Flooding can harm your skin. Dirty water and wet conditions can cause infections and allergies. Here’s how floods affect skin health and why care is needed.
Flooding can harm your skin. Dirty water and wet conditions can cause infections and allergies. Here’s how floods affect skin health and why care is needed.
Prolonged Moisture Exposure: Floodwaters keep skin wet for long periods, causing maceration that weakens the skin’s protective barrier.
Prolonged Moisture Exposure: Floodwaters keep skin wet for long periods, causing maceration that weakens the skin’s protective barrier.
Contaminated Floodwater: Floodwater often contains harmful bacteria, fungi, sewage, and chemicals that can infect the skin.
Contaminated Floodwater: Floodwater often contains harmful bacteria, fungi, sewage, and chemicals that can infect the skin.
Open Cuts and Wounds: Floods can cause injuries; when these wounds are exposed to dirty water, they are prone to infections like cellulitis and abscesses.
Open Cuts and Wounds: Floods can cause injuries; when these wounds are exposed to dirty water, they are prone to infections like cellulitis and abscesses.
Mold and Mildew Growth: Waterlogged homes and environments foster mold growth, which releases allergens that trigger skin allergies and respiratory problems.
Mold and Mildew Growth: Waterlogged homes and environments foster mold growth, which releases allergens that trigger skin allergies and respiratory problems.
Poor Sanitation: Flooding disrupts clean water supply and sanitation facilities, increasing the risk of skin diseases due to unhygienic conditions.
Poor Sanitation: Flooding disrupts clean water supply and sanitation facilities, increasing the risk of skin diseases due to unhygienic conditions.
Increased Insect Activity: Stagnant water after flooding becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects, causing itchy bites and allergic reactions.
Increased Insect Activity: Stagnant water after flooding becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects, causing itchy bites and allergic reactions.
Chemical Exposure: Floodwaters may carry industrial chemicals and pollutants that irritate the skin and cause allergic dermatitis.
Chemical Exposure: Floodwaters may carry industrial chemicals and pollutants that irritate the skin and cause allergic dermatitis.
Weakened Immune System: Stress and illness from flood-related displacement can reduce immunity, making it harder for the body to fight infections.
Weakened Immune System: Stress and illness from flood-related displacement can reduce immunity, making it harder for the body to fight infections.
Delayed Medical Care: Flooding can restrict access to healthcare, delaying treatment of skin infections and worsening conditions.
Delayed Medical Care: Flooding can restrict access to healthcare, delaying treatment of skin infections and worsening conditions.
Increased Risk of Fungal Infections: Damp conditions after floods promote fungal infections like athlete’s foot, ringworm, and candidiasis.
Increased Risk of Fungal Infections: Damp conditions after floods promote fungal infections like athlete’s foot, ringworm, and candidiasis.