Beware of Flood Borne Diseases

Rain…rain… go away… come again another day.” Sounds familiar? Yup! Who among us folks can’t recall this prominent nursery lyrics. This song is commonly heard from the angelic voice of our very cute4 and smart kids inside their nursery schools.

It is also amusing to listen and look at our children persistently singing this song while they enjoy playing along the busy streets. However, during these rainy seasons, their innocence can’t resist but enjoy jumping, running and wading along the murky flood waters. They don’t even care if they can acquire various illnesses or deadly diseases.

Generally, health experts commonly agree that flood-borne-diseases are most prevalent during these rainy seasons. According to them, flood-borne-diseases is a composition of illnesses caused by different infections such as bacteria, virus and parasites which are prevailing during rainy and high tide seasons.

These types of diseases are obtained from polluted environment due to improper waste and garbage disposals particularly the human wastes, including, some “unhygienic practices” such as spitting and urinating anywhere.

Among these leading flood-borne-diseases that are widespread during these rainy and high tide seasons are “Leptospirosis” and various skin diseases such as “Athlete’s Foot”, “Eczema”, “Fungi” and other skin allergies.

What is Leptospirosis? It is a dreaded flood-borne-disease caused by an organism known as “Leptospira” which enters humans through mucous membranes (the lining of the eyelids) or the mouth), or by any break in the skin such as abrasions located at the feet.

“Leptospirosis” is a serious contagious disease commonly transmitted by the urine of rats and spread through flood waters. Rats, floods, garbage, wet ground and plants contaminated with the urine’s rat mold a deadly combination for the proliferation of “Leptospirosis”.

According to Health Epidemiologists, rats are the most common reservoir of the “Leptospira”. They discovered that there are 160 animals which can be infected and serve as host carriers like dogs, birds, fish and others. These host animals transmit the “Leptospiras” in their kidneys and they can emit these organisms in their urine which can last up to several months and even years. The “Leptospiras” are excreted through the animal’s urine and can survive in stagnant waters for many months.

“Leptospirosis” is a communicable disease which can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with the infected animal’s urine, blood or other organ tissue.

Health Epidemiologists reveal that all of us are vulnerable to be infected with “Leptospirosis” is also more predominantly among men. “Leptospira” incubates in the human body from one to four weeks. The symptoms and signs of “Leptospirosis” start to emerge after the incubation period. This contagious disease can either be a mild or fatal. This deadly disease has influenza-like symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting and chills. Patients infected with this dreadful disease suffer pronounced myalgia or muscle pains which usually occur in the abdomen, back or the calves, conjunctivitis’ suffusion or eye redness.

Health Epidemiologists noted that the fatal form of “Leptospirosis” known as weil’s Syndrome which is a multi-organ disease mainly affecting the kidneys and liquor. Patients infected with this fatal disease often manifest jaundice or yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes, renal dysfunction and hemorrhage of various organs.

Studies reveal patients who developed jaundice have greater tendencies for untimely death. Thank God! “Leptospirosis” is curable and can be treated effectively with antibiotics.

To avoid this fatal disease, avoid yourself from swimming and wading through flood waters. As much as possible, don’t risk yourself to wade into the knee-high muddy flood waters even if you are in a hurry to go to work or school. However, it is advisable to wear gloves and booths if you can’t avoid wading through the floods so that won’t be infected with this deadly “Leptospira” organism. It is also best to search and eradicate rats by means of regular cleanliness in your surroundings.

What is “Athlete’s Foot”? It is a contagious skin infection caused by parasitic fungi, commonly affecting the feet, particularly between the toes, and causing itching, blisters cracking and scaling. This is also known as “Tinea Pedis”, or “ringworm of the feet”. Meanwhile, “Trichophyton” fungus is another infection that causes the redness, itching, cracking and scaling of athlete’s foot.

“Athlete’s Foot” is the most usual fungal infection of the skin. It affects more men than women, maybe because men which typically wear heavy, often, airtight shoes, and the fungus delights hot, dark and moist environments.

Dermatologists mostly believed that “Athlete’s Foot” is passed through direct contact with an infected person or with a contaminated surface.

