Feel sick in the office all the time? You might not be imagining it. Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a condition where occupants in a building experience health and comfort problems related to the time they spend inside. It has also been linked to excess indoor airborne contaminants. Its actual cause is still unknown, however, and it may be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms overlap with other medical conditions. One way to identify it is if the signs appear when you’re inside the building and get better after you leave. If you don’t identify the cause and treat it accordingly, the situation will not change even if you have a powerful Daikin R32 aircon that uses a Daikin R32 refrigerant. Potential Causes of SBS Presence of Chemical Contaminants Indoors Apart from pollutants like dust and dirt, SBS can also be caused by the presence of indoor chemical contaminants. These contaminants include pesticides, lead, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and asbestos. You can find them commonly in old furniture, household products and cleaning agents. If they exist in high concentrations, it’s best to engage a professional to deal with them. Poor Ventilation Ventilation is important. If your home is not sufficiently ventilated, the concentration of harmful pollutants and contaminants can multiply. It is possible to experience SBS in a poorly ventilated room. This is why it’s necessary to boost ventilation indoors by opening the doors and windows to let in fresh air. Doing so will drive the indoor contaminants out. Symptoms of SBS and How to Avoid Them Obvious Mold If you observe signs of visible mold on the walls, vents or on your air conditioner, it’s a bad sign. These mold particles can pollute the air and circulate with the indoor air. They can cause various health problems, like breathlessness, congestion and throat irritation. You should conduct checks on your air ducts and vents frequently to see if there’s any signs of mold growth. If you spot them, call an air conditioner professional immediately to deal with it. Allergy-like Symptoms When you turn on the air conditioner, do you experience sudden cold and allergy-like symptoms? If this happens, and goes away when you turn it off, it may be because of SBS. Some symptoms include sneezing, wheezing, irritation and coughing. Run a maintenance check through your air conditioner right away. It’s most likely going to be a cause of filthy air filters or blocked air ducts. This means that you should ring up a professional immediately to book a maintenance check. Constantly Feeling Exhausted If the air conditioner is turned on too low, you may experience rapid energy burning that’ll leave you feeling tired all the time. Limit the time you spend inside an air-conditioned room or avoid turning the heat down too low. Irritated Eyes Your eyes feel dry and irritated most of the time, and it’s not because you cried last night. Since air-conditioning causes a drop in humidity, which in turn leads to tears evaporating from your eyes, your eyes may feel dry and inflamed. This may be worse for those who have dry eye syndrome.