Personal hygiene involves keeping the entire body clean and includes practices like bathing daily, brushing teeth twice a day, washing hands before eating and after using the bathroom, cutting nails regularly, and washing hair twice a week. Maintaining proper personal hygiene helps prevent the spread of germs and diseases, promotes good health and well-being, and allows individuals to feel fresh and confident. The document outlines various healthy habits for different body parts and stresses the consequences of poor hygiene like increased risk of infections.

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MAINTENANCE OF PERSONAL HYGIENE
Objectives:
At the end of the presentation the students will be able to-
1. state the meaning of the term ‘Personal Hygiene.’
2. list out the purposes of maintaining personal hygiene.
3. state the advantages of maintaining personal hygiene.
4. describe the healthy practices to maintain personal hygiene.
5. state the consequences of unmet personal hygiene.

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1. Meaning of Personal Hygiene
Personal Hygiene is the cleanliness of the body which includes head to toe cleaning
of the body parts like head, hair, ears, face, eyes, nose, neck, teeth, trunk, hands &
feet, genitals & skin.
2. Purposes Of Maintaining Personal Hygiene:
Personal hygiene helps us to remain clean.
Personal hygiene helps us to remain healthy.
Personal hygiene removes all dirt and germs away from our body.
3. Advantages
Personal hygiene helps us to look smart
We are appreciated by our friends & in the neighbours.
Personal hygiene helps us to feel fresh & good.
It helps to maintain good muscle strength.
It keeps us free from infection and illness.
It maintains a healthy skin.
4. Healthy Practices To Maintain Personal Hygiene
General Care of Body & Skin:
Always wear clean & dry clothes.
Do not share clothes or personal items like soap,
comb, toothbrush etc with others.
Take bath everyday with soap & water. Apply soap till
the lather appears.
Pay special attention to the areas like skin folds, neck,
groins, armpits , genitals etc while bathing.
Do not wear tight undergarments.
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Apply talcum powder to whole body especially to skin folds & cold creams during
winter to avoid chipping of the skin.
Form a regular habit of emptying the bowels each day at
same time to prevent constipation.
Always wash hands & feet with soap & water after using toilets, playing
outside.
Always wash hands before & after eating food.
Do not eat in the same plate or eat chocolate or anything
that is half eaten by someone else.
Care of Head & Hair
Take head bath or hair wash regularly at least
twice in a week.
Apply oil to the hair daily or at least after the
hair wash.
Comb hair using a clean comb.
Clean your comb once in a week.
Do not share comb or use someone else’s comb.
If the head scratches, one should get examined by elders for the
presence of dandruff or lice.
If dandruff is present apply lime on hair before hair wash or
consult the doctor.
If lice are present then apply Medicare shampoo or the
medicines suggested by the doctor.
Do not sit with heads touching to one another as it may spread
lice from one person to another.
Do not throw mud on the head.
Care of Teeth:
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Brush your teeth everyday at least twice a day i.e. after awaking from sleep
and just before sleeping.
Brush your teeth from gums
downwards for upper jaw and
gums upward for lower jaw
ensure that all your teeth are
cleaned properly from all sides.
Use tongue cleaner to keep your tongue clean.
Use dental floss if possible to clean in between teeth.
Change your toothbrush if the bristles are flowered up
Chew food adequately before swallowing, as saliva
keeps mouth clean.
Always rinse your mouth after eating or chewing anything.
Avoid eating too much of chocolates or sweets.
If you have bleeding gums report to doctor. Eat lime regularly for vitamin C.
If there is foul smell in the mouth, caries or toothache, then consult your
dentist.
Dental check-up twice a year is recommended for early diagnosis and
treatment of dental ailments.
Avoidance of chewing betel leaves and tobacco.
Care of Eyes:
Always clean your eyes gently using plain water.
Do not read in dim light.
Do not strain your eyes.
Do not watch television from a very near distance.
Watch from minimum of 10 – 12 feet distance.
Do not sit on a computer for a long period of time.
If you have spectacles use them as per the advice of your doctor.
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Avoid glare and shadow while reading, the light should be
adequate,uniform,steady.
When reading, books they should be held 12-16 inches away from the eye to
prevent strain.
When at close work for some time, glance out of the window occasionally to
rest the eyes.
Avoid contact of the eye with direct sunlight to prevent damage to the eye.
Avoid rubbing the eyes with soiled fingers.
Do not instill any medication unless prescribed by doctor.
Eat healthy balanced diet containing vitA and vit B2, eg-green fruits, green
vegetables, liver, egg yolk, milk, red gram etc to prevent eye infection and
night blindness.
Care of Nose:
Always keep your nose clean.
Wipe the nose using soft cotton cloth.
Do not blow your nose very hard.
Do not put any objects in your nose.
Do not put fingers into your nose.
Care of Ears:
Always keep your ears clean.
Remove wax from your ears using ear buds.
Do not put anything in your ears like fingers, hairpins etc.
Clean your ears gently while bathing.
Dry your ears using soft towel.
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Avoid loud noise.
Care of Hands and Feet:
Always keep your hands & feet clean.
Cut your nails short and keep clean. .
Do not bite your nails.
Always wash hands and feet after entering
house from outside & after visiting the toilets or
after touching any unclean object.
Wash hands regularly using soap and water before and after eating food.
Pay special attention to the finger beds & nails while cleaning the hands as the
dirt may get accumulated in these areas.
If the hands dry up due to use of soap then apply
Vaseline or cream to the hands.
Always wear footwear or shoes while going out.
Do not play with bare foot.
Always use shoe of proper fittng.
Other Important Things For A Healthy Body & Mind:
Always do some exercises.
Play out- door games regularly.
Develop hobbies like reading, drawing and painting.
Take adequate rest and sleep.
5. Consequences Of Unmet Personal Hygiene:
We may not be accepted by our friends or
by neighbors.
The individual becomes prone to infection
and illness.
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A dirty body attracts many germs. This may lead to various diseases like scabies,
lice, tooth decay, skin infections & many other diseases like jaundice & typhoid.
The diseases may lead to hospitalization.
SUMMARY:
From the above discussion we have learnt the importance of keeping our body clean
and have learnt why we must keep ourselves clean. We have also discussed the
various practices to keep ourselves clean.
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