Living without a home is a dire situation. Every moment ignites a new mode of survival. In addition to the mental strain and anxiety brought about by these conditions, there is also a prevalent need for better health.
Poor health and homelessness often go hand-in-hand. In some instances, poor health and disabilities can lead to decreased employment opportunities, low or zero wages, and eventually, the harsh reality of becoming homeless. In other situations, the opposite can occur, where a perfectly healthy person becomes homeless for a different reason and then experiences severe health decline as a direct result of that homelessness. There are many reasons why homelessness stands at the intersection of poor health. Today, we intend to focus on just one of those reasons: exposure.
What is Exposure as it Relates to Homelessness?
The life of a homeless person is drastically different from that of a housed person in terms of exposure. While a housed person might be exposed to a debilitating toxic element that decreases their health over time (one example is a mold-infested house that makes the person sick) homeless people are exposed to multiple toxins, communicable diseases, pollutants, rodents, animals, insect infestations, severe weather and more, simultaneously. Homeless people also have fewer, if any, health care options. They can’t move away from these toxins, nor can they reverse the aftereffects. To that end, exposure, as it relates to homelessness, is an urgent dilemma creating a public health crisis for everybody.
If you think it’s not your problem, think again. As these communicable diseases inevitably spread throughout the homeless community, they eventually seep into the housed community as well, causing mass health epidemics. The solution isn’t simple, but we must start somewhere. The best place to begin is usually by thoroughly examining the truth, no matter how hard it is to swallow.
Homeless People are Regularly Exposed to Rats and this Can Alter Their Mental and Physical Health
A recent study conducted by scanning a surplus of 750 different research papers on the subject has concluded that rat infestations are harmful to mental health. In fact, daily exposure to rats can cause, among other things:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Elevated stress levels
- General mental health stressors and many other emotional disabilities
In yet another turntable of events, these mental health issues take their toll on the physical body. Scientific studies link stress to adverse cardiovascular problems. Increased exposure to the same stressor (i.e. witnessing rats on a regular basis) is known to further exacerbate those problems. On top of this, rats carry with them several communicable diseases including:
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, which attacks the respiratory system. If left untreated, it can lead to death
- Ymphocytic Choriomeningitis, which causes meningitis and can cause death in infants if a pregnant mother becomes infected. It’s important to note that prenatally homeless women are already experiencing high risk factors for their infants and pregnancy is common among homeless women. This is due to accelerated rates of rape and survival sex in addition to the fact that many domestic abuse victims who choose to flea are pregnant women who often have no place to go.
- Plagues. While plagues might seem like a thing of the past, mass homelessness is reviving this traumatic condition in several places across the United States. Rats are commonly known transmitters of multiple different plagues.
Homeless People are Also Frequently Exposed to Smog and this Can Cause Multiple Chronic Diseases
When a cloud of smog covers a city or town it is usually the result of harmful toxins in the air. For city dwellers, smog can pose serious health hazards just from the limited exposure walking from home to work or strolling the sidewalks on a shopping spree. However, unsheltered homeless people dwelling in urban areas can never come out from the smog. They inhale these toxins constantly. Some homeless people even resort to sleeping over sewer grates for warmth. That temporary comfort can wreak havoc on the body down the line, as the pollutants rising up out of that grate can give way to:
- Respiratory Disease
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Lung Infections
- Eye Infections
- Chest Pains
- Coughing
- Several Studies Also Suggest a Link between Smog Exposure and Cancer
Regional Issues Like California Wildfires are Often Inescapable for the Homeless Population
In California, wildfires rage. Homeless people in the region rise from the ashes with chronic lung diseases, diabetes, heart disease, and other debilitating conditions. In other parts of the country, homeless people battle extreme cold, which can cause frostbite and ultimately lead to loss of limbs and other body parts. Exposure to urine and other forms of waste can be extremely hazardous for residents of encampments. In rural regions, the wilderness creeps in and exposure to overgrown forests and wild animals becomes a real and significant part of homeless people’s lives.
Shelters are Not Exposure Free Zones
Homeless shelters are by no means a permanent solution to homelessness and the health problems brought about by exposure. In fact, homeless shelters are not necessarily exposure free dwelling spaces. Things like:
- Rat and Insect Infestations
- Communicable Disease Outbreaks
- Lead Paint
- Poor Sanitation
- Broken Toilets
- Other Serious Health Code Violations
are prevalent in shelters across the United States.
Safe, Affordable Housing is the Only Way to Reduce Exposure
Most Americans are just one or two paychecks away from losing it all. It is estimated that 3.5 million people become homeless annually and about a half million people wind up on the streets each and every night. Even if you never find yourself in these statistics, these statistics should still find their way into your heart.
Exposure to harmful toxins and other hazards is a serious issue. It is one that is touching all of us in one way or another. It’s important to remember that homeless people did not bring with them pollutants, rodents, wild animals, or any of the communicable diseases caused by them. They are just trying to survive in spite of it all. Talk to your representatives, family members, and friends about planning the construction of affordable homes, about raising wages, and striving to reduce (perhaps even eliminate) the number of people currently living on the streets.
