Why Touching Your Face Can Harm Your Health

According to a News Paper published by the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases and Women's Health [...]

According to a News Paper published by the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases and Women's Health Magazine, you need to start washing and stop scratching. Germs are on every surface, some dirtier than others. If you aren't washing your hands after every session at your keyboard, doorknob encounter and germy gym machine, then you need to stop touching your face.

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Researchers observed 249 people in public areas and subways in two cities. They found that the average person touches communal surfaces about three times an hour, and touches her own mouth or nose even more frequently. That's a problem, because viruses and bacteria enter the body through mucus membranes in your nostrils, mouth, and eyes. When you scratch your nose or rub your eyes, you hand-deliver the germs you've picked up from touching common surfaces, and increase your risk of infection. And because any object you touch between hand-washings can contaminate your hands, experts say the solution isn't just washing more, but also touching your face less. 

"Washing our hands and avoiding hand-to-face contact are equally important in preventing any infectious disease," says Stephen Dahmer, MD, a physician affiliated with the Continuum Center for Health and Healing. "But we're not washing our hands often enough, and most people don't do it correctly." To wash your hands the right way, use antibacterial soap, rub your hands together vigorously for 20 seconds, and be sure to scrub up to the wrist, including the back of your hands, between the fingers, and beneath the nails. Then use an elbow to turn off the faucet, and a paper towel or air dryer instead of a reusable cloth. 

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To decrease your chance of infection no matter how well you wash, use these strategies to quit touching your face. 

1. Take a video. Do you frequently prop up your chin with your hands, sweep your hair out of your face, or brush your cheek when you hold your phone to your ear? You might not even know it. "Face-touching is an unconscious behavior, so you need to become aware that you're doing it," says says Robin Kerner, PhD, a clinical psychologist at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. Set up your cell phone or webcam to record a portion of your day, then play it back to discover how you touch your face, and how often. If your bangs are the culprit, use a barrette to keep them in check. If your phone is to blame, switch to speakerphone or use a headset. And if you have an itch that must be scratched? Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer immediately beforehand, or cover your finger with a tissue before touching. 

Want to read more? Click here to be taken to the original story from Women's Health Magazine.

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