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Hurricane season is far from over on the east coast of the United States. S.
The fire continued throughout the West.
If you are facing a storm or other major disaster, you may need to take some measures to protect your health in addition to following the warnings of local authorities.
Because the time before and after a natural disaster can be horrible, it can be chaotic, and the information you receive is not always clear, we outline four common health problems that may arise after a disaster and provide expert advice on how to deal with them
Even prepare them in advance.
It is worrying: access to drinking water is usually an important issue after many types of disasters, especially after the big storm, Dr. Cortland Robinson saidD.
He is an associate professor at the International Health Department and a member of the Humanitarian Health Center at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
If you lose power, you may also lose tap water in your house or anywhere you shelter.
Floods can pollute the water supply, which will expose you to the risk of diarrhea diseases caused by organisms such as GIAD
E. coli and cryptospores
The result may be dehydration, especially for young children and older adults, which can be severe.
Extreme high temperatures increase the risk of dehydration.
Pre-disaster: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
It is recommended that each household have an emergency kitchen on hand with at least three days of drinking water supply inside
This means 1 gallon per day for people and pets in your home.
If the disaster is expected to be particularly serious, or if local officials expect residents to have a power outage of more than three days, add a few more days of supplies to your first aid kit.
Also, consider doing-it-
Water disinfectant that you drink, such as iodine tablets or clo2 tablets (
You can often find it online or at a store that sells camping and hiking equipment)
Or buy a portable water filter.
After the disaster: if the city government believes that the local water supply may be contaminated, they sometimes issue a "boil water" notice.
If your city is under this notice or you don't have running water, please drink the bottled water on your hand first.
You must boil the tap water for at least one minute during the boiling consultation (
If your altitude is over 6,500 feet M, 3 minutes).
Or deal with it in one of the following ways: if there is no water consultation, but you do not have running water, you may still have a safe source of drinking water at home.
According to the CDC, these include water in the tank behind the toilet (
Not the water in the toilet, nor the water treated with the toilet cleaner)
, Melted ice cubes in the refrigerator, liquids of canned fruits and vegetables, and water in your drinking water heater tank (
This is separate from the heating tank in your home, and the heating tank may also have water).
Don't drink any water that you suspect or know from local authorities that is contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals, and don't drink any water that is unusual in color or smell.
You may not be able to make this water safe even if it is boiling.
Attention: spoiled food during power failure, food in your refrigerator and freezer is in danger of deterioration, which puts you at risk of food poisoning.
Before the disaster: store items that are not perishable and make cooking plans.
CDC recommends that your emergency preparedness kit include at least three days of food supply for each of your family members
Don't forget your pet. Shelf-
Stable foods such as canned foods, biscuits, cereals, dry or perishable pasteurized milk, peanut butter, protein bars and dried fruits are good options.
You can also add baby food that is not easy to rot.
Be sure to include a manual can opener.
Avoid salty snacks and other foods that will make you thirsty.
If there is a possibility of flooding, be sure to put these items on the shelves or on the second floor of your home, Robinson said.
This protects boxed items from contaminated flooding.
Make sure your gas or charcoal grill or camp stove has fuel so you can cook if the gas or electricity at home is exhausted. (
If you use one of the items, do it outside --
Never at home. )Maintain food-
Develop hygiene habits and reduce the spread of bacteria.
If you have tap water, wash your hands regularly, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
After the disaster, if you lose power, eat your perishable food first, says Robinson.
You can help them last longer by transferring perishable foods to the refrigerator.
If it is not opened, a refrigerator full of food will keep the food low for 48 hours;
If the fridge is half an hour, 24 hours. full.
The CDC recommends that all the leftovers and some protein --
Meat, poultry, fish and eggs
After more than 4 hours of power failure.
At this point, the temperature in the refrigerator may be above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and bacteria can grow rapidly in food.
Fruits and vegetables, bread, butter and hard cheese are safe at room temperature.
Attention: breathing problems or air quality may be an important concern during the wild fire, especially for people with asthma or other breathing problems, patients with heart disease, and elderly people and children.
After a storm or flood, moisture in the home can cause mold growth.
