Faced with fire damage? Beware of the dangers associated with smoke and contact fire restoration professionals to address the damages.
Sensitivity to smoke varies from one individual to individual, but extensive smoke can be harmful to everyone. In this guide, we’ll take you through the health hazards of post-fire smoke
Smoke Health Hazards
Composed of a complex mixture of fine particles and gases produced when organic materials are burned, smoke is more dangerous than most of us think. Contemporary homes contain an array of chemicals, including fabrics, plastics, carpets, foams, wood products, synthetic fibers, asbestos-containing materials, and wool that were not common in homes in the past. During combustion, all these items don’t burn cleanly, causing the release of smoke and soot.
The fine particles carried by smoke are microscopic. If they are inhaled, they will penetrate deep into your lungs. When that happens, you can develop different types of health conditions. These might include a runny nose, burning eyes, aggravated chronic lung or heart diseases. In the worst-case scenario, it may even lead to premature death.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), certain people are more at risk from smoke than others. A person with lung or heart disease, such as angina, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, asthma, emphysema, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, can be very sensitive to smoke inhalation. Since older adults have higher chances of having a lung or heart disease, they are generally more at risk than youngsters.
Besides, children, including teenagers, are also at high risk. They breathe more air per pound of bodyweight than adults to support their developing respiratory systems. In addition, a pregnant woman and a diabetic individual are also more vulnerable to smoke hazards. For a pregnant woman, smoke inhalation can prove dangerous for the developing fetus too, while a diabetic individual can develop underlying cardiovascular diseases upon inhaling smoke.
Exposure to Smoke
Exposure to smoke does not just occur through ingestion or inhalation, it may also occur via eyes or skin, such as during fire damage restoration. In many cases, you may not even realize that you’ve been affected because the airborne soot particulate is invisible.
That’s the reason you should never try to restore the fire damages yourself. A dusk mask and a bottle of degreaser are not enough to safely address fire damages. Professional knowledge, expertise, and equipment are critical for safe and effective remediation.
For instance, a fire damage restoration professional will use adsorption and HEPA filtration to restore indoor air quality following a fire incident, making the space smoke-free. Hence, you should find a reliable and experienced fire damage restoration company near you and get the area treated at soon as possible.
