Environment: "Sick Home Syndrome" - How can we avoid it?

Brick House, painting in acrylic, AV Rotor 2002

Dr Abe V Rotor

Are you healthy and happy in your home, or in your work place? If not you may be suffering of sick home syndrome, which is characterized by symptoms of ailments, real and imaginary, lack of pep, mood swings, and the most common one - allergy.

There is one general solution. Make your home, office, work place, or school - as it may be the case - clean and healthy, safe and comfortable. Make it as an extension of nature.

That is why we should adapt measures to insure that the conditions prevailing in our home, and in the place where we work, should be as close as possible to those that are occurring in a pristine environment.

Imagine yourself and your family enjoying a picnic beside a waterfall, or you are with a company hiking along nature's trail in a forest park. Stroll along the beach of white sand. Meet the fresh and cool Siberian wind at sunrise. Take a dip in a natural pool among the trees and rocks. Or simply hang a hammock between trees and rest your body and mind. Commune with nature - its sweet music and quiet moments.

How can we simulate these at home, and in the work place? How many of the following measures can you adapt? Let's find out.

1. Strictly implement No Smoking rule.

2. Specify areas for dining, studying, recreation, and the like.

3. Build home or building according to proper orientation to sunlight, wind, vegetation, and nearby structures.

4. There is no substitute to natural ventilation. Consult a building expert for a new home or when renovating one.

5. Large windows and doors, porch and veranda, unite your dwelling with the natural environment.

6. Install proper air-conditioners and exhaust fans. Compute capacities with the area of the room or hall, the number of people, and nature of their work.

7. Remove any obstruction to free flow and circulation of air supply and return vents.

8. Fix leaks from roof, faucet, windows and clean up water spills and damp places to get rid of vermin and molds.

9. Have a separate area for garbage. Practice segregation. Empty the garbage daily.

10. Unless necessary do not store chemicals, perishable goods, old materials, plastics and the like. Dispose of them when not needed, or keep them far from the building.

11. Separate the workshop area and garage, and keep them away from the residence and office area.

12. Check equipment and supplies – they may be the source of irritating odor and fumes.

13. The kitchen must be kept clean always. Don't keep leftovers. Discard unnecessary materials, such as empty packages and old utensils.

14. Clean walls, ceilings, shelves regularly. So with decors, furniture and appliances.

15. An atrium at the center of the dwelling allows sunlight to enter. A catchment can serve to store rainfall in a pond for the plants and for use in case of fire.

16. Provide pipe-in music conducive to rest or work. A fountain will certainly add quaintness to the interior. Put up a sound barrier if necessary.

17. Trees serve as fence, sound and dust barriers. A row of trees or two will serve as windbreak. Place pleasant smelling plants like eucalyptus and ilang-ilang.

18. Replace rotting wood, fix damp and mossy concrete walls and walk. Remove materials than make one prone to accident.

19. Fix screen of windows and doors. Be sure your dwelling is rodent-free. Have trained pets around to keep rodents away.

20. There is no substitute to good housekeeping. Include the surroundings, specially the garden - with is nature's replica in your home or building. How about a roof top garden?

Lastly, observe any symptom of ailments such as allergy, among residents or workers. They are the "canary bird in a mine."

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Living with Nature 3, AVR (All Rights Reserved)