Health Risks Will Rise in Sandy's Wake, Experts Warn | WPN World People News

The torrential rains and hurtling winds of "superstorm" Sandy are slowly passing through, along with some of the more acute health dangers such as falling trees and high flood waters.

But in the days, weeks and months to come, residents of the hardest hit areas will face myriad risks to their health.

Sandy, dubbed a post-tropical cyclone by the National Hurricane Center, swept through the U.S. Northeast on Monday and Tuesday, leaving entire towns under water and dozens dead.

Overall, an estimated 7.2 million people across the Northeast were without power Tuesday morning, including much of New York City.

First, there are short-term hazards. Residents struggling to return and re-establish themselves in the region can't afford to forget that water plus electricity can add up to lethal danger.

Don't try to deal with electricity while any part of your body is touching water. If you're standing in water, you shouldn't be trying to turn the electricity off or touch any kind of electrical appliance.

Then there's the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from small generators, especially if the generators are placed in poorly ventilated areas such as a garage or basement.

Longer-term dangers loom, as well. Ironically, all the water unleashed by Sandy could mean a shortage of clean drinking water. Residents need to be on the alert for water-related advisories from the health department or local water authority. Even in the absence of such alerts, they may want to stick to bottled or boiled water until they get more information.

People should also be careful about consuming perishable food, such as eggs or milk, that's been languishing in a refrigerator without power.

Big storms can also boost concentrations of pollen and mold, two major allergy triggers.

Immunocompromised people and elderly people are probably at highest risk for complications from mold exposure and these are the people who should stay away from water-logged buildings, especially for prolonged periods of time.

Still, allergies and asthma were not among the main problems following Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Isaac (2012.

Instead, the scores of injuries stemming from recovery and clean-up efforts. This included electrical injuries, hand injuries, soft tissue injuries from falls and slips, eye injuries.

Experts advised that people wear protective gear during clean up and reconstruction and to stay away from power lines.

Elderly patients and those with chronic illnesses who depend on health care networks and on having medication suffered as well. Those resources are disconnected after a storm and a lot of those patients have a tough time getting their basic needs met. They didn't take their medications. Their nutrition was bad and they became dehydrated.

Source: HealthDay News