Indoor environmental exposures and symptoms.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Occupational Medicine
• Building Science

Background:

• The term "sick building syndrome" often implies a lack of physiological basis for symptoms experienced in the built environment.
• Building-related illnesses are recognized but considered rare, despite potential well-studied mechanisms causing symptoms.
• Current understanding struggles to explain individual differences in perceived disability from building-related symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine the concept of sick building syndrome and its underlying physiological mechanisms.
• To highlight the gap in understanding the factors contributing to perceived disability.
• To advocate for systematic research differentiating physiological mechanisms from other disease aspects.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and critical analysis of existing research on sick building syndrome and building-related illnesses.
• Examination of proposed physiological mechanisms implicated in building symptomology.
• Conceptual analysis of disability perception in the context of environmental exposures.

Main Results:

• Several well-established physiological mechanisms may contribute to symptoms experienced in buildings.
• The mechanisms do not adequately explain why certain individuals perceive significant disability.
• The focus on disability, rather than solely physiology, is a primary source of controversy and misunderstanding.

Conclusions:

• Poorly defined symptoms in buildings will remain poorly understood without systematic research distinguishing physiological mechanisms from other factors.
• Further research is needed to systematically study physiological mechanisms and their relationship to perceived disability.
• Clarifying the distinction between physiological responses and disability perception is crucial for addressing building-related health concerns.