That Foggy Feeling at Work? Your Building Could Be to Blame

You Should Know: Your building could be making you sick. Sick Building Syndrome — a term the WHO coined in the 1980s — is a group of symptoms like headaches, eye irritation, fatigue, and nausea that come on inside a building and let up after you leave. These symptoms can be caused by things like poor ventilation, building materials, and lack of fresh air.

Going Deeper: SBS has been around for decades, but the fact that women report symptoms far more often than men isn’t getting talked about enough. One study noted 44% of women experienced SBS compared to 26% of men. The difference may stem from biology and office setup. Interior offices without windows and jobs that require increased exposure to things like copy machine emissions can affect your body more.

Takeaway: Feeling foggy, headachy, or congested at work but perfectly fine at home is a red flag. Get in touch with your office facilities, and ask about air quality testing and ventilation.

Bottom Line: The average person spends a notable portion of their day working. Your workspace can affect your health, and women are feeling it even more. Open a window if you can, and push for good ventilation.