The storm may be over but the danger of being injured or getting sick from Hurricane Gustav is not. And you may be surprised by the health after effects of a hurricane.

It's the medical problems following a hurricane that now have local doctors concerned.

"The most common injuries during clean up are of two types: they are lacerations usually by chain saws. Chain saws should be operated by experts and slips and falls from ladders," says Dr. Jim Diaz, head of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. 

That's exactly what doctors in the Touro Infirmary E.R. have seen.

"We have seen a couple of chain saw injuries, you know.  We fully expect we'll see people falling off of their houses," says Dr. Kevin Jordan, the Chief Medical Officer at Touro. 

And remember, those cuts and scrapes make you susceptible to bacterial infections such as tetanus and MRSA, the kind that is resistant to common anti-biotics.

"So any wound that turns red or produces puss should be seen by a physician," adds Dr. Diaz. 

But along with those acute injuries and all the skin and allergy problems from insect bites and stings, Dr. Diaz, who's published a study on the after effects of hurricanes, says there is another problem that you might not associate with Hurricane Gustav.

"You're away from your doctor, you're away from your medications, you're under the stress of evacuation and as a result we do see more heart attacks more strokes after hurricanes and any traumatic event," says Dr. Diaz. 

Doctors at Touro are also preparing for an increase in heart, kidney and diabetes patients with worsening problems. They say it's all the bad eating during evacuation, eating junk food that is full of salt and fat.

"So it causes us to retain fluid and to retain water and in patients that have a narrowed physiologic reserve, heart disease,  congestive heart failure,  renal disease,  renal actually on dialyses, those types of foods can actually do some significant harm," says Dr. Jordan. 

Emotional stress can also make other conditions worse.

"Such as asthma such as psoriasis and other autoimmune diseases other psychiatric problems can develop specifically alcohol abuse and drug abuse and domestic violence and child abuse," says Dr. Diaz. 

Some doctors report the increase in prescriptions for anti-depressant and anxiety drugs, so remember they can be extremely dangerous to children. And remember too that stress can cause more road rage and traffic wrecks.

As a whole we survived this storm, so don't let the clean-up harm you.