Health & Fitness Tools

How Beneficial Is Purell Hand Sanitizer In Controlling Ailment

25th February, 2011 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Purell hand sanitizer is one important step in preventing disease. One of the major means to prevent disease, especially in children, is good hygiene. Soap and water remains the best element in hygiene but when it is not feasible or available, this product is the next best thing in preventing pathogen transmission and the resulting illnesses that can occur.

Some products are better than others. Some have antibacterial ingredients as their active ingredient and others have alcohol. There is a big difference in the safety of these ingredients. Either one kills germs but work in different ways, very significant ways, that affect the safety of these products such as with disposable gloves.

There is a negative to the antibacterial ingredients. No product kills all germs and neither do the antibacterial ones. Not even soap and water can claim that. The germs that get left when using antibacterial based products can become resistant to antibacterial products and when an infection occurs, either systemic or localized, these germs will not be able to be killed. Purell Hand Sanitizer, being alcohol based, doesn’t have these ingredients so it is safer to use.

There is a health hazard sheet published on all chemical products. OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, requires companies to reveal potential hazards. This is a strictly regulated document. This document, MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), is aimed primarily at the worker handling these products but is also beneficial to consumers. The sheet for Purell Hand Sanitizer shows almost no safety cautions, making it a safe alternative to soap and water cleanliness.

The areas of concern on the MSDS are rated from 0-4 and N for no information. An asterisk (*) is assigned to indicate a chronic health hazard. The lowest score, meaning minimal risk, is 0; 1 is slight; 2 is moderate; 3 is serious; and 4 is severe. This product only showed a 1 for health risk, which results from ingesting by a nonstandard route and eye irritation, and a 3 for flammability (due to the alcohol). Overall, it was rated as safe, presenting no immediate or long term health hazard.

The most common cause of infections by bacteria, viruses, and fungi is their transmission through the mouth, nose, and conjunctiva of the eyes. Since the hands frequently come into contact with these portals, and since the hands come in contact with so many areas where pathogens are residing, it is safe to assume that keeping hands relatively germ free is a great preventative.

Though no product is allowed to claim to destroy pathogens causing any particular illness such as swine flu and MRSA, since the pathogens for these illnesses are passed on the hands, it can be safely assumed that keeping hands clean will help lessen these diseases. You may wonder about how this product affects the residential bacteria (usually called good bacteria). The impact on them is not so bad as to offset the benefits of clean hands. Any residential bacteria are quickly replaced by the body.

Purell Hand Sanitizer is very beneficial in helping to prevent illnesses transmitted by contamination of the hands. It has an extremely low health hazard concern, which makes it an excellent preventative. The alcohol base is far superior to any antibacterial based ones. This makes it an appropriate, convenient choice for preventing bacteria transmission, especially if soap and water are not available.

Everyone is concerned with the prevention of illnesses. A simple procedure such as cleanliness can make a difference and a product like Purell hand sanitizer that helps to do that is a good investment. Be sure, however, to examine the product and it warnings to make a wise choice. Alcohol based products are virtually without warnings if used as directed. They can help tremendously in the prevention of disease just like vinyl gloves.