Have you ever been homesick? Well, I have. In fact, every time I went off to camp, I would get homesick. Frankly, even when I went into the army, I got homesick, at least for a little while. Most of all, I missed the smell of my mom’s home cooking. This type of homesickness is different from the sickness that you can get from the smells of chemicals found in the home.

Have you ever experienced unexplained dizziness, fatigue, weakness, headaches, shortness of breath, wheezing, irritability or depression? Have you been told that the symptoms are only in your mind? Well, these symptoms may be due to some toxic chemical in your home.

For example, the glue used to cement your carpet to the floor may be causing you to experience fatigue and irritability. This glue can also cause other neurological symptoms. Using aerosol spray cans to deodorize a home may cause unexplained wheezing.

Other household items, such as oven cleaners, floor sanitizers and mixtures of bleach and ammonia, can cause shortness of breath. The burning of incense and smoke from cigarettes may contribute to chest pain and wheezing. House dust due to mites found in an old mattress is known to be the number one cause of asthma. Fluids used during dry cleaning left on clothes can also cause fatigue and irritability (air out the clothes before storing them in the closet).

Circulating the air in your home is the best way to free yourself from these harmful fumes and fine particles. If the air circulation in your home or apartment is poor, invest in an air purifier.

Remember, although you get “homesick” when you leave your home, you can “home-sick” from the toxic environment in your home.