The environment we live in can negatively or positively impact our health and productivity. The home surroundings and housing factors are interrelated aspects that contribute to the health and wellbeing of families and the community at large. Good health comes from having proper housing that is free from physical hazards.
Poor housing conditions cause a wide range of health effects.
Poor water and sanitation
Poor sanitation is one of the biggest causes of health problems. It has adverse effects on the individual, community, and nation at large.
Poor sanitation causes improper waste disposal, lack of enough water, and lack of waste disposal facilities like toilets. Improper solid wastes disposal causes breeding of bacteria and chokes gutters. The waste could also flow off into water bodies that are a source of drinking water leading to even more severe health problems.
Germs and bacteria cause severe illnesses like cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, amoeba, and many more, which has claimed many lives, especially children. It reduces the productivity level and sinks the economy. It is, therefore, essential to seek quality housing with proper sanitation options and practices.
Pollution
People are dying daily, thanks to pollution. Highly polluted residential areas through the air, water, or sound have high mortality rates.
There are indoor or outdoor pollutants like smoke, toxic emissions from vehicles and factories, carbon monoxide, building chemicals, household chemicals, etc. that high risk the lungs. Air pollution leads to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses like asthma, especially with compromised immune systems like the elderly and children.
The release of contaminants in water bodies causes water pollution. Ingestion of polluted water, in turn, causes water-borne diseases like cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and amoeba. It is also the breeding ground for insects like mosquitoes that cause malaria. Generally, it leads to unhygienic conditions that affect humans in disastrous ways.
Sound pollution leads to disturbances, deafness, decrease in cognitive abilities, like reading comprehension and other neurological disorders.
Substandard housing
Substandard housing such as leakages, poor lighting, poor ventilation, and poor painting is associated with poor health.
Poor indoor air quality and cold conditions can cause respiratory diseases—water leaks and dampness fuel mold growth that can spoil your household items. Extremely high and low temperatures will affect your physical and psychological health.
Poor quality lighting is a source of eyesight problems and disrupts your sleeping patterns. Poorly designed stairwells can cause unintentional injuries that can be long term in severe cases. Lead paints cause lead poisoning.
Aesthetics improve our mental health. There is the comfort that comes with the ability to redesign, decorate, and improve your space.
A well-designed house or home should incorporate nature. Research has shown that nature provides peace, improves memory retention and creativity, and makes us more appreciative and kind.
Before you get yourself a new home or house from a real estate developer or seller such as movoto, ensure it has an excellent design with a green space that enhances your connectivity with nature.
Residential crowding
Inadequate living space and crowding can lead to various social and psychological health problems. Densely populated neighborhoods are prone to disease outbreaks. Living under such conditions exposes you to multiple diseases like scabies, acute respiratory infections like tuberculosis, and the nouveau COVID 19, that’s highly contagious.
Overcrowded spaces result in a lack of privacy and peace, which can lead to mental health problems like psychological stress. It also affects the physical growth and psychological wellbeing of children and disabled persons in the society.
Getting a house with the right neighborhood conditions promote the wellbeing of its people. A free environment helps nature healthy children, increases the equity of public resources, and helps you exercise kitchen gardening to produce healthy foods.
Poor security
Insecurity takes a toll on your mental health.
A weak housing condition exposes you to burglary and theft. Unsafe residences due to violence, theft, crime, traffic, and even poor infrastructure restricts people from moving around. It limits connections and interactions among neighbors, and staying indoors for more prolonged periods could affect your social health.
Insecure housing tenure leads to high levels of stress, worry, and anxiety.
Security provides a sense of satisfaction and psychological peace; therefore, it is essential to seek quality housing that is secure for the sake of your health.
Pest infestation
Pests are detrimental and have a variety of adverse effects on humans health. They are carriers of allergens, which are harmful.
Mosquitoes cause malaria, while other common household pests like cockroaches and flies are carriers of bacteria like salmonella that causes stomach infections. They leave trails of contamination on every surface.
Other pests like spiders and scorpions are poisonous, and their stings can cause death. Flies cause skin irritations and allergies.
Pests drop feces everywhere, which becomes airborne, causing air pollution. Rodents attack your food store and leave traces of contamination on your food items.
Conclusion
Proper housing is essential for your health. Where you live may be a contributing factor to your health problems. Substandard and deteriorating houses expose you to severe ailments that can are avoidable. Therefore, you should seek quality housing, which is a key to better health.
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