How do you find out if your house is making you sick?
- throat irritation.
- breathing difficulties.
- tightness in the chest.
- runny nose.
- allergy-like symptoms, such as sneezing.
- burning sensations in the nose.
- dry, itchy skin rashes.
- headaches.
Causes of sick building syndrome
It's probably due to a combination of things, such as: poor ventilation or poorly maintained air conditioning systems. dust, smoke, fumes or fabric fibres in the air. bright or flickering lights.
Wipe down surfaces: Certain types of viruses, including the flu, can live on surfaces for up to 24 hours. Use bleach or a disinfectant spray to wipe down and sanitize the surfaces (especially the highly trafficked ones) in your home. This includes countertops, tables, doorknobs, faucets and even the remote.
If you are regularly experiencing cold or flu symptoms, seemingly only when you're at home, it could be from sick building syndrome. Sick building syndrome is when mold, water damage, poor indoor air quality or other issues in your home are constantly making you sick.
Essentially Toxic Building Syndrome is where the air quality in your home or office is so bad that it can affect the health of those inside. You see you might think you're breathing clean air, but in fact the air inside your home can have more than 900 harmful chemicals and organisms in it, which you simply cannot see.
- Stay hydrated. Water, juice, clear broth or warm lemon water with honey helps loosen congestion and prevents dehydration. ...
- Rest. Your body needs rest to heal.
- Soothe a sore throat. ...
- Combat stuffiness. ...
- Relieve pain. ...
- Sip warm liquids. ...
- Try honey. ...
- Add moisture to the air.
There is no specific medical test to diagnose sick building syndrome. Physicians usually treat the symptoms individually, but the real identification of a "sick building" is subjective.
Cold air inflames lungs and inhibits circulation, increasing the risk of respiratory conditions, such as asthma attacks or symptoms, worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and infection.
Toxic house syndrome is a condition inside the home where a buildup of chemicals, toxins, bacteria, and other harmful pollutants exist in the air supply. Because they are trapped inside the home, they continue to impact a person's health.
- Purchase an indoor air quality monitor.
- Evaluate health symptoms.
- Monitor carbon monoxide and radon levels.
- Get an air purifier.
- Call an air quality professional.
How can you tell if air is toxic?
- Coughing or Difficulty Breathing. ...
- Sneezing or Allergic Reactions. ...
- Skin Dryness or Irritation. ...
- Headaches or Nausea. ...
- Inability to Sleep. ...
- Dust Buildup. ...
- Hot and Cold Spots. ...
- Unpleasant Odor.
...
Symptoms
- Sneezing.
- Runny or stuffy nose.
- Cough and postnasal drip.
- Itchy eyes, nose and throat.
- Watery eyes.
- Dry, scaly skin.
Usually the most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to eliminate individual sources of pollution or to reduce their emissions. Some sources, like those that contain asbestos, can be sealed or enclosed; others, like gas stoves, can be adjusted to decrease the amount of emissions.
Chronic stress, poor diet, and lack of sleep make you less able to fend off infection. If you're not making time for R and R, you're probably going to keep getting sick. Your immune system can't take care of you if you don't take care of it.
To test for mold spores in the air you're breathing, you'll need to purchase a viable mold detection kit such as Seeml Labs' Mold Inspector in a Box. Most quality mold tests cost between $20 and $45. The entire testing process will take a few days.
To check for mold, look for discoloration on surfaces with a slimy, fuzzy, or powdery texture. Mold can sometimes grow in hard-to-spot places, such as behind wallpaper, inside vents, or in an attic or basement. Start by inspecting your house or apartment for leaky pipes or any other signs or sources of moisture.
Do air purifiers help with mold? Air purifiers help capture mold spores from the air, preventing them from reproducing and spreading throughout your home. While air purifiers won't help treat active mold that's already present on surfaces, they are a great way to control the spread of airborne mold particles.