Can Smoke Damage in the Home Impact Your Health?
Fires in your house are dangerous for you, your loved ones and your home. In the beginning, fire damage restorations may be anticipated, but even when the flames are extinguished, you're left with another dangerous thing: smoke contamination. No matter the size of the fire, big or small, smoke can affect your entire home. The odor from smoke can invade the home by getting in vents, walls and other hard-to-reach places, and it can affect your personal belongings. The smoke soot leftover from the fire can also lead to damage to your residence. As a fire damage restoration company, Paul Davis understands how destructive a fire can be and how dangerous smoke damage is to you and your residence. Clearing out any remnants of smoke damage is just as essential as repairing fire damage. Lingering smoke and soot can actually damage the health of anyone residing in the home. It is unsafe to stay inside a residence with smoke damage, even when all the smoke has been cleared away, there could still be soot and particles around that you can't see. That's why it's crucial to get an expert to inspect your house after you've had a home fire.Health Issues that Arise from Smoke Contamination
Tar and carbon are some of the substances produced from smoke, and if these are breathed in over a duration of time, they can damage your lungs. Carbon monoxide is another significant problem to take into account as well. It's a harmful gas that displaces oxygen in the blood when breathed in, which keeps oxygen away from the brain, heart and other organs. After your property has been through a fire, an expert can come in and analyze the carbon monoxide levels in your home. Along with tar, carbon monoxide and other particles, the health problems that can come from smoke damage are comprised of:- Respiratory Issues – Your lungs and sinuses could be affected directly, making breathing problematic, if your home hasn't had smoke damage removed of correctly. Even when your residence is free from smoke, the remaining residue from the fire and smoke could still remain in your carpets and furniture. If this is the situation, then you're in danger of breathing in the residue which can lead to medical attention down the road.
- Skin Damage – Serious skin irritation that can't be treated from lotion can be provoked from soot and smoke residue, which could need medical attention. Since smoke has the ability to get into clothing and furniture, there could be small particles lingering that harm the skin.
- Eye Irritation – Smoke damage can linger, even when you can't see it, and this can aggravate the eyes making them watery, red and itchy. When the problem is ignored for a duration of time, this can cause more complications and damage to your eyes.
