The Complete Guide to Sick Building Syndrome

What is it, how to prevent it and how to get better?

Introduction: What is Sick Building Syndrome?

Sick Building Syndrome?(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, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. A 1984?World Health Organization?report suggested up to 30% of new and remodeled buildings worldwide may be subject of complaints related to poor?indoor air quality.

Often Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a disease related to the poor quality of indoor air caused by various factors. SBS occurs when people are exposed to harmful chemicals, gases, molds, bacteria, viruses and other pollutants that are not healthy for human beings.

Causes of Sick Building Syndrome

Sick Building Syndrome is a term for a set of health symptoms which are believed to be caused by time spent in buildings where the air quality is unhealthy. Health problems associated with Sick Building Syndrome vary from person to person and include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, sinus irritation and dry throat.

Sick building causes are frequently pinned down to flaws in the?heating, ventilation, and air conditioning?(HVAC) systems. Other causes have been attributed to contaminants produced by?outgassing?of some types of building materials,?volatile organic compounds?(VOC),?molds, improper exhaust ventilation of?ozone?(byproduct of some office machinery), light industrial chemicals used within the building or lack of adequate fresh-air intake/air filtration.

The major cause of Sick Building Syndrome is the use of poor quality material in buildings that are not properly ventilated or have an insufficient amount of fresh air coming in from outside. In addition to this, people who suffer from SBS may also have their symptoms caused by prolonged exposure to office equipment such as photocopiers and printers which may release ozone.

The Institute of Occupational Medicine reported the link between Sick Building Syndrome and poor indoor air quality as early as 1981. A study conducted at the State University of New York found that those who spend more than 5 hours a day in poorly ventilated offices have an increased risk of developing Sick Building Syndrome symptoms. In addition, there is evidence that those who work in close proximity to carpets, upholstered furniture or photocopy machines have an increased risk of developing symptoms as well.

Symptoms & Effects of Sick Building Syndrome

SBS symptoms include headaches, eye and throat irritation, nausea, coughing and other physiological reactions to poor air quality. These symptoms have been shown to cause a decrease in productivity levels as well as a decrease in worker satisfaction.

Prevention Steps for Sick Building Syndrome

Sick Building Syndrome is the condition that happens when an indoor environment gets polluted with any type of irritant. People get affected by this because they are constantly breathing in these toxic particles, which makes them feel ill.

Some of the ways to prevent SBS are:

• Air quality management system
• Increase ventilation and improve ventilation rates
• Use green design materials
• Ventilation hygiene
• General hygiene

How to Improve Your Health After SBS Exposure

Treatment for SBS involves addressing the underlying cause of the condition and reducing exposure to contaminants (particles, VOCs, …) while minimizing sources of irritation.

More information:

1. www.sickbuildingsyndrome.eu
2. Sickbuildingsyndroom - Wikipedia
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sick_building_syndrome

Want to know more? Do you have specific questions? Do you want to discuss a particular case? Please feel free to react to this article or send a personal message.