Here are among the strategies which can help you soothe and heal “Athlete’s Foot”, and keep it from cropping up in the future:

• “Athlete’s Foot” may be prevented by maintaining feet and toes clean and dry.
• Avoid using an infected person’s belongings such as clothes, shoes, slippers, socks and many others
• Don’t just use your damp bath towel to dry between your toes. Use a thin, dry hand towel and thoroughly dry between each toe. Try drying your feet with a hand-held hair dryer on the “warm” setting, if you can’t get your feet dry enough with a towel.
• Wash you feet with anti-bacteria soap and water, twice a day, and dry them thoroughly
• Use over-the-counter anti-fungal preparations which are effective for most cases of “Athlete’s Foot”. These products are in a form of creams, sprays and solutions which contain tolnaftate (Tinactin), miconazole (Micatin), or undecylenic acid (Desenex).

However, consult first to a dermatologist before you buy and apply these over-the-counter antifungal preparations.

• Soak your feet in a quart of warm water containing six black tea bags to help dry the infection and ease the itching that accompanies “Athlete’s Foot”. The tannic acid in the tea is very soothing and helps kill the fungus.
• If the infection has caused redness and cracks between the toes, the fungal infection may be compounded by a bacterial infection. Soak your feet once a day for 20 minutes in two capfuls of Betadine (available over-the-counter at pharmacies) to one quart of warm water. Dry your feet well and apply antifungal medication after the “Betadine” soak.
• Avoid remedies which contain strong chemicals and solvents such as bleach, alcohol and floor cleaners. Never be tempted to use these home remedies as your immediate way to treat “Athlete’s Foot”. Harsh chemicals won’t necessarily kill the fungus and they can really damage your skin.
• Kick off those shoes and let the sun shine on your feet for a little while. Ultraviolet light can help dry up the infection and kill active fungus on your skin. But, then, avoid too much sun exposure because it can promote wrinkles and skin cancer.
• Treat your shoes with Lysol spray or an antifungal spray or powder every time you take off your shoes. Be aware that, if you have fungus on your feet, you’ve got fungus in your shoes.
• Expose your shoes, especially when these are wet, to a sunny or well-ventilated area. The heat and sunshine will help dry out the shoes, eliminate odors, and kill the fungus.
• Alternate shoes at least every other day. Wear one pair for a day, while you treat the other pain with sunlight and an antifungal spray or powder.
• Herbal medicine such as Akapulko (Ringworm) leaves, Kanya Pistula (Golden Shower) leaves and Kamantigui (Touch me not balsam) Flowers to cure “Athlete’s Foot”. To use Akapulko and Kanya Pistula leaves as treatment against this communicable skin infection, pound several fresh, young leaves and extract its juice. Apply the juice directly between the toes or any other affected area 2x a day for two to three weeks. On the other hand, to use Kamantigui flowers, finely chop the flowers and apply them and poultice on infected skin.

What is “Eczema”? It is a non-contagious skin inflammation marked by itching and sores which become crushed and scaly. It is also called as dermatitis which becomes red and swollen, then tiny, red oozing bumps appear that eventually crust over. There are some ways for fast relief from “Eczema”.

• Use cool compresses to ease itch and swelling. Use a folded handkerchief or a piece of bed linen folded eight layers thick. Dip the clean cloth into cool water or Buron’s solution which is available over-the-counter at pharmacy and place it on the rash for 10 to 15 minutes every hour. Wet compresses are suitable when weeping, oozing blisters are present; you will actually dry up the rash by using water on it. Whole-milk compresses are also effective because it contains protein which helps relieve itching.
• Apply calamine in a thin layer so that the pores are not sealed, two to three times a day.
• Don’t try tropical antihistamines because these products can cause allergic reactions. Never rub it on your skin to avoid rashes.
• Don’t scratch the affected area on your skin for it can break and cause secondary infection. Rub the itch with your fingertips instead of scratching with your nails.
• Although it won’t cure the rash on the affected area of your skin, adding oatmeal or baking soda to bathwater will make it more soothing. Buy an over-the-counter colloidal oatmeal bath treatment (the oatmeal is ground up so it dissolves better) or add a cup of baking soda to warm, not hot, bathwater.
• Hydrate your skin by using warm, not hot, water, and soak or shower for least 15 or 20 minutes
• Herbal medicine like Kulitis (Amaranth) leaves can also treat “Eczema”. To use these medicinal plants, just, finely chop fresh Kulitis leaves and boil 3 cups of these chopped leaves in a pot containing 5 glasses of water for 15 minutes. While still warm, soak a small face towel in the decoction and use it as a hot compress. Apply the hot compress directly on the “Eczema” for 30 minutes. Meanhile, Kakaw (Cocoa plant) seeds can also treat this disease. Just, simply roast and pound 10 Kakaw seeds. Apply it as poultice over the skin which is infected with “Eczema” especially after a hot compress.