by Jennifer Cox Longevity Hygiene is a hot topic right now. We’ve all been reschooled in handwashing practices and other ways to keep germs from spreading. But did you know that basic personal hygiene habits, such as keeping our nails clipped and cleaned or brushing and flossing our teeth, can have a significant impact on our overall longevity? In the past, as global populations’ sewage and overall cleanliness improved, so too did their lifespans. People were living longer because this obviously cut down on a multitude of infections and diseases. Access to safe, clean water also greatly reduced the transmission of waterborne disease, which improved overall health and led to increased life expectancy. Today, many diseases continue to be prevented through the improvement of a community’s level of personal hygiene via hygiene education. Personal hygiene includes: washing and caring for your hair; face, eye and ear cleaning; oral health care; foot sanitation; bathing your body; cleaning your hands and nails; and wearing clean clothing (Ministry of Health and UNICEF). The American Journal of Infection Control also states that increasing the consciousness about hygiene in society leads to a decrease in the frequency of diseases as well. Simple personal hygiene, particularly using soap, has therefore been hailed as the most successful public health measure in the pre-disinfectant era (and right up until today!). This resulted in the recommendation by the International ForumonHome Hygiene that organisms be physically removed from hands and other surfaces by means of washing with soap or detergent-based cleansers, and that microbes be killed by the application of a disinfectant or sanitizer. Even in this pandemic, we’ve learned just how effective proper, thorough handwashing can be – it can literally save lives. Oral hygiene is also strongly linked to longevity. A study published in the Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology journal looked at the correlation between tooth loss and mortality, and it revealed that the number of teeth a person has is significantly correlated to their life expectancy. Oral health problems such as gum disease have been regularly linked to a wide range of general health problems such as heart attacks and disease, diabetes, strokes and even dementia. Most oral health diseases caused by poor oral hygiene can be prevented by taking good care of our teeth – it’s not only beneficial for our mouths, but for our entire bodies too. It’s still a bit of an uncertain time, but one thing which we’ve known for decades and which has been most recently illustrated, is that you need to properly wash your hands. Handwashing is one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of diseases and illnesses. Good oral hygiene is also very important and has a direct impact on our life expectancies. Ensure that youmaintain good personal hygiene practices and you’ll increase your chances of living a long, healthy life. Longevity and hygiene 56 | www.snowbirds.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx