Winston-Salem, NC – Health Effects of Basement Flooding | Water Damage News

Are you curious about the health effects of basement flooding?

Basement flooding is a common occurrence in many homes and it can occur due to a variety of reasons including poor drainage systems, leaking plumbing pipes, sewage backups or even faulty water heaters. Many people face the problem of basement flooding repeatedly in their homes whenever there is heavy rainfall and this causes a serious blow on their finances. They continuously have to spend their hard-earned money on renovating the underground living space to fix the water damage on the walls and flooring of their basement.

However, it’s important for people to know that basement flooding doesn’t simply ruin the aesthetic appeal of their underground rooms but it also comes with many health risks. Basement flooding can contain groundwater or sewage backup which is the most dangerous category of water. Blackwater from basement flooding is highly contaminated with toxins, bacteria, and chemicals. Exposure to this type of water is highly dangerous for the inhabitants of a home. Continue reading this article to find out the harmful health effects of basement flooding.

Respiratory Complications

A flooded basement provides the ideal conditions for microbial growth inside your home. Microbial growth not only deteriorates organic surfaces but also releases harmful toxins into the air. According to a study, spending time in moist conditions in an indoor environment is correlated to respiratory complications.

The bacteria and toxins in the contaminated air of a flooded basement can cause difficulty in breathing. The problem starts off as irritation in your nose, throat, and lung when you breathe and later leads to continuous coughing. People with health problems like asthma often experience aggravated symptoms. This is why spending time in your basement to clean and restore it after it has been flooded is detrimental to your health.

High Fever and Severe Headaches

Another drawback when cleaning a flooded basement yourself is experiencing severe headaches or having high fever.  The higher levels of bacteria and toxins in the air of a contaminated basement may cause an allergic reaction like high fever or severe headaches in people with weaker immune systems. This means children, pets, pregnant women, and the elderly are at higher risk of experiencing such negative health effects so make sure you do not enter or attempt to clean your basement after it has been flooded.

Skin Inflammation

The next harmful health effect of exposing yourself to the environment of a flooded basement is skin inflammation. As explained above, flooding and wet conditions cause bacteria, dust mites, and toxins to spread inside the enclosed environment of a basement. This leads to different allergic reactions in different people. Many people may experience redness and itchiness on their skin when they get exposed to the contaminated air of a flooded basement.

Last Few Words

We hope it is evident to you by now that basement flooding can have serious consequences on the health of a person.  This is why you should make it a priority to contact a professional company for water damage restoration services for your flooded basement at your earliest. It’s always best to leave the cleaning and restoration task to be done by highly trained workers as they have the required tools and equipment for handling blackwater safely.

Please visit our website to get detailed information on water damage restoration.