This can lead to symptoms such as breathing in people who are sensitive or allergic to mold.
Those with chronic lung disease or weakened immune system may have a greater risk of developing mildew infection in the lungs.
Pre-disaster: If you have asthma, chronic or other lung disease and you know there may be smoke in your area, please consult your doctor in advance.
Ph. Steven Jensen says he or she can advise you on how to protect yourself and if you should have additional drugs at handD.
Member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Committee.
You may want to buy a mask to help filter the air, but paper dust masks or surgical masks are not up to the task.
Some have chosen products called particulate respirator to help filter smoke. (
These masks should have the names of "N95" and two straps, usually in hardware stores. )
However, it is not entirely clear whether these products are beneficial to people with CPR, as the respirator itself makes breathing more difficult.
In fact, the California Public Health Department recommends that people with heart or lung disease talk to doctors to discuss whether the respirator will help them in the event of smoke.
Post-disaster: if there is smoke in your area, stay indoors for a while, Jensen says.
In order to keep the indoor air as clean as possible, close the windows, close the fresh air entrance and run the air conditioner.
If your family includes people with lung or heart disease, elderly or young children, and you have a portable air purifier, consider turning it on to further clean the air.
If you go home to clean up the damage and want to encounter a lot of rubble or mold dust after the flood, CDC recommends that you wear the N95 respirator at work.
People with respiratory problems should not do the job.
If you run the generator because of a power outage, make sure it is at least 15 feet away from your house, basement or garage and away from any open windows.
A 2012 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that in the United States from 1991 to 83%, generators caused 2009 of carbon monoxide poisoning deaths. S.
Concern: injuries, infections and natural disasters are at high risk of injury, and wounds caused by injuries, infections and natural disasters are more susceptible to infection after floods or other devastating events.
Having your own tools to treat simple injuries can be a useful skill.
In a disaster, "We know the medical system will become very vulnerable," Jensen said . ".
"If people commit suicide, or have minor medical problems, they can't rely on the emergency room.
Before the disaster: Make sure your home --
The first aid kit is well stocked.
Jensen also advised people to consider
Help the class and prepare them to help friends and family who may be injured.
These courses are offered by the Red Cross and can be attended-
People or online.
Also, if you can't find a doctor or pharmacy for a few days, make sure you stock up the medicines and medical supplies you may need.
Post-disaster: after a disaster, it is natural to want to evaluate and clean up damage to your family as quickly as possible.
But it is wise to take it slowly.
"We saw a lot of damage happening during that time," Jensen said . ".
"People push too hard.
"Overwork at high temperatures can also increase the risk of dehydration, heatstroke and heatstroke.
Power failure after disaster may mean no air conditioning.
So drink plenty of water and rest regularly and if you feel dizzy, headache, nausea, vomiting or muscle cramps, stop working, rest and replenish your water in the shade.
If you are in a flood area, let the children not play in the flood and try to avoid wading yourself.
It may seem safe, Jensen says, but even a 1 feet or 2 metre flood could move "very fast" and potentially wash the children away.
In addition, nearby factories and factories may emit potentially harmful substances, "the flooding in the basement and kitchen is releasing every chemical you store under the sink, every chemical you store in the basement, "says Robinson.
You don't even need to drink contaminated water to experience the negative, says Robinson.
"If you have a small wound or wear it, it will get infected," he said . ".
Don't worry about anything (Too Much)
Some health issues may not need to be on your priority list.
After Hurricane Harvey, for example, there were news reports that officials recommended a preventive needle break.
But if your last intensive treatment is less than 10 years old, Jensen says, it's a rush to get a tetanus needle that will put pressure on the already troubled medical system.
On the contrary, only when you know that you are out of date or do not know what your last shot is and that you are subject to wounds that may be in contact with contaminated floods will you seek to fight
Unless a special warning is issued by health officials, another concern that may not be immediately dangerous is the mosquito --
It's a disease, says Robinson.
Yes, the water left after the flood can be used as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Therefore, continue to take normal precautions: once the flood has subsided, put on the insect repellent and clean up any areas of water that accumulate around your home.
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