Are you aware of the long-term health effects of fire damage?
Having your house on fire is one of the scariest things you can imagine, and it is scary for several different reasons. First of all, a fire destroys property and you can lose your valuable belongings. What’s even more dangerous about a fire are the long-term health effects that can happen if the fire damage is not cleaned up promptly. To protect yourself from the after-effects of fire, contact your local professional fire damage restoration company Service Team of Professionals Tri-Cities (STOP Restoration).
With timely fire damage restoration, major issues can be avoided. Even after the fire has been put out, smoke and soot remain. These pollutants if inhaled in considerable amounts can result in long term health concerns.
Let’s take a look at some of the long-term health effects of fire damage.
Long Term Health Effects of Fire Damage
- If you experience a fire on your property, smoke will remain for a long time. Your job is to stay away from the smoke, as much as you can. Smoke from a fire contains several chemicals, and inhaling them can harm your lungs and cause respiratory issues. Never underestimate the long-term after-effects of smoke exposure, it can be far more than just some mild coughing.
- Understandably, smoke can harm you in the long run, but short exposure to smoke can be just as bad. Brief exposure to smoke can give you a runny nose, eyes, and an itchy throat. Furthermore, smoke exposure can result in various breathing problems.
- The particulate matter in smoke is called soot, and it is extremely dangerous to human health. Just like mold, only some of the soot is visible, while the rest isn’t. Try to avoid entering a space that is infested with soot. If the need arises, make sure to cover your eyes with goggles, and your mouth and nose with a mask. The chemicals contained in soot are as dangerous as smoke and can wreak havoc when they enter your bloodstream.
- Smoke and soot after a fire can cause strange odors. These odors affect your health and you may feel nauseous all the time. If these odors persist, even after cleanup, chances are that some of the smoke and soot are still left behind.
- Sometimes during a fire, homeowners use pales of water to put out the fire. Despite putting out the fire, this water can cause flooding, which can further lead to mold growth. Mold weakens the structure of your home, and also affects your health.
These were some of the most common long-term health effects of fire damage. To avoid all of them, it is important that professional smoke cleanup take place shortly after the fire has been put out.
