Diseases Caused by Poor Personal Hygiene & How to Prevent Them

Personal hygiene refers to the ways by which you take care of your body. Maintaining proper personal hygiene is essential as it lowers the spread of sickness and the odds of medical conditions when you do not take care of yourself. 

Additionally, personal hygiene increases a person's self-confidence and plays a vital role in personal relationships.

Bathing regularly, wearing clean clothes, flossing and brushing the teeth daily, following a routine, and getting adequate sleep helps maintain proper personal hygiene. 

However, not incorporating these healthy practices increases the odds of diseases caused by poor personal hygiene. 

The diseases caused by poor personal hygiene, followed by their symptoms, are –

1. Body Lice

These infections are spread through person-to-person contact, poor personal hygiene, and people living in crowded conditions. 

Symptoms – Intense itching, rashes, red bumps on the skin, darkened or thickened skin (especially near the groin or waist)

2. Scabies

It is one of the major skin diseases caused by poor personal hygiene. It occurs when someone comes in close contact with a person having scabies mites or when people live in crowded unhygienic conditions. 

Symptoms – Itching (at night), rashes, sores and thick bumps on the skin.

3. Trachoma

The bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, causes trachoma. It occurs due to poor hygiene or close personal contact. 

Symptoms – Mild itching in the eyelids and eyes, continuous eye discharge, eyelid swelling, photophobia, eye pain, eye redness and vision loss.

4. Lymphatic Filariasis

It is a neglected tropical disease (NTD). Microscopic thread-like worms that reside in the human lymph system cause this disease. 

Symptoms – Inflammation, lymphedema, hydrocele and oedema.

The diseases caused due to poor hygiene have harmful effects like –

1. Body lice

Skin changes like discolouration and thickening, particularly around the groin, waist and upper thighs.

2. Scabies

Septicemia, chronic kidney disease and heart diseases.

3. Trachoma

Swollen eyelids, discharge from eyes and blindness.

4. Lymphatic filariasis

Damaged kidneys, lymphatic system and alters the immune system of the body.

Following methods are used to diagnose the diseases caused due to poor personal hygiene –

1. Body lice

It is identified by locating the eggs and lice crawling in the seams of clothes. However, a magnifying glass is used to identify these lice and nits as they are not visible through naked eyes.

2. Scabies

The doctor diagnoses scabies by examining the person’s skin and looking for traces of mites which includes the characteristic burrows.

3. Trachoma

Medical experts diagnose trachoma by sending bacteria samples from the patient's eyes to a laboratory for testing.

4. Lymphatic filariasis

Diagnosing lymphatic filariasis includes the identification of microfilariae in a blood sample. Microscopic examination is used to carry out this process.

The diseases caused by poor personal hygiene and sanitation can be treated in the following ways –

1. Body lice

Regular changing and cleaning of clothes, towels and beddings.

2. Scabies

Permethrin cream, ivermectin and crotamiton.

3. Trachoma

Tetracycline eye ointment and oral azithromycin.

4. Lymphatic filariasis

Diethylcarbamazine (DEC).

One must take care of their hygiene to prevent the diseases caused by poor hygiene. Here is the list of 10 personal hygiene activities everyone should follow –

• Wash your hair three times a week
• Using coconut oil for your hair
• Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing
• Getting rid of ear wax
• Using natural deodorants
• Keeping the body cool, especially during summer
• Getting rid of bad breath
• Taking a shower regularly
• Maintain healthy and clean skin
• Keep your feet clean

Good personal hygiene not only protects you from the aforementioned diseases but also cuts down the risks of COVID-19. Furthermore, proper personal hygiene plays an essential role in an individual's overall well-being and appearance. Neglecting this may leave you vulnerable to several diseases caused by poor personal hygiene.