At the end of each workday you feel achy and tired, your eyes and skin itch, and your throat is scratchy, resulting in a dry cough. But after a couple of hours at home, you feel better. The building in which you work may be making you sick. You may have sick building syndrome.

A sick building is one that is toxic. The materials are breaking down and releasing toxins into the air that you, as an occupant of the building, breathe in. The air quality of a sick building is the result of an improperly or poorly functioning heating and cooling system, the exposure of materials such as asbestos, mold and mildew spores, and off gassing from carpeting, furniture and paint.

A sick building makes you sick, hence the name sick building syndrome. As you work, the air you breathe is tainted with toxic gasses, mold spores and asbestos. Your body constantly has to fight off these toxins. The daily exposure, though, results in you experiencing the symptoms described above. The building makes you sick, but not so sick you don't return to work each day.

But that doesn't mean you won't get sicker. As the building continues to deteriorate, the exposure increases. That dry cough could escalate to bronchial congestion. Your itchy skin could develop a persistent rash. You aching muscles could result in your experiencing symptoms similar to fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Your doctor will tell you there is no source for your illness. He may even make you feel it's all in your head. But it's not. It's in the building in which you work.

There are two cures for sick building syndrome: Stop going into the building or treat the building.

To cure the building is to replace the heating and cooling system with a properly functioning system that allows for a 50/50 fresh air exchange. Any asbestos should be removed and all insulation should be replaced with non-toxic material. All surfaces should be cleaned with non-toxic cleaners and all mold and mildew removed. Walls and ceilings should be treated with paints free of volatile chemicals. Any carpeting and furnishings used should be manufactured without the use of formaldehyde or other toxic chemicals.

Cure the building and you cure the disease.

Commercial and public buildings, such as factories and schools, are more susceptible to sick building conditions than are residential homes. But that doesn't mean your house isn't sick, or can't get sick.

Mold and mildew spores have a negative impact on the air quality of your home. So does off gassing from carpeting and furnishings. And just as in commercial buildings, a poorly functioning heating and cooling system creates an ideal atmosphere for toxic air.

If you're experiencing symptoms of sick building syndrome even at home, you need to treat your house with the same cure described above for commercial and public buildings.

If you experience any of the symptoms described above, look first to your interior environments. Where you live and work directly affects your health. If you're sick, you may need to heal the building to heal your self.

Learn more about this author, Shelly Mcrae.
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