5 Overlooked Health Risks You Need to Know

From UV exposure to handwashing, we list our top five most overlooked public health risks and what you can do about them

Many people have no clue about health issues and the gradual decline they can cause. Abundant research is available at our fingertips. The most alarming thing? We sometimes choose to ignore it. Here are the top five lesser-known and most pressing issues you should be aware of.

Sunglasses and Eye Health

Wearing sunglasses is mostly associated with sun and summertime, but they’re an all-weather necessity you should wear all year round, and you should make a point of wearing them out of habit.

Ultraviolet radiation can penetrate cloud cover, and your eyes can still be at risk, even when the weather is overcast. According to experts, including the WHO and Moorfields Eye Hospital, prolonged UV exposure can gradually damage your all-seeing jelly balls, increasing the risk of several eye health concerns, including:

Cataracts
Growths on the surface of the eyes, e.g., pterygium
Corneal damage

“UV exposure may also be involved in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).”
The WHO on Ultraviolet Radiation.

The Solution

How to counter the risk? It’s simple: when UV exposure is significant, wear a pair of UV400-rated sunglasses or ones offering 100% UVA/UVB protection, and don’t deliberate over how silly you look if you want to increase your chances of being able to do so into old age.

Gas Cookers

No, not that gas. The gas hob! Every time you cook with gas, pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), circulate in the air. Not only that, indoor air quality can dramatically dip thanks to smoke generated by your culinary skills.

“Using a stove hood with a fan vented to the outdoors greatly reduces exposure to pollutants during cooking.”
The EPA’s Guide to Indoor Air Quality.

The Solution

An extractor fan — turn it on. Though it isn’t the only method, you can open a window, circulate fresh air or purchase an air purifier that doesn’t generate ozone (though an extractor fan that vents outside is the better option for removing nitrogen dioxide).

Hand Washing

Don’t shake anyone’s hand. I’ve seen the laziness and outright disgusting habits of public washroom participants. They hold their junk, they pee it out, they shake it all about, walk straight out or splash water on their hands for less than a microsecond.

“A single gram of human feces—which is about the weight of a paper clip—can contain one trillion germs.”
The CDC’s Handwashing Facts

People who sit down on the toilet are just as bad — their actions can have terrible consequences. They greet you with a handshake, touch food in the supermarket and put it back, and touch everywhere else you can imagine.

Wash your hands! All you need to do is wash them with soap and water for twenty seconds; twenty seconds! That’s all. If you don’t, you risk spreading the following diseases:

Norovirus
E. coli infections
Salmonellosis
Shigellosis
Hepatitis A
Giardiasis
Cryptosporidiosis
Typhoid fever

The Solution

Wash your damn hands with soap and water for twenty seconds. It’s really that simple.

Sunscreen All Day, Every Day!

Back to the sun. While its benefits are ample, there is a long list of problems excessive exposure can cause, including skin and eye damage. We’ve already discussed the need to wear sunglasses when UV exposure is significant — clear skies or not — and the same applies to your skin.

“Sunburn does not just happen on holiday. You can burn in the UK, even when it’s cloudy.”
The NHS Guide for Sunscreen and Sun Safety

UV radiation penetrates cloud cover and can build up and damage the skin. This includes indirect exposure from reflective surfaces like water, sand and panelled fascias.

The Solution

Wear sunscreen and UV-protective clothes; their use in everyday life is important when UV exposure is significant. This includes overcast or sunny days when UV levels are high enough to cause damage. Moisturising SPF products, like those from CeraVe, Beauty of Joseon and even some supermarket own brands, can help limit exposure. It’s important to do a patch test on a small part of your skin, particularly if you have sensitive skin, and consider a perfume-free option if you’re prone to irritation.

Dog and Cat Risks

Dog faeces can cause severe and sometimes fatal illnesses, including toxocariasis, a parasitic infection that can cause permanent vision loss, and echinococcosis, a tapeworm infection that can cause cysts in the liver, lungs and other organs.

“It takes 2 – 4 weeks in the environment for the eggs to develop enough to cause infection.”
The CDC on How Toxocariasis Spreads

These risks aren’t exclusive to canines but extend to cats. Free-roaming cats can introduce parasites and other infections, such as toxoplasmosis, potentially triggering serious brain and eye damage, as well as toxocariasis, a disease caused by roundworms that can migrate to the eye and potentially inflict permanent eye damage. The issue is that the harm is sometimes gradual — you may not realise it until it’s too late.

The Solution

Regularly clean your home, promptly dispose of pet faeces and wash your hands after handling litter trays or potentially contaminated soil. Make sure your pets receive appropriate veterinary parasite prevention, and cover children’s sandpits to prevent contamination.

Photograph: Jack Delulio / Unsplash

Stanisland Magazine