Yes, you heard right! By spending too much time in a particular building, one might face a range of symptoms such as nausea, bloating, headaches, diarrhea, cough, fatigue, sneezing, sore throat, and congestion, shortness of breath, eye irritation, skin rash, and concentration problems. In most cases, sick building syndrome occurs in office buildings, but it may also occur in other buildings such as schools, hospitals, and apartments buildings.

No specific cause has been identified yet. It could be poor ventilation, smoking, pollution and chemical contaminants such as paint, varnish, adhesives etc. Stress is also thought to be a leading cause of sick building syndrome. Usually, women are more susceptible to the condition than men. Even asthma and COPD patients should be aware of the condition.

Sick building syndrome can be prevented by following the following  strategies:

• Maintenance of water filters, heat exchangers, batteries of electronic devices, etc
• Maintenance of exhaust supply in the building
• Pesticides, paints, and adhesives should be utilized in well-ventilated areas
• Smoking should be strictly prohibited in offices, schools and apartments – especially if the ventilation is improper
• Regular cleaning should be done in the workplace
• Water stained ceiling tiles should be replaced
• Try to place toxin-absorbing plants in the workspace
• Devices such as laser printers should be placed in a separate room
• Centrally located humidifiers should be used