Water Damage – Bad For Your Home And Bad For You

The majority of us are aware of the various issues that water damage can result in with our homes. Not only can they result in structural damage, but they can also result in damage to your home’s foundation itself. All of this is able to be replaced. The same can’t be said for you and everyone in your home. This is why it is so crucial to understanding the potential negative impacts that water damage can have on the health of everyone in your home. Below, we will be going over a few of the most common health issues that can be caused by water damage.

Mold

This is easily one of the most common health-related consequences of having water damage left untreated in your home. Mold is something that grows very quickly and it is a fungus. While a lot of different types of mold at not harmful, there are plenty of different kinds of mold that pose serious health risks with long-term exposure.

Some of the different minor health problems that can be caused by mold include:

– Shortness of breath
– Congestion with sinuses
– Fatigue
– Joint Stiffness or pain
– Headaches
– Chronic cough

Many of these symptoms are not overly serious. However, no one wants to have to deal with these symptoms but they can all be caused by mold growth occurring throughout your home.

There can also be a lot of symptoms that are much more serious directly caused by mold exposure. This will vary based on the type of mold you are exposed to, the duration of the exposure, your general health, and more. The two most dangerous types of mold that are known to cause these much more severe symptoms are toxigenic molds and pathogenic molds.

1. Pathogenic molds

This is the kind of mold that is much more likely to produce some kind of infection. It is much more of a concern for those that have already weakened immune systems whether it be due to a disease or something else. Prolonged exposure to this mold can end up leading to pneumonia and it can even cause fungus to grow inside of the lungs of those that have compromised immune systems.

2. Toxigenic molds

This is the type of mold that is very dangerous because they end up producing mycotoxins which can have very serious implications on the health of anyone. Exposure to this type of mold has been known to lead to cancer and immunosuppression.

Contaminated water

A lot of the times the flood water that sits in the home is contaminated. This alone can endanger anyone that is living in the home because they will all be exposed to it. One of the main contaminants to be aware of would be sewage water. Because sewage water can have a wide range of different infectious diseases in it, anyone that comes into contact with it can contact them. This includes severe infectious diseases like cholera, dysentery, and even typhoid. Thus, it is very important to properly protect yourself from potential contamination if flooding occurs in your home. You will want to do so by wearing protective clothing and calling a professional.

Flooding is one of the primary causes of home damage throughout the world and the effects can be much more far-reaching than damaging your home. This type of damage can result in dangerous mold growth which can put anyone in your home in danger. We are dedicated to keeping you and your Minneapolis home safe.