Fire incidents can happen to anyone, and the resulting damage can often be harmful. While a fire in itself is already catastrophic, smoke and soot residues left on surfaces can be a source of potentially dangerous health risks. Fire damage restoration is a time-sensitive process, as well as a procedure that requires expert capabilities and specialty cleaning equipment. It isn’t something that qualifies as a do-it-yourself project, which is why there are professionals like ServiceMaster by LoveJoy who are trained to do it right.
When you delay professional fire damage restoration services, the smoke and soot lying around the affected area could be detrimental as time goes by. ServiceMaster by LoveJoy discusses the negative effects of smoke and soot damage in this article.
How Soot and Smoke Exposure Affects Your Health
Smoke is composed of microscopic substances suspended in the air, which may be composed of particles and gases. Lingering smoke damage can be harmful to one’s health. If smoke is inhaled in large quantities, it can cause lung and airway inflammation which will block the body’s oxygen absorption.
On the other hand, once smoke settles on surfaces, the resulting substance is usually called soot. It is a mass of carbon particles which resulted from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons, typically appearing as a black, powdery substance.
Since airborne soot is invisible, the only time that one will be able to experience the inimical effects will be once it enters the body.
When exposed to soot for long periods, the resulting adverse effects to the health can be observed:
- Skin and eye irritation and/or inflammation
- Shortness of breath
- Bronchitis, asthma
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Cancer
- Premature death
In addition, soot exposure had first been associated with scrotal and skin cancer in 1775 among many British chimney sweepers. Many discoveries consequently revealed that chimney sweepers have a higher risk of scrotal and other skin cancers.
When the effects of soot exposure are not given immediate medical attention, the tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and result in breathing problems and eventually severe respiratory illnesses. It is therefore important to secure the help of professionals to remove the damage promptly before it causes harm.
Contact Atlanta, Georgia's Most Trusted Fire and Smoke Remediation Company
ServiceMaster by LoveJoy is available to respond to your emergency needs and provide you with immediate solutions to fire damage restoration and smoke damage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact ServiceMaster by LoveJoy at 678-293-0297 for Conyers and 770- 983-6665 for Roswell.
We service Atlanta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Decatur, Stockbridge, Conyers, McDonough, Stone Mountain, Covington, Social Circle, and Dekalb County, Georgia and surrounding areas.
