Could your home be affecting your health?
If you or someone in your family has a low level, chronic health issue, sometimes the only way forward is to eliminate as many potential stressors as possible in the hope that things might improve. Indoor environments can include many stressors and are often overlooked. Most people spend 90% or more of their time indoors, and it is here that they can be exposed to many unnoticed and insidious irritants.
How a poor indoor environment can affect your health
The adverse effect of an indoor environment on your physical, physiological and psychological health can be gauged by looking at the following aspects:
Air quality - the air you breathe may be filled with combustion gases, chemicals, fibres, dust, microbes and radioactive particles. There may not be enough fresh air;
Moisture - mould generating damp may be present from internally generated moisture not being properly removed, or external moisture getting into the building;
Temperature - the temperature may be too hot, too cold, or too constant;
Electro-climate - the biological functioning and natural electrical balance of your body may be affected by electro-magnetic fields and radiation, static, magnetism and harmful earth energies;
Ergonomics - poor design may encourage poor posture and movement;
Ambience - lighting levels may be insufficient or too much, the spectrum colour may be inappropriate, and digital light bulbs may affect you at a physiological level. Poor colour choices may affect your mood. There may be irritating external noises and vibrations. There may be a lack of a healing connection to nature.
Be aware though, that some health effects are more subtle than others, and worrying unduly about them can add to your stress levels and sometimes can affect your health more than the problem itself!
Getting your house checked out
Overseas, a professional Building Biologist is able to look for general health issues, measure and test for electro-magnetic pollution issues, and check indoor air quality and water quality. Here in New Zealand, we do not have any consultants trained in all aspects of home inspections, but below are a few people who specialise in some aspects:
Andy Hooley Earthwaves - electro-pollution inspections and EMF protection products. Based in Kapiti, but can do work around the country.
Steve Hewitt - electro-pollution inspections and low EMF designs for new builds. Based in Taranaki, but can do work around the country.
K2 Environmental Ltd - testing for mould and bacteria, asbestos, lead, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, dust/ultrafine particulates, combustion gases and methamphetamine. The company has offices in Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland.
Healthy Home Inspections - Noel Richards is a Beacon Healthy Home advisor, and can test for mould, asbestos and methamphetamine. Based in Levin, he covers the lower North Island, including Wellington.
Checking out your house yourself
As our consultant network is by no means comprehensive, you may like to try a little DIY assessment. The BBE My Home and My Health checklist, which you can download from this page, will take you through the various health issues in detail to help you assess your house for potential health hazards. Once you have an idea of what may be wrong, professional testing may be required to confirm the hazard. These consultants will also be able to provide recommendations to remedy the situation. In this checklist we provide some general guidelines as to what is required to improve the conditions, but they are not intended to fully replace the need for professional advice.
The checklist is available free to download, as we wish that the information is available for everyone who may need it. However, if you feel that what you get is worth something, please make a koha (donation) to the BBE Institute so that we can continue to provide more services for you.
