Countless viruses, bacteria, and other microscopic germs are scattered around us every day. Various germs can enter our body while breathing, eating, going outside, or coming into contact with other people. But we do not fall ill every time we come into contact with germs. The sole reason for this is that the immune system, or the body’s defense mechanism, is on 24-hour vigilant guard inside our body. It helps identify harmful pathogens entering the body, build a response against them, and fight against infections. This system includes the skin, mucous membranes, white blood cells, antibodies, and various types of…
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Preventing Infections: Chain of Infection, Everyday Hygiene, and Protection Surrounding us in the air, in contact with the soil, on everyday objects, and even on our skin are billions of microorganisms—bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. While the majority of these are harmless or beneficial to our bodies, certain harmful pathogens take advantage of opportunities to enter the body and cause infections. Various illnesses, including colds, the flu, diarrhea, food poisoning, and certain skin infections, can spread through germs. Sometimes infection spreads via contaminated hands, sometimes from unclean food or drinking water, and other times through an infected person’s cough, sneeze,…
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When we think about staying healthy, we usually think of a balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, reducing stress, and getting regular health checkups. But alongside these, immunization or getting vaccinated is also an essential part of preventive healthcare. Throughout the long history of human civilization, epidemics and infectious diseases have caused the premature deaths of millions of people. Humanity was once completely helpless in the face of deadly diseases like smallpox, polio, plague, tetanus, and measles. The single most successful innovation in medical science that brought modern humanity back to the light from that dark chapter is the vaccine…