Common Symptoms:
Respiratory Symptoms – congestion, aggravated asthma or allergies, sinus infections. Cognitive Issues – foggy thinking, sleep disturbance, frequent headaches. Emotional Changes – feeling agitated or depressed. Physical Symptoms – stomach discomfort, muscle aches, fatigue, rashes, sore throat.
Lead testing is a quick and effective way to determine if your home is making you sick. Indoor Air Quality testing: Indoor air quality (IAQ) testing collects air samples from your home in an effort to determine what allergens, chemicals or other contaminates are circulating through the air in your home.
Essentially Toxic Building Syndrome is where the air quality in your home or office is so bad that it can affect the health of those inside. You see you might think you're breathing clean air, but in fact the air inside your home can have more than 900 harmful chemicals and organisms in it, which you simply cannot see.
Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions.
Your toxic environment also might be literally environmental. In that case, you may need to cleanse your home of negative energy. Removing clutter, letting more light inside, using essential oils, rearranging or redecorating, burning sage, and a good cleaning can often make an old, sad space feel new and happy.
You should purchase an indoor air quality monitor. This device is the easiest way to check the air quality in your home. You can leave it on constantly and it will report the levels of pollution inside your home.
Indoor Air and Dust Buildup
Another way to tell whether you have poor indoor air quality is if you see dust buildup around your home and collect around air vents. You may not spot buildup around areas you regularly clean, but keep a lookout for excess dust around your home. Also, check your air vents for dust buildup.
Moisture found in crawl spaces can lead to mold growth linked to allergies, asthma, respiratory problems and even cognitive issues.
The immune system may be weakened
Loneliness and the psychological stress of being indoors a lot are two feelings that can reach all-time highs when a person is not out of the house for long periods of time. Both can weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to bacterial infections.
Disinfect the air
Norovirus and other common germs can live in the air long after you or your family has been sick. Open the windows in your home to let sunlight and fresh air in. Additionally, spray the rooms in your home with a disinfecting spray to kill any viruses and germs lingering in the air.
WHAT HEALTH EFFECTS CAN BE CAUSED BY POOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY? Occupants of homes with poor indoor air quality may complain of symptoms such as headache, eye irritation, fatigue, dry throat, sinus congestion, dizziness, and nausea.
A lack of sleep, poor diet, anxiety, or stress can often cause a person to feel sick. These factors can make a person more susceptible to infection and illness. However, always feeling sick can also signify pregnancy or chronic illness. When sick, a person may experience stomach discomfort and vomiting.
EPA's AirNow mobile app provides a simple interface for quickly checking current and forecast air quality information for planning daily activities and protecting your health.
Lower Energy Costs. A home air quality test can also bring to light problems with your HVAC system or if you have blocked air vents. By discovering these issues and fixing them, you'll improve your home's energy efficiency and in turn, lower your energy bill. You can do a home air quality test yourself.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Formaldehyde/Pressed Wood Products. Lead (Pb) Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
Here are some common signs of toxic behavior from a family member: Their perception of you doesn't jibe with the way you see yourself. They accuse you of things that you feel aren't true. They make you feel like you're never enough or bad about yourself, or otherwise emotionally destabilized.
Choosing or staying in unhealthy romantic relationships is a key sign that you grew up in a toxic family. This is one of the most challenging and harmful traits that toxic family members can instill in you, and some people need a lifetime to recognize that they have this issue.
They may split and pit family members against each other (toxic behavior), usually by lying for their own personal gain. This form of psychological bullying is quite harmful to family members and may manifest in depression, anxiety, feelings of helplessness, or post-traumatic stress symptoms in many family members.
Urine Mycotoxin Test Kit
Urine mycotoxin tests are ideal for testing yourself (and your family members) for mycotoxin exposure. They're absolutely painless, totally non-invasive, and incredibly easy to use.