Did you walk through the door of your home after a long day at work only to be greeted by the smell of sewage? This will be a major problem that will need immediate attention to correct. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also be dangerous to your health. Leave your home to get to fresh air before you contact a plumber to fix the problem for you. Here are 3 reasons why you should be very concerned:
Sewage Contains Several Gases
The odor that you are smelling is actually caused by multiple gases in the sewage. Methane and hydrogen sulfide are two of those gases to be very concerned about. They form when organic waste decomposes.
While hydrogen sulfide has the smell similar to rotten eggs, methane doesn't have an odor. The odor of hydrogen sulfide may be faint, but a faint smell does not mean that you have a small problem. There could actually be more methane gas in the air than you think because of this. Allow the smell of hydrogen sulfide to be the warning sign that other odorless gas is in the air, no matter how powerful the odor is.
Sewage Is Hazardous To Your Health
The smell of hydrogen sulfide has the potential to make you feel sick. The odor can be stomach turning and make you feel like throwing up. You'll also have a runny nose, watery eyes, headache, and dizziness from the strong odor. People who are asthmatic may even have problems breathing due to coughing.
Methane gas can cause headaches, dizziness, and tiredness. The gas displaces oxygen in the air, which could also lead to suffocating and becoming unconscious as a result. In extreme situations, you can even die from too much methane in the air.
Sewage Can Paralyze Your Noses Nerves
Don't make the mistake of assuming a sewage odor went away all on its own. Hydrogen sulfide can make you unable to smell due to olfactory fatigue. It can happen in only minutes and give the appearance that the odor went away. You will still be exposed to all of the dangers from sewage odor seeping into your home, but you won't be aware that it is happening due to the nerves in your nose being paralyzed.
Sewage odor is definitely something you do not want to take lightly. Contact a plumbing company like AAA Home Services immediately to have the issue resolved.