lung and airway disorders
Building Related Illnesses
Diagnosis of Building Related Illness
History and doctor's evaluation Building or workplace evaluation Doctors base the diagnosis of building-related illness on the person's exposure and findings from the history (including symptom onset, timing, and progression). They document any increased use of medications, medical visits, and sick days used. Symptoms that are associated with being in a specific building or environment and that improve when the person is away from the environment are an important clue. Doctors should evaluate for specific illnesses, such as Asthma or Doctors ask people to describe their work and the other environments they frequent, including the size of the space, number of workers, ventilation, job tasks, and potential sources of exposure such as dust, chemicals, gases, cleaning products, mold, and microorganisms. Doctors also ask about any changes in the workplace or work processes that may coincide with the onset or worsening of symptoms. Similar symptoms in other occupants of the building, though not always present, can be a clue to building-related illness. A building or workplace evaluation can help doctors identify contributing factors to building-related illness or symptoms. Such an evaluation helps to identify potential exposures, such as water intrusion, mold, dust, odors, and temperature extremes, as well as to get a sense of the overall indoor environmental quality, including ventilation and fresh air intake. Sources of information about the indoor environment include the employer, previous environmental monitoring reports, the history of the building's usage (for example, office work, retail, or production), maintenance, and modifications, and other occupants. Extensive air and surface sampling, such as for mold, is generally not necessary and is often costly. Most building-related illnesses are related to more than one exposure combined with inadequate ventilation. 