Too Much Hygiene ? You Could Fall Sick

Using hand sanitizers and other such anti- bacterials could actually lower your immune system and make you vulnerable to germs and diseases.

Neha Khator

Have you ditched you regular hand soap for a soap dispenser? Or carry hand sanitizers in your bag? If you do, chances are that you have fallen into the trap of the booming $65 million healthcare industry that makes us perceive germs and bacteria in every nook and cranny.

Soaps, detergents, dishwashing liquids, shaving creams and floor  cleaners now come with anti-bacterial properties. Hand sanitizers, once found  in only in hospitals, have entered our homes. According to industry estimates, the market for these in India is over Rs. 30 crore and is growing at an average of 40% every year.

But this trend  could have a fall-out on our health, warn doctors. “Our immune system is built like a soldier that continuously fights disease-causing germs and bacteria,” says Dr Rashmi Sama, associate consultant in chest medicine at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. So while anti-bacterial soaps and hand sanitizers remove germs and bacteria on our skin, they also end up doing what our immune system is supposed to do. This makes the system complacent and gradually, it loses its killer  instinct. “If we use too many hygiene products, our immune system is devoid of challenges and doesn’t develop enough in order to fight infections properly,” says Dr S P Singh, Principal consultant, Escorts.

In the west, hand sanitizers have become a major cause of concern and a subject of numerous researches. According to a theory called ‘hygiene hypothesis’ first developed by epidemiologist David P Strachan in 1989, children who grow up in an ultraclean environment lack exposure to infectious organisms like viruses and bacteria. This suppresses the natural development of the immune system and increases its susceptibility to allergies and auto-immune diseases. So some amount of bacteria entering our body is good as it spurs the growth of the immune system. This theory is gaining support and many immunologists use it to explain the sharp increase in the number of immune system disorders, allergies and asthma cases in U.S.

Hygiene hypothesis is based on research in the US comparing kids who grow up in farmlands and those in clean and sterilized cities. It has been found that the former falls less sick  as compared to their city counterparts,” says Sama. She takes the example of her daughter who has born in the US and spent the first six months of her life living  in a sterile environment there. “Ever since we moved back to India, she keeps falling sick and getting allergies.”

While it good to be healthy and clean, in India, it’s a double-edged sword, says sama. “With dirt and numerous  infections all around  and many people  not even washing  their hands after going  to the bathroom, it’s good to be hygienic. But too much use of hand sanitizers/ anti-bacterial soaps can make us vulnerable to diseases.”

Interestingly, some studies have found that using germicidal products can even  harm us. “The alcohol in hand sanitizing gels removes the top layer of oil from our hands, taking with it some of the good bacteria. This can lead to dry skin and irritation  and a tendency for cracks  to develop, further exposing us to germs,” explains Dr Sanjay Gupta, consultant in internal medicine at Medanta Medicity.

Whay’s more, triclosan, an ingredient in anti-bacterial products , is known to kill most bacteria, both good and bad. But the US  Food and Drug Administration  (FDA) has found that besides its use in toothpaste to prevent gingivitis, triclosan  has no known health benefits and is currently under scientific review Morever , as per the FDA, “studies have been raised the possibility that triclosan’s overuse contributes  to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics.”

So what’s the best way out? “General hygiene must be maintained . But we must apply our common sense,” says Gupta. “Advertisements may show you how a soap once touched  becomes laden with germs. But that’s not true. What the companies are not telling you is that washing with plain soap and water is more than enough.”

Sama says that there is a need for public awareness on hand washing and general hygiene. “ There is a proper way of washing hands – scrub and wash the germ – prone areas  for 12-15 seconds . And even sanitizers  are ineffective  against certain kinds of infections. It’s best to maintain a basic level of hygiene, without overdoing it.”

Thanks

Sunday Times of India

11/11/2012