I moved out of my house when the environmental assessment discovered sulphur dioxide in my air vents. I've had no end of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain. How do I fix my house?

The symptoms here don't sound like the symptoms I'd expect from Sulphur Dioxide - they don't seem to be breathing related.  I suspect the assessors instruments were confused by high levels of carbon monoxide. I'd check the carbon monoxide levels next and then, if they're high, get the furnace and any gas appliances checked.

After we installed solar panels to our house I started to have a hard time breathing at night. My husband won't hear of removing the panels. What can I do?

It's unlikely that you're reacting to the panels themselves, but the inverter could be a problem. If it's anywhere near the bedroom you'll want to move it away, or move your bedroom. You may find you waste less money on trial-and-error by having a full assessment done - there's a lot that can contribute to breathing difficulties at night and they can get a lot worse, fast.

I'm a student and I rent a room sandwiched between the laundry and the home office in the basement. There's a constant chemically smell and it's getting hard to breathe at night. The window's sealed shut. How can I fix it?

The window shouldn't be sealed shut - it's your escape in case of fire. You need to find a safer place to rent. In the mean-time ask your landlord to store any chemicals in a sealed container, or upstairs. Open any window that you can for at least ten minutes every day and circulate the air into your room with a fan.

Since I bought a new 'computer-desk-bunk-bed' unit for my son, he's developed night-time asthma. Are the two really related?

It's possible that the computer being so close under your son is creating the higher levels of electromagnetic fields that deplete Melatonin. Try moving the computer to another room. If the breathing trouble persists we explore some other avenues.

What's Your Question?

These Q&A summaries should give you an idea of the types of situations that provoke symptoms, and ways of resolving them. But they do not take the place of medical advice and aren't intended to solve your problem. Please ask your own question in an email.

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