How Indoor Air Quality and Sick Building Syndrome Are Related?

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Does poor indoor air quality and sick building syndrome ring any bell to you?

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a medical condition where people suffer from illness caused due to breathing poor indoor air quality. It comprises of various symptoms that occur to the occupants living in the home for a very long time, or other indoor spaces like office and school.

In this article, we discuss how poor indoor air quality and sick building syndrome are directly related to each other.

There are several health conditions associated when we talk about sick building syndrome. People complaining about constant headaches, dizziness, nausea, eye, and nose or throat irritation are some common health issues that can be seen or felt. Dry coughing, itching skin, difficulty in concentration, constant fatigue, sensitivity to odor, cold, allergies, flu are other common symptoms experienced by people of all age.

Indoor Air Quality and Sick Building Syndrome – Signs

Here are some common signs that tell one could be suffering from sick building syndrome due to inhaling of poor indoor air quality for too long.

Shortness of breath even on mild exertion, chest pain, cough, nosebleeds, and palpitation
Chronic illness such as cancer, difficulty in getting pregnant or going through multiple miscarriages
Allergic reaction from dust and smell
Asthma, bronchitis or sinusitis
Pontiac fever that occurs predominately in the middle-aged and elderly adults
Flu and fever which is also called as Monday fever

Responsible Factors of Poor Indoor Air Quality that causes SBS

Following are the factors that are responsible for experiencing sick building syndrome due to bad air quality inside the building.

Chemical Contaminants –

Contaminants from pollutants residing outdoors such as motor vehicle exhaust, plumbing vents and building exhaust like bathrooms and kitchen can enter your building through poorly located air vents, windows, and doors. Combustion byproducts mostly enter from garage or basement. Radon, formaldehyde, asbestos, dust and lead paint also enter through these openings, leading to polluting the indoor air.

The other main source of indoor air pollution can be from using products that have volatile organic compounds (VOC.) Use of adhesives, upholstery, carpeting, copy machines, wood products, pesticides, cleaning agent causes indoor air pollution in the school, office or house space. Synthetic products due to the use of perfumed candles or incense stick or room fresheners also cause house air pollution.

Biological Contaminant –

Pollen, bacteria, viruses, fungus, and molds are the contaminants which are commonly found indoors if untreated. Not only these pollutants can make you sick but they also breed in stagnant water that is accumulated in humidifiers, air conditioner, drainpipes, and ducts where the water is collected on the tiles, insulation, carpets, and upholstery.

Even the insect and bird dropping are a source of biological contamination that can cause fever, cough, and allergic reaction to people of all age group.

Inadequate ventilation, electromagnetic radiation, lack of light or sunlight, high level of humidity inside the room space also cause sick building syndrome. Psychological factor such as poor interpersonal relationship, excessive work pressure or dissatisfaction also makes a person go through health issues and cranky mood swings.