Cockroaches and How They Affect Your Health

A cockroach can hold its breath for 40 minutes, even if 30 of those minutes are underwater. This is just one of the many dangerous situations they can survive.

Their tenacity paired with their ability to cause illness makes them a pest you want to avoid. Cockroaches bring a lot more to the table than simply pestering.

How Cockroaches Can Cause Health Issues

There are a myriad of problems that they can bring to your family, from allergies to diseases they carry.

Allergies.

Just like any pest, cockroaches leave behind feces, saliva, eggs, or even parts of their bodies that just fall off. These can trigger asthmatic symptoms. It is estimated that 78 to 98 percent of houses are infested, with each harboring up to 330,000 cockroaches.

Diseases.

There have been tests done that show they can carry microbes that are dangerous to humans. Such diseases can lead to:

• Typhoid.
• Pneumonia.
• Salmonella.
• Polio.
• E. Coli.
• Dysentery.

Some people can experience severe diarrhea that leads to hospitalization. In severe cases, bacteria can enter the bloodstream and become life-threatening.

It is important to control both the eggs and the cockroaches themselves. If you are exposed to cockroach-contaminated objects, there is a likely possibility that you can get meningitis or a urinary tract infection.

Parasites

Pathogens are not the only thing that cockroaches can carry. They can also carry these parasitic worms:

• Pin-worms.
• Tapeworms.
• Hookworms.
• Roundworms.

These worms are tough to find and diagnose, and they are very dangerous.

How You Can Get Infected

There are three major ways to accidentally get infected by the diseases cockroaches carry.

The first is by inhaling any contaminated air.

The second is by if you touch anything contaminated. This could be feces, vomit, or saliva. If you touch anything on your face after touching something contaminated, you transfer the bacteria into your body.

The last is if you digest anything contaminated. This could be any food they touched, or if you touch your mouth after touching something contaminated, as previously mentioned.

Signs and Symptoms of Cockroach-Caused Diseases

Along with the allergies, pathogens, and parasites that cockroaches cause is a list of symptoms that you can experience. These health risks should not be taken lightly, so take note if you have any of the following:

• Muscle or joint pain.
• Chest congestion and cough.
• Diarrhea.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Shortness of breath.
• Wheezing.
• Fever.

Granted, these symptoms could be due to other illnesses, which is why it’s important to always check for a cockroach infestation.

Having a cockroach infection is serious business. It’s more than just an annoyance, it’s unsafe. It could be a lot to deal with, and if you don’t want to risk it, you can hire the professionals at Gibson Pest Control.

They can exterminate any infestation and make sure you and your family are safe. If you want to protect your family, call Gibson Pest Control today.