Can Smoke Damage in the House Affect Your Health?
When you've had a fire in your house, you know you're in need of fire damage restoration services. But something else you should treat as seriously as fire damage is smoke damage. Smoke is very invasive and can find itself anywhere in your house, including between your walls, furnishings and any space in your property. The soot can destroy your personal belongings and the lingering odors are obnoxious. From our background as a fire damage restorations company, Paul Davis knows how irritating smoke damage can be, but we also understand how harmful it can be as well. Smoke damage needs to be taken care of properly, because it is unsafe to stay in an area where a fire has been. Clearing out any particles from smoke damage is just as important as repairing fire damage. Lingering smoke and soot can actually damage the health of everyone living inside the house. It is unsafe to live inside a residence with smoke damage, even when all the smoke has been removed, there could still be soot and particles around that you can't see. That's why it's important to get an expert to review your residence after you've had a house fire.How Smoke Contamination Affects Your Health
Fire damage causes ash and soot, but the harmful materials that linger in the smoke often contain carbons and tar. One of the primary things you need to be cognizant of smoke contamination is the extremely hazardous gas, carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is invisible, odorless and tasteless, and that's why it's vital to have an expert come to your house for fire and smoke damage repair. An expert technician will be able to test the levels of carbon monoxide in your house after a fire has taken place. Tar, carbon monoxide and other residue that are produced from smoke contamination can lead to some alarming health issues, these are comprised of:- Respiratory Issues – Your lungs and sinuses could be affected directly, making breathing troublesome, if your residence hasn't been re-mediated of smoke contamination. Even when your house is clear from smoke, small particles from the fire and smoke could be lingering in your carpets and furniture. If this is the case, then you're in danger of breathing in these particles which can result in needing medical attention down the road.
- Skin Damage – Since residue from fire and smoke can get embedded into your carpets, furniture and clothing, this can cause your skin to become irritated. This can be serious enough that lotion won't be able to remedy it.
- Eye Irritation – Smoke contamination has the ability to hang around, even when you can't see it, and this can irritate the eyes causing them to be watery, red and itchy. If the problem is neglected for a period of time, this can lead to more concerns and harm to your eyes.