Faulty plumbing can cause more than just structural or physical damage to your home. It can pose a huge threat to your overall health. This includes you, your children and your pets. A bad pipe or leak not only requires the help of your plumber, but you may need to have your doctor on call. Health problems associated with this can range from minor to serious. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with many of these potential hazards.
Mold is the number one problem associated with leaky pipes. Water damage to walls, ceilings, floors, under the sink, and other areas are perfect breeding grounds for mold. If there is enough moisture, mold can grow in two days. That’s practically no time.
The south is a humid environment. If you keep the humidity level in your home a little too high, your home is prone to mold growth. Watch for condensation on your windows. This is the most obvious way to tell if the indoor humidity is too high.
Now that you know exactly what causes mold, you need to know about its adverse health effects. On a minor note, mold can make your allergies or asthma worse. Many symptoms include cough, congestion, eye irritation, skin rash, itching, runny nose, and worse asthma attacks. Mold can also cause infections in people with immunosuppression or lung disease.
Moving on to a more serious note. There have been links between mold and various serious effects and conditions. Now, these data are not 100% accurate; however, researchers have enough strong evidence to believe that mold is the underlying cause. Many of these serious effects are: fever, vomiting, coughing up blood, nosebleeds, headaches, diarrhea, liver damage, fatigue, dizziness, and a few others. Some of these conditions may go away over time, while others may be permanent. Regardless, you should see a doctor right away if you experience any of these symptoms.
Aside from mold, the quality of your water can have serious effects on your health. Once again, some are softer than others. For most homes, there are separate pipes for sewage and fresh water. If there is a leak in any of these, especially the sewer pipe, this is the perfect opportunity for water contamination. If your tap or shower water smells funny, it’s a sign of contamination.
Contaminated drinking water can cause immediate health effects such as nausea, rashes, vomiting, lung problems, and sometimes even death. However, more often than not, contaminated drinking water leads to later, long-term health problems such as cancer, kidney damage, liver damage, nervous system damage, immune system damage, and birth defects.
Plumbers can save your life. They are the doctors in your home. It is extremely important to be on the lookout for leaking pipes or unusual moisture buildup in walls, floors, and ceilings. If you have any unusual health problems, see a doctor and get a home inspection.