Can I get sick from poor air quality?

Yes, poor air quality can make you feel unwell, especially when smoke, fine particles, mold, or fumes build up indoors. Depending on what you breathe and how long you’re exposed, you might notice temporary irritation or worsening symptoms from an existing condition such as asthma; some exposures can also pose more serious health risks.

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Common signs include irritated eyes or throat, coughing, headaches, and shortness of breath, but these symptoms can have causes other than air quality. If you tend to feel worse in a particular room or while doing something like cleaning or cooking, note the pattern and look for a possible source rather than assuming the air is the only cause.

Start with the source: use a kitchen exhaust fan that vents outdoors when cooking, keep indoor spaces smoke-free, address water leaks promptly, and follow product directions when using cleaners or paints. When outdoor air is clean, ventilation can help dilute indoor pollutants; when it’s smoky or otherwise polluted outside, keep windows closed and consider a properly sized portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter for the room you use most.

Seek medical care if symptoms persist, recur, or worsen, and get urgent help for severe trouble breathing, chest pain, or confusion. If you suspect carbon monoxide, leave the building immediately and call emergency services or your gas utility from outside; because you can’t reliably detect it by smell, maintain carbon monoxide alarms as directed by their manufacturer.

For a room-by-room approach to everyday air-quality habits, see our Breathe Better Indoors, Live Better: A Practical Guide to Improving Indoor Air Quality. Our team recommends prioritizing the pollutant’s source before adding equipment, since an air cleaner cannot fix a leak or stop fumes from being produced.