Flood-Cleaning Chemicals Causing Sickness

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Flood-Cleaning Chemicals Causing Sickness

07/08/2008

KAALtv.com - Rochester,MN*

By: Jackie Orozco

http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S504350.shtml?cat=10226

(ABC 6 NEWS) - Mason City homeowners are still cleaning up and some

of them are literally getting sick because of it.

Doctors are seeing more people calling in with flood-related

illnesses while using powerful chemicals to clean up.

" We do still see people who've been treated for diarrhea, infectious

diarrhea or for skin infections, " says Dr. Matt , from Mercy

Medical Center.

Dr. says they've been getting several phone calls about

flood related illnesses.

He says the most common signs are upper respiratory problems like a

persistent cough or fever like symptoms.

" It's important to have good ventilation in the house if you're

working with noxious chemicals, " he says.

Ed Frese says this is exactly why he didn't use any chemicals to

clean his home.

" You never know what's in them; they can say they're safe but

they're not, " he says.

Frese says after wading through four feet of water, it was better to

gut his entire home to make sure the mold is completely gone.

But Kamm is using bleach and other chemicals keep prevent

mold from growing in his flooded home.

" United Way came in with the simple green, pressure washed and hosed

the whole place down, " says Kamm.

Frese still remembers how he felt when he first walked in his home.

" My lungs would feel like they weighed 20 pounds. It was bad but

once the carpet got out it was fine. "

Dr. says the best way to prevent infections is to check

with your doctor if you have any persistent or strange symptoms.

Fever, headaches, vomiting, cramps or diarrhea are a few symptoms

that can happen while cleaning up a flooded home.

If these symptoms last longer than two days, call your family

doctor.