Good hygiene better health

In kenya about 5250 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and 3286 die from the disease.Cervical Cancer is caused by Human papilloma virus.

Hpv infection occurs when the virus enters the body through abrations,cuts or small tears in your skin.Hpv spreads through sexual contact or body to body contact.Most strains don’t cause infections but some can cause cancer of the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.

Its very important for women to get regular cervical cancer screening because early cervical cancer doesn’t cause symptoms.Cervical cancer screening detect precancerous changes in the cervix that may lead to Cancer.

Hpv vaccination is one of the best methods to prevent cervical cancer.Its best for people who haven’t been exposed to the virus yet.

Risk factors for getting Hpv are having many sexual partners or a partner who had multiple sexual partners.Weak immune system may also lead to getting the infection as well as age.

So what do you know about UTI?When i was little,i used to get a burning sensation while urinating. It didn’t worry me much because it would come and go.I didn’t even know the correct way to wipe myself after using the toilet until i heard a friend talk about it in highschool.Thats why am writing this blog because i want the mothers & fathers of this generation to educate their girlchild about some of these things. I won’t really go into deep details,its more of awareness.

UTI is an infection in any part of the urinary tract system.Most infections involve the lower urinary tract,the bladder and urethra.Infection limited in the bladder can be painful.Serious infections spread to the kidney.

Symptoms of UTI Include:

– A burning sensation when urinating.

-Passing frequent and small amounts of urine.

-Strong smelling urine

-pelvic pain

-Urine that appears cloudy.

UTI is caused by bacteria that enters the Urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder.The most common bacteria which causes UTI is called Escherichia coli(E.coli) its found in the grastrointestinal tract.E.coli is found in feaces.The reason why i used to get frequent UTIs its because i wiped myself from back to front hence the bacteria entering the urethra.

A girl should be educated on the proper way to wipe themselves which is from front to back at an early age inorder to prevent such infections which could cause serious complications when frequent.

Pressure from sexual intercourse may push the bacteria to the urethra.Its always advisable to always pee after sex.

There are other risk factors for UTI: spermicides, menopause and weak immune system.

Mostly we only use vinegar in dressing our salads but their are other uses of vinegar.The acidic nature of vinegar makes it dissolve grease and kill bacteria making it an eco-friendly multipurpose cleaner.

White distilled vinegar is the best for cleaning because it doesn’t cointain any colouring agent.One should mix equal amount of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.This solution can be used in the following ways:

1.Cleaning countertops

Wipe Clean the countertops.This removes the bad odors and kills the microorganism.It also keeps ants away which come looking for food because of its acidic nature.

2.shower and tabs

This solution removes the scum and soap stains which are usually stuck on the tiles and are pretty hard to remove with just detergents.

3.Cleaning mirrors and other objects

This solution can be used in cleaning mirrors and windows to make them shine.The solution can also be used to disinfect objects which are often contaminated like doorknobs,swithes, microwave knobs, cooker knobs and remotes.

4.Descaling showerhead

Pour 2 cups of vinegar in a bag and tie the bag on the showerhead overnight.The shower should be left to run for a few minutes before use.

5.Cleaning dustbins

This solution of Vinegar and water can be used to disinfect the dust bins and keep the ants away.

Other uses of vinegar include removing stickers from objects.

Refrigerators store food and keep the food fresh but lack of proper fridge hygiene can lead to food poisoning.There are some bacteria which thrive in cold places like Listeria monocytes which can contaminate our food.

Refrigerators should be cleaned regularly with detergents and disinfected with diluted bleach.The refrigerator should be kept fresh by placing an open box of baking soda inside.This box should be changed after one to three months.

Food should be arranged properly to allow proper airflow inside the fridge.Stuffing food overworks the fridge and some areas are warmer than others and this could also lead to cross-contamination.

Food should be stored in clean containers before placing them inside the fridge.Cooked food should be stored separately from raw food.Raw food is often contaminated with microorganisms and could transfer the microorganisms to the cooked food.

Refreezing thawed food should be avoided.when the food is thawing it could be contaminated with microorganisms and contaminate the rest of the food.

Leftovers should be placed in airtight containers to avoid leakage of the smell to to the fridge.

Food from the fridge should be properly cooked inorder to kill any microorganisms which could have contaminated it.

How often do you change your bedsheets? After a very short amount of time your bedsheets get covered with sweat,saliva,dead skin cells and oils from the skin.This creates a good environment for bacterial growth and dust mites.

A study done found gram negative rods in bedsheets and these bacteria commonly cause pneumonia and other infections.Dust mites feed on the dead skin cells on the bedsheets and the longer your bedsheets stay unwashed they multiply.

Many people are allergic to the dust mites and their poop hence end up sneezing.Dust mites can’t be seen with naked eyes.

Bedsheets should be washed after every two weeks or after a week.If you sweat alot you should clean your bedsheets after a week.Clean your bedsheets to wash away the bacteria and dust mites.

So the next time you don’t wash your bedsheets for a month remember your habouring dust mites and their poop on your bed.

Normalize washing your sheets after every two weeks for better health 😊.

When i was growing up i really thought that Virginal yeast infection was sexually transmitted and when i was in high school people said that it was because of lack of proper virginal hygiene.

Virginal yeast infection is totally a normal thing and one shouldn’t be ashamed of it because of the misconceptions.

In the vagina their is a bacteria called lactobacillus .lactobacillus ssp and Candida albicans coexist in the vagina.lactobacillus prevent the overgrowth of Candida albicans.The overgrowth of Candida albicans result to yeast infection.When their is an imbalance of the lactobacillus ssp their is overgrowth of the candida.

Therefore yeast infections results because of the following reasons mostly:

1.Sweat -sweat creates a moist environment which is favorable condition for the growth of the candida.Its advisable if you sweat alot you change your underpants twice a day.

2.Douching and hot water-This kills the bacteria giving the candida an opportunity to overgrow.

3.Antibiotics- They kill the bacteria hence the candida is free to overgrow

4.Tight pants- Tight pants prevent proper aeration resulting to sweat.

Other factors which can lead to yeast infection:Heavy menstrual bleeding, pregnancy, wet underpants,birth control and hormal imbalance.

So when you get a virginal yeast infection check on the factor which has lead to it and get informed.

Recently,i was talking to a friend who thought that because the corona virus is killed by any soap all viruses are killed by any soap so no need of disinfectants and sanitizers.But that’s totally not the truth.

There are two types of viruses.Enveloped viruses and the non-enveloped viruses.Enveloped viruses have an outer membrane which is made of a fatty layer.This fatty layer makes them vulnerable because its easily destroyed by heat,soap and acid.Example of these enveloped viruses include corona virus, influenza virus etc

Non enveloped viruses have a viral capsid made of protein.The protein is resistance to oil loving disinfectants and alcohol.These makes the non enveloped viruses resistance.

When it comes to bacteria the gram positive bacteria are the resistance ones.Then form a spore which coats them preventing them from extreme environmental conditions like heat and some disinfectants.

So when going to the store choose the best detergents to prevent yourself from infections.Hydrogen peroxide has proved to be harsh to bacteria and viruses.so its one of the best if not the best to disinfect contaminated surfaces.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton