Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a controversial health situation because there are two school of thoughts about this. One argument is that Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is more of a psychological problem, much like Agoraphobia. Another theory is that this sickness "syndrome" is real and is caused by health irritants and occupational hazards.
Sufferers of this syndrome claim that they feel fatigue, quesyness, nausea, dizzyness, and a general state of weakness when one is in the working place. No matter how unusual this syndrome sounds, it can be possible that the individual's body is reacting to "bad" air in the working place. Some of these may be fungus, allergens like dust mites, toxic chemicals, inadequate ventilation, chemical contaminants from outside sources or even noise pollution.
An example of a case is one who happens to be allergic to dust mites and wheezes and coughs so often in the working place. Though the primary cause is that the person has an allergy, the individual automatically concludes that the workplace is making her or him sick. The situation aggravates as the individual realizes that the moment she/he steps out of the working place all the symptoms of the "sickness" seem to disappear and reocurrs only in the workplace. The individual is perplexed and fretful which causes more stress particularly after hearing the physician say something like, "Nothing is physically wrong with you." More often than not, the same physician tells the patient that the cause may be psychological which in most cases is not completely acceptable to the sufferer because she/he knows that the sickness is real.
Most sufferers of SBS are usually suffering from symptoms of disease and the cause is usually something physical. The difficulty, however, is the inability of the sufferer to specify the definte cause. Most who "feel bad" at the workplace may be affected by biological contaminants such as viruses,molds, bacteria and pollen. These contaminants may be anywhere in the office. They could have been accumulated in humidifiers, ducts, ceiling tiles, carpeting , or even insulation. There is also the possibility that bird or insect droppings may be a source of biological contaminants causing unpleasant symptoms such as cough, wheezing, fatigue, and a general feeling of illness.
In cases such as this, the sufferer should inform the office supervisors so that a thorough investigation of the air quality of the office can be determined. Also to be taken into account is adding more ventilation. Removing or modyfing the source of the pollutant can likewise be helpful. Open and frank communication between one suffering from SBS and the supervisor is a major must because in most cases, more than one individual in the workplace usually suffer from SBS. In most cases however, those who feel sick in the office do not share what they feel to others because of fear that they may be called "weird" or even "loony" by their peers in the office.
While most suffering from SBS have legitimate health complaints and do feel sick, there are those who feel uneasy at a certain workplace situation because of psychological reasons though these individuals are rare. For instance, an agoraphobic who feels that the office is not within his/her "safety zone" may feel sick in the office. The moment the same person, however, leaves the office and reaches his/her home where she feels "safe", the illness disappears. Same is true for sufferers of other phobias related to buildings or someone who is already suffering from a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Whatever the case may be however, it may be first reasonable for the office supervisor to assume that the source of the "disease" is within the confines of the working place. Having a professional from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health investigate the ducts, ventilation systems, and other places in your building where molds can form may save a life.