Sick Building Syndrome
Posted on 18. Aug, 2009 by Cheryl in Home and Garden
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Today’s building and homes are made up of a variety of building materials, decorative materials, and furnishings, many of which contain toxic elements which out-gas into the air we breathe, make their way into our drinking water, or rub off on skin surfaces of adults, children, even pets.
The human body is a marvelous organism with structures and functions designed, among other things, to detoxify…to an extent. Each person, depending on their state of health, their age, natural constitution, genetic factors, and mental condition, is resistant to a certain amount of toxicity. Our limits can be reached and our immune systems overwhelmed either by a massive intrusion of a single chemical (as in a chemical spill or ingestion of a poison) or by small, daily doses of multiple chemicals. This is what happens in Sick Building Syndrome.
Vague symptoms, easily attributed to other causes, are often the only early warning signs. These may include headaches, allergies, nervousness, or just not feeling “right.” But if the toxins are not addressed and reduced, more serious conditions may be the result. These might be known as environmental illness, chronic fatigue syndrome, or multiple chemical sensitivity. More and more doctors are being faced with a baffling king of patient – one who is hypersensitive to items of modern manufacture.
Some of the parts of a home that may contain toxic substances:
- paints
- lumber
- carpets
- furniture
- household cleaning products
- computers
- light fixtures
- gas appliances
- wallpaper
- kitchen cabinets
- new upholstery
- drapes
- glues
- plywood
- fiberglass
- particle board
- paneling
- processed foods
- cookware
- laundry detergent
- clothes dryer belt
- hair dryers
- hurricane lamps
- candles
- water softener
- air conditioner filter
- food packaging
- coffee filters
- body products
- water pipes
That’s not a comprehensive list. It does look daunting, but there are some things you can do about it!
My feeling is that, since all these toxins are ganging up on our bodies and environment in small, continuous doses from multiple sources, it makes sense to take a gradient approach to doing something about it. Sometimes people who are very sick take extreme measures and even relocate to a cleaner environment. But most people are just trying to improve their lives and health and the lives and health of people they love.
So, here are some random ideas for things some people might be able to do fairly easily, with the goal of improving things, without having to fix them entirely.
- Air out the house frequently. Take advantage of any cross-ventilating windows and doors. Use a fan if necessary.
- Lids of chemicals are usually not completely air-tight. Don’t keep toxic chemicals in the house. Keep them in the garage, or better yet, in a shed or out-building, because if your garage is attached to your house, all chemicals that are out-gassed in your garage are pulled into your house every time you go through that door. If you must keep some things in the house or even the garage, try putting them in a large closed zip-lock bag or other outer container.
- Clean any carpets frequently, but with steam and non-toxic cleaning agents, rather than the commercial cleaning fluids.
- Take off shoes when in the house or, if that is not practical, then wipe them thoroughly on doormats both outside and inside the exterior doors. Remember to clean the bottoms the shoes frequently, to remove the dirt from outdoors, which contains toxins from wherever the shoes have been.
- Clean spills in your oven promptly, so they don’t get baked on. Avoid the toxic oven cleaner as long as possible. (Some ovens allow aluminum foil lining to be placed in the bottom, but check your owner’s manual first, as this is forbidden in some types of ovens.)
- Use air and water filters, including shower filters.
- Wash new clothes before wearing them, to wash away the chemicals.
- Use as many natural products as possible for cleaning, laundry, dishes, pet care, baby care, gardening, food preparation and body care. Browse in your local health food store or online to see what is available.
- Replace drugstore rubbing alcohol with food-grade alcohol, such as grain alcohol or vodka.
- Use as many local or organic foods as possible. Keep an eye out for sales and seasonal specials.
- Shop the edges of the grocery store, where the fresh food is. Avoid the packaged, processed foods on the inner aisles.
- Do not drive close behind a car that smells, since the exhaust fumes will come in your air vents or windows.
- Ask your dentist if he can provide non-metallic fillings.
- Ask your doctor if there is a natural alternative to any prescription or over-the-counter medications he recommends.
- If you run a generator during a power outage, make sure it is completely outdoors.
