One of the most important ways to prevent becoming ill while traveling is to wash your hands frequently. This washes away any germs picked up from fellow travelers or from contaminated surfaces, such as those in airports or airplanes, and helps ward off infectious diseases such as colds, flu or infectious diarrhea.

This simple habit requires minimal training and no special equipment. Also known as “hand hygiene,” it calls only for soap and water or for alcohol-based hand sanitizers (which do not require water).

Despite its proven health benefits, many people simply do not practice good hand hygiene. (The next time you use a public restroom, just observe how many people leave without washing their hands.) In 2003, the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) studied travelers’ hand washing in the restrooms of six major U.S. airports. It found that up to a third of travelers did not wash their hands after using the toilet.

On airplanes, restrooms are probably the most contaminated public areas, and are considered “hot zones” for organism growth. Travelers can spread these germs to others or transmit them to themselves by touching inanimate objects – indirect contact – such as doorknobs or faucet handles.

The problem goes beyond the restroom, though. Throughout the day, we accumulate germs on our hands via direct contact with a variety of sources: other people, contaminated surfaces, foods, and even animals and animal waste. If you do not clean your hands frequently, you may infect yourself with these germs when you touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

Infectious diseases that are commonly spread through hand-to-hand contact include the common cold, the flu and several gastrointestinal disorders. Most people will get over a cold, but influenza is more serious. Some people with the flu, particularly the elderly and people with chronic medical problems, may also develop pneumonia. The combination of influenza and pneumonia is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

Inadequate hand hygiene also contributes to food-related illnesses, such as salmonella and E. coli infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 76 million Americans contract food-borne illnesses each year. Of these, about 5,000 die of their illness; the rest suffer such symptoms as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The CDC and the ASM offer these instructions for proper hand washing:
Wet hands with warm running water and apply liquid soap or use a clean bar of soap. Lather well.
Rub hands together vigorously for at 15 seconds. Scrub all areas, including backs, writsts, between fingers and under fingernails.
Rinse well, then dry hands with a clean or disposable paper towel.
(Note: If you are in a public restroom, leave the water running after rinsing. After your hands are dry, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and to open the door. Toss the towel into a trash container outside the bathroom.)

Antibacterial soaps, which have become extremely popular in recent years, may offer you greater protection than regular soap if you have an open cut or sore on your hand, or if your immune system is impaired. But in general, regular soap is fine.

CDC guidelines state that alcohol-based hand rubs are significantly more effective in reducing the number of microorganisms on the skin; they act fast; and they cause less skin irritation. Hospitals nationwide have been using alcohol-based hand rubs for more than four years as an alternative to soap and water, and to promote frequent hand washing. Since they do not require water, they are especially useful when that is not available.

When using an alcohol-based hand rub, first apply it to the palm of the hand. Then rub hands together, covering all surfaces, until they are dry. (When hands actually look dirty, use soap and water instead of an alcohol-based hand rub.)

Not all hand sanitizers are equal, though. Some waterless hand sanitizers do not contain alcohol, so read the product label carefully and use only alcohol-based products. Good commercial ones include the Purell and CVS brands. The Purell sanitizer comes in various kinds of packaging, from wipes to tubes to small, on-the-go plastic bottles; the CVS brand comes in small and medium travel sizes. All sanitizers have moisturizers, and some come with such ingredients as aloe and vitamins A and E.

On a related note: According to the World Health Organization, the air in planes is exchanged every three minutes, as it is replaced continuously with fresh air. This airflow is designed to minimize the potential for the spread of viruses and bacteria throughout the cabin. Most major airlines install HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters to remove dust and airborne contaminants, which minimizes their spread inside the cabin. Try to avoid turning up the airflow above your head in the plane, as some physicians believe this promotes the aerosol disbursement of organisms of those around you.

For more information, you can visit www.cdc.org.

When to Wash?

The most important times to wash your hands include:

Before eating
After going to the bathrom
After blowing your nose or using your hand to cover a cough or a sneeze
Before touching any cut area on your skin
Before and after preparing food
Before inserting or removing contact lenses
After touching dressings, bodily fluids or fluids from cuts, whether you’ve worn gloves or not
After touching animals or animal waste
After handling garbage
After changing a diaper (wash the diaper wearer’s hands also)