Health Effects of Poor Environmental Conditions

Can poor environmental conditions cause asthma?

Indoor and outdoor environmental triggers worsen asthma symptoms. Exposure to triggers can cause asthma attacks. During the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the downtown area of the city was closed to private vehicles. Acute asthma care visits to clinics and hospitals decreased by about 40%.

The environment may cause asthma. Indoor and outdoor pollutants may play a role in the development of asthma. For example, it has been found that exposure to second hand smoke and diesel fumes in the womb may influence the later development of asthma.

School Performance and Poor Air Quality

What health or learning problems are associated with pollution?

Indoor air quality problems may be diagnosed only after treating health symptoms and illnesses attributable to an indoor environment. The most common symptoms reported for poor indoor air quality include (but are not limited to):

• irritations of eyes, nose, throat
• dry mucous membranes and skin
• mental fatigue, headache, sleepiness
• airway infections, cough
• hoarseness, wheezing
• nausea, dizziness
• redness, flushing of the face or skin, rashes
• unspecific hypersensitivity reactions

How can parents tell if their child is affected by polluted indoor air at school?

Think about your child:

• Does your child regularly go to school healthy and return home sick or deeply fatigued?
• Does your child have more frequent or more severe asthma attacks on school days?
• What about other health problems, such as rashes, nausea, headaches, joint pain or congestion?
• Are any of your child’s friends coming home with health complaints?
• Is school under renovation and are you sure? Is school seriously overcrowded?
• Was school built in a wet area or on contaminated ground?
• Do the air intake vents draw in vehicle exhaust, or emissions from adjacent hazardous facilities?