Sick House.

Sick House. The name has an ominous sound, but it doesn't mean that the house is leaning or falling apart. A sick house is a house with a serious air quality problem. The area can be described as "sick," mainly because people develop symptoms of illness such as headaches, watery eyes, nausea, skin disorders and fatigue when they must spend considerable time where there is a build-up of air pollutants from household products, building materials, formaldehyde and/or respirable particles. In Florida, sick houses are usually houses with a serious moisture problem. Moisture also plays an important role in promoting the growth and spread of mold (mildew). Molds produce spores, tiny encased "seeds," which float in the air. Under severe contamination thousands of mold spores can be suspended in each cubic foot of air. When people are exposed to mold spores over and over they can develop allergic symptoms.