it in the bud by providing proper medical treatment to
pregnant women and young girls.
4. Micronutrient malnutrition implies a moderate to severe lack of Vitamins A, B, C and D, Calcium,
Folate, Iodine, Iron, Zinc and Selenium. These vitamins and minerals are of utmost importance in various
body processes and their deficiency can make an otherwise healthy person malnourished.

Iron deficiency causes anaemia, poor brain development and cardiac functioning.
Iodine deficiency leads to impaired thyroid functioning and mental retardation.
Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets and other bone development related disorders.
Selenium deficiency leads to poor cardiac function, weak immunity and osteoarthritis.
Vitamin A deficiency is a cause of poor vision, bone development and immunity.
Vitamin B12 deficiency leads to nerve degeneration and poor RBC formation
Folate or vitamin B9 deficiency causes slow growth and anaemia
Zinc deficiency can cause poor immunity, sensory perception and anaemia.

Prepared by:
JERICK C. SUBAD
DIANNE LASTIMOSA