GALVESTON — Runny nose, hacking cough, trouble breathing at night?
Blame Ike.
Mold spores, rampant after Hurricane Ike’s massive flooding, combine with dust particles from debris piles to wreak havoc on respiratory systems, said Dr. Ted Zompa, the owner of West Isle Urgent Care on 61st Street.
Contractors and island residents have been flocking to the few primary clinics open on the island to get treatment for respiratory irritation, but there’s little that can be done.
“Little of it is bacterial — it’s more of an environmental thing,” Zompa said. “I can treat you, and you’ll feel better at first, but it will probably come back because we haven’t eliminated the actual cause, which is all the mold and dust in the air.”
He said mold and dust are not likely to cause long-term or serious problems for anyone, except those who already suffer from chronic respiratory illnesses. Wearing a mask might minimize effects, but it won’t prevent the irritants from finding their way into your body, he said.
Aside from respiratory illnesses, Zompa said he’s also treated a fair number of animal bites, cuts and puncture wounds.
“Puncture wounds are high risk in this environment,” he said. “You should see someone, especially if they get red and sore.”
Linda Cortese, the manager of The University of Texas Medical Branch’s primary care clinic on Stewart Road, said physicians have been treating more staph infections.
“People are being exposed to a lot of things,” she said.
More than 30 species of staphylococcus bacteria can enter wounds in the skin and cause a variety of infections and illnesses. In rare cases, a staph infection can enter the bloodstream, infecting internal organs or the nervous system.
Staph infections that spring from a wound typically show up two days after injury.
Cortese said physicians at the clinic, which moved from its mobile trailer back into a building last week, have treated a lot more anxiety cases than they typically see.
Barbara Stone, a psychotherapist and author of “Invisible Roots: How Healing Past Life Trauma Can Liberate Your Present,” said while most people who survive a natural disaster recover and rebuild their lives, a few develop permanent symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as flashbacks.
“For these people, heightened arousal of the fight-or-flight response may lead to insomnia and overreaction to situations that remind the person of the disaster,” she said.
Donna Fiedler, a professor of social work at La Salle University who has counseled survivors of earthquakes, floods and fires, said physicians might see more cases of illness in the coming months as people try to cope with the hurricane’s effect on their lives. She said the stress of surviving a natural disaster often affects the body’s weakest point.
“If someone had high blood pressure before, their blood pressure may become unstable or go higher,” she said. “If they had stomach problems, they may have problems now with reflux or ulcers.”
She said meditation, prayer and exercise can help alleviate stress. If someone is still feeling anxious or depressed for long periods, they should seek professional help, she said.
