What is hygiene?

We explain what hygiene is and what are the types of hygiene that exist. In addition, some examples of hygiene in various fields.

1. What is hygiene?

Hygiene (from the French hygiène ) refers to the branch of medicine that aims to prevent disease and preserve health , whether viewed from personal or environmental aspects.

Specifically, the term hygiene refers to those practices that include cleaning and personal hygiene, of homes and public spaces . Hygiene is a practice that should acquire great importance in the life of human beings since their absence can have important negative consequences for the organism and society as a whole.

While the origins of the practice can be traced to ancient Greece , its beginnings as a science date back to the early twentieth century. In this historical context, specific methods for research and certain rules for their execution began to be used .

Thanks to the conception of hygiene as a science many diseases have been prevented and in many cases the percentages have decreased significantly. However, these changes can be seen more easily in certain countries but not in others.

2. Types of hygiene

Hygiene can be typified depending on its particular characteristics. The two large groups in which it can be classified are public and private:

• Public hygiene .  It refers to the one that must be carried out by the competent authority, which acts considering the circumstances and needs of the population as a whole. Some examples are sewage or water networkssuitable for human consumption. In addition, campaigns are often carried out in order to disseminate certain information related to hygiene.
• Private hygiene  It can be understood as that hygiene that each human being must take care of personally, either from the corporal point of view or from the space he inhabits. Within this group it is possible to distinguish some types of hygiene in particular ways and adapted to the given situation.

3. Examples of private hygiene

• Hygiene in the posture .  It refers to avoiding those positions or efforts that are not necessary and can have harmful effects on the spine. The spine should receive special attention since it is the structure of the human body and is the great support of the body. When it is not taken care of, the appearance of lumbar pains and many times abnormalities is normal. Some advice given by specialists are: the distribution of weight in both hands or arms, avoid stretching to reach objects that are very high, for this they ensure that the use of a ladder or a bench is preferable, when bending down is recommended bend your legs, among many other collections that can be taken into account.
• Occupational hygiene .  When talking about hygiene in the workplace, it should be taken into account that many measures taken should be considered as legal norms, rather than as simple practice. These measures allow to protect the physical and mental integrity of the workers since many risks are avoided depending on the scope of work. For this it is necessary to distinguish three large groups, first of all the social conditions, that is, the climate among the workers , the environment, both hierarchical and informal organization, among others. When talking about temporary conditions, reference is made to the number of hours of work, vacation periods or breaks during the conference, the amount of overtime, among others. Finally, the conditions of the environment refers to the physical space in which the worker is immersed and if he protects it from possible dangers.
• Body hygiene .  In this case there is talk of a body cleansing, paying special attention to the cutaneous organ, that is to say the skin and also the nails and the scalp. The skin is the largest organ of the body and is also the contact with the environment, which protects the rest of the body from possible attacks from the environment. In order to be in good condition, specialists recommend the removal of dry skin, dust and also the secretions of the different glands of the body. It is important to emphasize that the abuse of products harmful to the skin, such as chlorine or detergent, is even more dangerous than the absence of hygiene.
• Hygiene in sports .  Hygiene in sports is not only a health benefit, but it also allows for better levels, especially in competitive spaces. It is necessary to pay attention before, during and after physical activities. In the first place it is of great importance to visit the doctor to verify if the body is in a position to perform the desired activity. In the minutes prior to the activity it is necessary to carry out activities so that the organism can prepare itself, for this the heat entries are elementary.
  It is also necessary to have done the digestion, that’s why sports practice is recommended after waiting two hours since the last meal. At the time the sport or activity is carried out, it is necessary to drink water or some other type of liquids in order to keep the body hydrated. The clothing used must be clean, but it must also be comfortable and does not inhibit perspiration.
  The specialists affirm that it is not good to give up the task suddenly, so it is necessary to perform some softer activity after the end of the exercise, as for example it could be a walk. Hydration should continue even after the activity is finished and finally it is essential to take a bath in order to sanitize yourself in the corresponding way. It is also very useful for the recovery of the body.