- Keep indoor potted plants, especially those that absorb toxins, such as formaldehyde. Azaleas are particularly good. Others include the spider plant, Chinese evergreen, schefflera, peperomia, peace lily, corn plant, snake plant, bromeliad, aloe vera, bamboo palm, pot mum, orchid, dumbcane, warneckii, Madagascar dragon tree, mass cane, poinsettia, weeping fig, variegated lily turf, banana, and oyster plant.
Who else knows some great tips for gradually reducing the amount of toxins in our homes and bodies? If you have an idea, go ahead and enter a comment in the box below. (If no box is visible, click on “Continue Reading” and a comment box should appear lower down.)
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26 Responses to “Sick Building Syndrome”
Leave a Reply
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Joseph@side sleeper pillow: Great advice here. I will take it into account. I...
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Jimmy @ Steel Manufacturers: After reading this, I think there needs to be stro...
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Devin@Provo Chiropractic: In our home, we found that the place where the sin...
Chris from Online Health Food Store (1 comments)
03. Oct, 2009
There’s so many toxic substances around us, in our homes, food, water and atmosphere that it seems almost impossible to avoid them. Your ideas how to avoid toxic substances are great and very helpful. Thank you for them.
But I’m sure some toxic substances will get into our bodies anyway, so it could be a good idea to get rid of them. Some herbs like Reishi mushroom help to get rid of toxic elements and also increase immunity. Doing yoga is also very helpful with cleaning the body from toxic substances.
Chris @ Online Health Food Store´s last blog ..Raw Food for Health
Cheryl (59 comments)
04. Oct, 2009
Welcome, Chris! Once the toxins are in our bodies, we certainly need to get them out! Thanks for the tips.
Sick Building Syndrome
06. Oct, 2009
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Sarah from Best Acai Berry Product (1 comments)
18. Oct, 2009
I read some about colon cleansing. What do you think about cleansing pills for cleaning toxins from the body?
Kerry from lawn and patio furniture (1 comments)
13. Nov, 2009
There are so many toxic products around the home these days. We had new carpet installed in our lounge room. As soon as it went in, our daughter began to suffer from really bad headaches. It turned out that the out gassing from the carpet was causing the problem. Our only way around the problem was to remove the carpet. Once that was gone, so were the headaches.
Makes you think.
Cheryl (59 comments)
14. Nov, 2009
Welcome, Kerry.
I sympathize with the carpet problem. Once aware of how toxic are most carpets (new and old), folks are likely to look for alternatives. Here’s one article on toxic carpeting with some suggestions at the end. You’ll find many more by Googling “toxic carpeting” or “nontoxic carpeting” or “nontoxic flooring.” Good luck with whatever solution you choose.
jose from aloe vera colon cleanse (1 comments)
22. Nov, 2009
Hi!.
Thanks for the Tips. This really helps me a lot. Thanks for your help.
jose @ aloe vera colon cleanse´s last blog ..Benefits of aloe vera drinks – from inside out
cris from aloe vera colon cleanse (1 comments)
23. Nov, 2009
Hi!. Thanks for the post now i know what to do, because my son is always playing on our carpet. Are there any other tips that can help me? Thanks.
cris @ aloe vera colon cleanse´s last blog ..Benefits of aloe vera drinks – from inside out
Non Toxic Cleaner (1 comments)
02. Jan, 2010
This article is really valuable in terms of protecting our environment. Today we have a number of toxic products around us and we should get rid off them. Switching to non-toxic cleaner is a first step and our contribution towards protecting our environment.
Cheryl (59 comments)
02. Jan, 2010
Welcome, Rich.
I agree. Finding a non-toxic cleaner will help people to clean out the poisonous substances they might be storing in their closets, garages, and under their sinks. It will eliminate the toxins from the air (both during storage and use) and from surfaces that are constantly touched by their family members and pets. I’ve been amazed at how well non-toxic cleaners do clean. We don’t need to poison the atmosphere to have a clean house!
Rich Smith (1 comments)
02. Jan, 2010
Thanks Cheryl, for your reply. I am amazed with the great work you are doing here with this blog. It is a pleasure finding your blog.
Rich Smith
Cheryl (59 comments)
03. Jan, 2010
Rich,
It’s a pleasure talking with people like you. Keep up the good work in blogging. Other readers might want to learn from you how to clean a hardwood floor non-toxically.
Kevin from Tomato Heirloom Seeds (1 comments)
23. Jan, 2010
Hi,
I have taken a couple of steps to reduce the toxins that get into my body.
