Signs You’re Affected by Poor Indoor Air Quality

Air quality profoundly affects our health and well-being, especially indoors where we spend most of our time. To illustrate, imagine your favorite outdoor spot: perfect temperature, gentle breeze, abundant light, and greenery. Now, contrast that with a stuffy, crowded indoor space. Just envisioning these scenarios elicits different sensations, highlighting the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ). In this article, we’ll uncover the signs our bodies send when air quality is compromised, advocating for healthier environments and actionable steps you can take to stay healthy.

Immediate signs and symptoms of poor IAQ

There are a plethora of signs and symptoms of poor indoor air quality. So much so that, the ambient air quality permitting, we’d suggest opening the windows at the first hints of discomfort. The immediate signs letting you know the IAQ around you might not be the best can be cognitive, mood-related, or physical.

Reduced cognitive ability. Do you feel like sometimes the same task takes you way more time than others? Perhaps you keep forgetting what you wanted to say in a long meeting or have trouble figuring out a response to a question your boss just posed.

This could all be because of poor indoor air quality. Studies show that CO2 levels exceeding 1000 parts per million (ppm) can decrease your cognitive abilities by a staggering 50%! Particulate matter (PM 2.5) can result in slower thinking and a decreased ability to focus.

Apathy or irritability. Can’t even bother checking the long list of to-dos left for today? Everyday life sounds and other things make you disproportionately angry? Again, this could be your body telling you to get some fresh air or crank up the ventilation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests.

Respiratory symptoms. If you catch yourself sneezing, coughing, or even wheezing, there could be a problem in the surrounding air. Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat are classic symptoms of air possibly contaminated with mold, dampness, dust, pollen, PM 2.5, or other pollutants, reports Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Pennsylvania Housing Research Center.

Other physical symptoms. You can probably guess by now that fatigue, tiredness, and dizziness are also sure signs of the need to increase the airflow. So is nausea and headaches.

Sick building syndrome (SBS). The related symptoms can include an even broader range of problems, including muscle pain, dermatitis, and sensitivity to odors, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports. The common thread? If it’s the sick or tight building syndrome, these will disappear once you leave that building. If you identify you or your loved ones are suffering from SBS, you’ll need more than a window cracked open, diving deeper in the sources of indoor pollution.

Retrospective signs: conditions that could progress because of poor IAQ

Sadly, the immediate symptoms are not the only consequences of poor indoor air quality. If we don’t notice these signs in time or don’t have options to improve the surrounding environment, more serious health issues can follow. Let the following list serve as a motivator for you to try your best to take care of the IAQ around you.

Respiratory diseases. From worsening asthma symptoms to lung damage, lung cancer, and cystic fibrosis, studies show prolonged exposure to air pollution hits the respiratory system the hardest.

Mental illness. Exposure to poor air quality can lead to an increased risk of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and various mental health disorders in children and adolescents, according to Harward T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Cognitive decline. Studies also show that exposure to unhealthy air can be associated with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and autism.

Other conditions. Polluted air can result in heart disease, lower academic performance in kids due to missing school, and, when connected with SBS, even higher mortality rates among children, research shows.

What to do if you suspect poor indoor quality?

As you can see, poor indoor air quality can have immediate and long-term negative effects on your health and well-being. The good news is, there’s a lot you can do for improvement. Here’s a few ideas to set you off:

1. Educate yourself! If you are reading this, congratulations, you’ve already begun! As we have written many articles about the intricacies of indoor air quality, we suggest reading some articles from our blog to create an action plan for better IAQ around you:
   
   How to keep the air fresh?
   
   Keeping indoor air fresh – 8 tips and tricks for 2023
   
   Fighting mold by monitoring temperature and relative humidity
   
2. Measure indoor air quality! Aranet offers different indoor air quality monitors that can keep you informed about when to increase ventilation. For example, Aranet4 HOME, our best-seller, measures CO2 levels, which can serve as a proxy for overall IAQ, temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure. We also offer the Aranet Radiation sensor, measuring levels of ionizing radiation (γ, β), and Aranet2 HOME which measures the temperature and humidity levels. See what else we offer at aranet.com.

1. Act when noticing the first signs! Don’t wait to become seriously ill. If you have children, ask them about experiencing the warning signals at school, too. Then, create an action plan (in your mind or written down) to ensure increased ventilation, humidity control, regular cleaning, and HVAC maintenance, among other steps when noticing the symptoms of poor indoor air quality.

The air we breathe indoors is as vital to our health as the water we drink and the food we eat. Just as we wouldn’t willingly consume contaminated water or spoiled food, we shouldn’t settle for poor indoor air quality that can impair our cognitive functions, mood, and physical health. The signs are clear: our bodies and minds react negatively to polluted indoor environments, urging us to seek fresher air and better ventilation. Recognizing the subtle cues of poor air quality is the first step towards creating a healthier space for ourselves and those around us. Let's remain mindful of the air we breathe, striving for environments that nurture our health and vitality. Together, we can foster spaces where fresh air and vitality flourish, enhancing our daily lives in profound ways.