Waste disposal is increasingly becoming a global challenge. It is not surprising to come across heaps of waste in metropolitan cities and even in homes. Careless disposal of waste not only makes your home an eyesore, but could also pose potential danger to you and your family. That heap you see in a corner of your home could result in air and water contamination and lead to life-threatening illnesses. It could also attract animals, such as rats, and birds which can spread infections to human beings and livestock. Improper disposal of medical waste can also lead to infections.
Here are five illnesses you can contract from poor home waste management;
Lung infections
Improper disposal of used aerosol containers can be potentially harmful. They cause air pollution which can lead to infections such as tuberculosis, influenza, pneumonia and respiratory syncytial virus. They can also lead to allergies.
The smell from decaying garbage can also induce nausea and vomiting.
Parasitic infections
Diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and hepatitis are caused by improper disposal of body fluids. They are often spread through water. Waste, especially human waste, should never be dumped into a water body to help curb the spread of such infections.
Heaps of garbage attract insects which transmit parasitic infections such as malaria and dengue fever.
Meningitis is also spread through body fluids and leads to the inflammation of membranes around the brain and the spinal cord.
Infections from medical waste
Medical waste can be very lethal if handled carelessly. One can contract infections such as HIV and candida among others from coming into contact with neglected medical waste. Carelessly disposed needles and scalpel blades may have blood contaminated with HIV/AIDS. There is high risk of infection should such blood find its way into your body. Hepatitis B and C viruses can also be spread through dried blood on sharp objects.
There is also risk of bacteremia infection from sharp objects which introduces bacteria in the blood stream and leads to inflammation.
Candida, a yeast infection caused by Candida albicans, is often identified with people who stay in a hospital for prolonged periods. However, improper disposal of medical waste around the house puts children, an expectant woman and the elderly at risk of infection. Unused or expired medicines should be properly disposed of.
Skin infections
If you keep livestock in your home, you might want to be careful with how you handle them and the medical equipment when you vaccinate them. Animals expose you to the risk of contracting skin infections such as anthrax. Carelessly handling of medical waste after their vaccination further exposes your family too. While one can contract anthrax through ingestion and inhalation too, they are quite uncommon. Mrgarbagedisposal.Com advises you to watch out how you handle materials used in treating animals diagnosed with anthrax.
Children are the most vulnerable to improper waste management because they run around a lot. Given their immune systems are generally weak and susceptible to attacks, prevention is better than cure. Start properly disposing of your waste at home now.