One is using a regular soap for bathing, such as Ivory, or another soap that isn’t anti-bacterial.
Another way is that, since I am a gardener, I have switched to all-organic methods. This has made the vegetables healthier with a greater quantity of nutrients in them. Also, the ground is in better shape with organic fertilizers.
I learned very much from your blog, thank you. I will be back.
Kevin
Kevin@Tomato Heirloom Seeds´s last blog ..Do Follow Blog, Commentluv, Keywordluv
Souhail from Stomach Liposuction (1 comments)
26. Jan, 2010
Toxic household chemicals are the last thing you want in your home. First off, if you do have toxic household chemicals, keep them out of children’s reach. If you can’t keep them high out of their reach and sight, then keep them under lock and key. It might seem extreme, but better then safe than sorry. (Many of us keep household chemicals and cleaning supplies under the sink or garage.)
Cheryl (59 comments)
27. Jan, 2010
Thanks, Kevin.
It sounds like you are combating not just Sick Building Syndrome, but also Sick Earth Syndrome! Keep up the good work.
Cheryl (59 comments)
27. Jan, 2010
Welcome, Souhail.
You have made a very good point. Children and pets are both susceptible to poisoning. Some pets actually like the taste of anti-freeze, for example.
Dwayne (1 comments)
30. Jan, 2010
My ex wife was very sensitive to many things. We had to sell out house because she said she was alergic to the house!
Dwayne´s last blog ..Getting the Right Automatic Watering System
Aaron from Liposuction Surgery Alternative (1 comments)
02. Feb, 2010
To avoid toxic cleaners, you may use lemon juice, since it is strong and has the ability to dissolve hard water stains. The natural power of lemon juice can be seen when trying to remove stains from walls and other surfaces. Its acidic nature allows it to clean and scent garbage disposals. Lemon peels ground in the disposal will add natural and clean scent throughout the system.
donnie from carpet in dalton (1 comments)
03. Feb, 2010
As far as carpet goes: For those with allergies, the best solution is to install wool carpet. There are many benefits. Be prepared, it will cost a little more, but some believe the benefits vs. the costs are well worth it.
Gangster Costumes (1 comments)
12. Feb, 2010
Wow, this is a very impressive article, Cheryl! Very informative, and you have got me thinking about the various items lying around the house that could possibly contain toxic substances! Keep up the great work.:D
phineas from Juicing For Health (1 comments)
18. Feb, 2010
Glad I came across this article. Not long ago when I was touring with a band, we stayed at a notable 5-star hotel for 4 weeks in Asia. Immediately after checking in, our bassist started feeling ill and noticed a smell in his room that was less than appealing. After a few days, his condition worsened with flu like symptoms. However, once he had maintenance come and clean his air conditioner to get rid of the annoying odor, he felt better within a few hours.
Goes to show you how some simple measures can keep a person from feeling miserable. Great article btw!
phineas @ Juicing For Health´s last blog ..Juicing For Weight Loss… Myth or Fact?
Cheryl (59 comments)
23. Feb, 2010
Welcome, Phineas.
Whenever there is an odor, there are, in the air, tiny particles of the substance being smelled. These travel up into our noses, and thus, into our bodies. So when we smell something yucky, we’d be wise to cover our noses, clean up the source of the odor, or leave the premises! People with allergies often discover that they have an allergic reaction to the SMELL of the food they are allergic to.
Ed from Dryer vent brush (1 comments)
25. Feb, 2010
Thank you for the info and for that big list. It really helps.
Darren from Philippine call center (1 comments)
25. Feb, 2010
Man, everything is harmful these days…even standing outside on a bright sunny day in a completely pollution-free area. As you breathe the fresh air, you’re getting hit by cosmic radiation.
Devin from Provo Chiropractic (1 comments)
09. Mar, 2010
In our home, we found that the place where the sink drain connects to the pipes was a mold factory, due to a very small leak. We ended up moving out, and then they ripped the walls down to make the necessary corrections. It was near impossible to find, except for a very small amount on the outside of the wall.
Joseph from side sleeper pillow (1 comments)
11. Mar, 2010
Great advice here. I will take it into account. I suffer from a lot of allergies, so I often take some of the steps you outline. As for colon cleansing, I think I will pass!