Indoor Air Quality: Is Your Home or Office Safe?

We all feel at one point or another that work makes us "sick." For some, however, this feeling is quite literal. Individuals who work indoors spend the better part of their days exposed to whatever contaminants may be lingering about the office. The source of persisting, miserable feelings of sickness could be right under your nose, so to speak. Indoor air quality at the job is a serious, potentially risky health factor.

A variety of contaminants contributing to respiration disorders, allergies, and other complications are a direct result of the conditions of the building where you work. Dampness, cleanliness, and ventilation are just a few known culprits. Older buildings, for example, tend to become damp and dusty over the years, which is an invitation to mold and spores. Many workers respond drastically to these conditions with allergic reactions and respiratory difficulties. Pay close attention to what is outside the office as well, such as pollen-producing trees, certain insects, or construction.

Even if the building itself is not the source of poor air quality, there is a good chance that objects within the building are. Objects that you use every day, such as office equipment and cleaners could contain chemicals that disagree with your body. Furniture and carpeting can also develop pollutants over time and eventually react with your body's chemistry.

Poor air quality does not always result from the building or objects within it. Individuals in the workplace can also effectively contribute to the health problems that you are experiencing. Perfumes and colognes, shampoos, lotions, and other grooming products can trigger allergic responses.If health problems have continued over an extended period of time, then they will most likely not go away on their own. In fact, they will likely worsen. With the knowledge of factors contributing to indoor air quality, you have a better chance of narrowing down the source of your ailments, and taking the necessary steps to restoring your health.
1 2 Next
CONTRIBUTE TO THIS STORY
Print Article