Over five million households throughout the UK face the threat of flooding, and it appears that rising insurance premiums aren't the sole concern for property owners.
Researchers claim that the anxiety from witnessing your house being inundated with water can be so severe that it might elevate your chances of developing dementia.
Individuals whose property has been inundated face a 65 percent increased likelihood of contracting the illness within the following year, according to research published in the journal Nature Communications Medicine.
The group of researchers comprised experts from Edinburgh A university examined the medical records of approximately 500,000 males and females between the ages of 37 and 73 from the UK across two decades.
They subsequently examined weather and flood information, aligning this data with the locations of the participants' homes.
The study revealed that individuals who had faced flooding incidents showed a 44 percent higher likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease and a 65 percent increased chance of being diagnosed with vascular dementia.
The research team indicated that flooding might lead to mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, potentially resulting in cognitive deterioration.
They added: 'Our results underscore the necessity for improved public health measures to safeguard individuals in regions prone to flooding.'
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