The cleanliness of the buildings you frequent or the home you live in can have a huge influence on your day-to-day life and overall health. Have you ever spontaneously felt sick or unwell in a particular area in your home? Maybe you’ve noticed your health takes a turn for the worse when you get into your office at the start of the day. In these situations, you often feel normal while you’re out and about but each time you’re in that particular place, whether at home, in the store, your office, you consistently notice those dreadful symptoms – allergy attacks, headaches, nausea, coughing fits, sudden exhaustion and more. Well chances are, you may be dealing with the effects of Sick Building Syndrome.
Sick Building Syndrome is a real condition recognized by OSHA, the EPA and other health organizations. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the term SBS “is used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building. The complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone or may be widespread throughout the building.”
The effects of SBS range from person to person and the symptoms vary, which make it extremely difficult for studies and researchers to pinpoint the exact cause. While reports have linked SBS to a plethora of cleanliness and ventilation factors, the common theme and main culprit always come down to air quality. In South Florida, where humidity and heat are more prevalent that up north, causing AC units to stay on almost 24/7, it’s even more important to monitor the air we breathe indoors.
When it comes down to it, the most basic instinct as humans is to breathe, yet rarely do we actually think about the quality of the air we are breathing unless we visually notice an inconsistency, such as smoke lingering in a stale room or gas fumes spewing from the exhaust of a truck. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other pollutants, chemicals, and microbials that are invisible to the naked eye that can be very harmful for our lungs and bodies.
Mold spores, water damage, dust buildup, and a laundry list of causes all play a part in reducing air quality. In an effort to combat these issues, the best thing you or your employer can do is not only create a healthy home or office environment by regularly cleaning to remove dust, grime, viruses, pollutants and other microbials but to also thoroughly clean and decontaminate all air conditioning units, HVAC systems, and air ducts, as well as using high quality air filters that are replaced monthly.
Sick Building Syndrome is serious a serious condition and the symptoms can range from mild to severe, and in certain cases, life threatening. Don’t wait around, if you’re concerned you may be living or working in an environment that produces SBS and would like a professional opinion on the best solution to achieve cleaner, healthier air, call the team at Steemer of South Florida today.