Sick House Syndrome as explained by your Hobart building inspector
Is Your House Making You Sick?
Is your house making you sick? Don’t be surprised if the answer is yes. Toxins, pesticides, gases, mites, and molds are everywhere and the more you’re exposed to them, the greater your risk for developing the health problems they can cause.
When it comes to being “home sick,” you can look at it in two ways.
- Which of your health problems are related to your environment?
- Or what hazards are lurking in your environment and what can they do to you?
The first is, typically referred to as “Sick House Syndrome,” usually results in a group of symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation, stuffiness, and rash. These symptoms come and go fairly quickly — you may notice them within an hour or two of entering a building but also notice that they will be gone within an hour or two of leaving a building. There is no objective test that measures these symptoms, so it’s more a matter of paying attention to the symptoms and trying to pinpoint when you have them and where you are when they strike.
The second is, “Building-associated illness”. In this case, the effects of environmental hazards may not be immediately apparent. Exposure to asbestos, for example, can lead to lung cancers, but it may be 10 to 40 years before that happens. With building-associated illness, abnormalities — such as sinusitis, allergies, and asthma — can be diagnosed through objective tests.
Every household is different, but we should all look to the same general sources when trying to determine what hazards we’re facing.
Children, older adults, and individuals with a chronic illness are particularly susceptible to environmental hazards. If you’re a parent, think about your environment from the vantage point of a child. “The more they’re exposed when their organ systems are not fully developed, the more risk they have.”
Sick House Syndrome Sources
- Air pollution, Tobacco Smoke
- Bacteria
- Bathroom odours
- Chemicals, Pesticides
- Cosmetics
- Dirt, Combustion Gases
- Dust, Asbestos
- Electromagnetic Fields
- Food additives
- Indoor plants
- Litter box contents
- Mold, Lead
- Noise pollution
- Pet dander
- Pollens, Allergens
- Synthetic materials
- Water additives
- Water pollution
- Viruses
Do you ever? Wake up tired and sluggish, Need a nap in the afternoon, Find yourself crashing by mid-afternoon and depend on caffeine to keep you going, Feel bad while just watching TV in the evening for no apparent reason
There may be solutions for you that do not involve drugs, supplements, special diet, exercise or any modification to your life style. Your house may well be what’s making you sick?
To find out more and get your home inspected call your local independent property inspector on
1800 17 88 22 or email leon@ipi.net.au
© Independent Property Inspections 2019