Stepping in rainwater poses health risks – 01/11/2024 – Balance and Health

You don’t have to wade through floodwaters to leave with soaked feet after a summer storm. In fact, all it takes is a quick shower of rain and a moment of distraction to soak your sneakers or sandals in a puddle that has stopped on some imperfection in the pavement.

What seems like a simple inconvenience, however, can become a much bigger headache. According to medical experts consulted by Sheetthe water that accumulates in some places after rain contains all sorts of urban dirt and parasites, which can cause everything from mycoses and bacterial skin infections to gastroenteritis.

According to dermatologist Natália de Paiva Sobreira, a doctor at Rede Mater Dei, contact with stagnant water, especially in urban environments, can cause various skin problems due to the presence of contaminants present in that environment. “There are bacteria, fungi, chemicals, parasitic microorganisms there. If this happens, the first thing to avoid is longer contact, not staying with that accumulated water for a long time, as the risk of exposure is greater”, says Sobreira.

The advice is, immediately after the incident, to find a clean environment to wash the exposed part with running water and soap to avoid bacterial infections such as folliculitis or allergic reactions. “If the patient has an entry hole, any previous injury, this wound can become infected. In addition to dermatitis, because chemical substances present in water, such as industrial pollutants, can lead to contact dermatitis”, says Sobreira.

Another point is not to eat any food before being cleaned. In general, for those who walk or ride a motorcycle a lot, the tip is to wear closed, waterproof shoes to reduce the chances of contamination.

Ethel Fernandes, also a dermatologist at Mater Dei, remembers that, during this rainy period of the year, more flooding occurs and it is possible to observe an increase in skin mycosis rates in offices and emergency rooms. “Mainly those that affect regions of folds and more humid and warm places, which are caused by fungi that proliferate on the skin due to wet and contaminated shoes”, highlights Fernandes.

Armpits and groin, as well as the spaces between the toes, are particularly affected by the problem. “These mycoses cause itching, maceration and redness at the site. When they affect the nails, they cause thickening, fragility and changes in color”, warns the specialist.

As a way to prevent these mycoses, Fernandes reinforces that it is important to avoid spending a long time in wet clothes and to dry your body well after bathing, always avoiding going barefoot and having direct contact with standing water and street mud. “If your shoe gets wet, leave it in the sun for a few days, one to two, until it dries completely,” he suggests.

Treating acquired mycoses is also necessary to resolve the problem and reduce transmission, and a skin specialist should be consulted to recommend the ideal medication.

Full member of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology (SBD) and founder-clinical director of the Fraga Institute of Dermatology, doctor José Roberto Fraga Filho says that stagnant water in puddles after rain and floods can also cause serious illnesses, such as leptospirosis, a disease transmitted by mouse urine. “It causes major problems in our body, and can even lead to death,” says Fraga.

Another problem, says Fraga, is hepatitis, which is also transmissible through contact with broken skin and can seriously harm the liver, an essential organ for life.

Finally, the dermatologist points out that contaminated water facilitates the penetration of bacteria into the skin, causing dermatitis that can even progress to erysipelas, which is more serious for the patient.

Doctors also warn that the accumulation of stagnant water in the summer is an important factor in the proliferation of mosquitoes that carry diseases such as dengue, zika and chikungunya, responsible for a large number of deaths in the country. In addition to eliminating places where stagnant water can accumulate, it is recommended to use repellents on adults and children.

The water with the city’s dirt carried by the floods to the resorts (sand and sea water) is another problem. According to gastroenterologist Nelson Cathcart Junior, several sources increase the risk of viruses and gastroenteritis in the summer, including “mucosal contact with the involuntary ingestion of these liquids and foods”.

Problems in the digestive system, such as the one caused last year by the norovirus outbreak in Florianópolis, can lead to dehydration, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Cathcart says that a virus problem tends to attenuate between 48 and 72 hours, while a bacterial problem can last longer and present a higher and more persistent fever with intense dehydration and even blood in the stool.

The recommendation in beach areas and for travelers, therefore, is to avoid contact with standing water on the streets and pay attention to the bathability of beaches, hydration, hygiene and eating out.