A Few Ways Your Home May Be Making You Sick

While it is natural to be sick once in a while, if it is continual, or always the same type of symptoms, it could be something in or around your home that is making you ill. Chemicals, animal waste, asbestos, lead and other toxins may be in the ground, air, or water around your home. While the symptoms may seem mild, or come and go at first, eventually you and your family could end up seriously ill. Here are just a few things that could be going on that you aren't aware of.  

Ground Contamination

If you live in an older home, and it had been painted with lead-based paint, the ground may have lead in it from paint that had flaked off. Even if you had all the paint professionally removed at some point, there could still have been some of it falling to the ground over the years. The ground may also be contaminated with pesticides or herbicides that have been used over the years to keep away insects, rodents, and weeds. The buildup of these over the years can make it hazardous for you to come into contact with the soil.

Water Contamination

If you use a well for your drinking and/or bathing water, you should have it annually tested to make sure it is not contaminated. Hazardous wastes can seep into the groundwater and end up in the aquifer that feeds your well. The ground around your home may be safe, but miles away there could be a problem that has leached into your water. Bacteria like E. coli and salmonella can be in the water you are drinking; making your family ill.

Air Contamination

Molds in the HVAC system and asbestos in the shingles are only two ways the air inside your home may be contaminated. If your family seems to have frequent coughs, colds, or headaches, it is time to have the HVAC technician come out to service your system. If you suspect the shingles on your house, even some that remain under new ones, may be made with asbestos, you need to have professionals evaluate them. 

Having the ground, water, and air around your home tested for contaminants is just the first step to keeping your family healthy. The testing centers will recommend what type of site remediation (from professionals such as those from Markham Fisher Environmental Ltd) is needed to restore your home to a healthy environment. You may need to spend a week or so with relatives while the remediation takes place, but your health is worth any inconveniences.