Since COVID hit we’ve all been extremely careful with washing our hands. As things begin to get back to normal many are once again becoming complacent. National Handwashing Awareness Week is celebrated to educate people on the importance of good hand hygiene and proper washing techniques. Having clean hands is also vital for foot health. How? Let’s take a look.

Why is Handwashing Important?

Here are some of the reasons why washing hands is essential for good health:

• People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without realizing it, but this is an entry point for germs.
• Germs from unwashed hands can get into foods and drinks and multiply, making people sick.
• Unwashed hands allow germs to spread onto other surfaces spreading infection.

 

Tips for Washing Your Hands

The best times to wash your hands are before and after preparing or touching food, after using the bathroom, and after blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing. If soap and water are not available, you can use hand sanitizer. Just make sure that it contains at least 60% alcohol.

Here are 5 steps to follow:

• Wet hands with clean running water
• Lather the hands with soap and rub them together
• Scrub hands for 20 seconds
• Rinse hands with clean running water
• Dry hands with a clean towel

 

Why is this important for the health of your feet? Well, simply because numerous foot health-related issues, from athlete’s foot to plantar warts can occur when microscopic viruses or fungi enter you through tiny breaks in the skin. By washing your hands, you reduce the number of opportunities for this to occur. If you are experiencing any pain or discomfort you must contact a podiatrist right away.

You can count on the Foot & Ankle Specialists, PC foot doctors to provide care for your feet using a full range of both conservative and surgical therapies. Our expert team, including board-certified podiatrists Dr. Scott E. Hughes, Dr. Greg P. Vogt, and Dr. Christine I. Tumele, serve patients of all ages with state-of-the-art

For any questions or to make an appointment, please contact us at one of our Southeast Michigan facilities in Monroe (734-241-0200) and Lambertville (734-856-8900) in Bedford and Monroe counties).
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