When intense summer heat combines with the wind in Yuma, AZ, a fire is often the result. Once a wildfire starts, it can quickly spread into residential neighborhoods, damaging homes. Other fires start with an accident at home or even a gas leak. Whatever caused the fire, the resulting damage can be devastating to your health as well as your property. Here are some of the ways that fire damage can impact your health.
Ash Particles
Even though the fire on your property has been put out, the ash left behind can be harmful to your health. When inhaled, the ashes can become lodged in your throat and lungs, causing respiratory problems. While larger ash particles can irritate your eyes and nose, smaller ash particles can cause long-term harm to your body. They can aggravate respiratory conditions such as asthma, lung disease, and bronchitis. In addition, many ash particles are so small that they can pass the blood-brain barrier, entering your bloodstream and damaging your internal organs.
Toxic Chemicals
The same ash particles that negatively affect your lungs can also contain toxic substances. A host of materials may have burned in the fire, including synthetic materials, plastics, and lead. These non-organic materials can be very harmful to your skin and other parts of your body. When burned, some types of jewelry release sodium cyanide, for example, which is toxic to humans when inhaled. Even if a fire restoration company cleans up the damage, toxic chemicals will still be floating in the air. Not only does it take a long time for these chemicals to disappear, but they also tend to cling to walls and furnishings. Anytime you pick up debris from the fire, the chemicals will get on your skin and clothing.
Psychological Damage
When a fire burns your home and your most prized possessions, the psychological damage can be huge. Besides having symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), many people who have had a fire rip through their homes see an increase in anxiety and depression. As you would after any other traumatic event, you should seek counseling after a house fire because you may have to come to terms with everything you lost, be they memories or pets.
If you have had fire damage in all or parts of your home, contact Professional Home Doctors in Yuma for our professional fire damage restoration services. Fire damage is often complicated, so our team must first assess the area. Next, we secure the property and then remove all the items that have been damaged. Some items can be salvaged, while some will have to be discarded. Once we have cleaned the area and applied antimicrobial chemicals, our fire damage restoration process can begin. To learn more, contact us to find out everything we can do to help you return to normalcy.