Your house probably feels really safe. Most of the time it is. But sometimes houses have problems that can make people sick, and nobody even knows they’re there. These aren’t things you can see or smell. They just hang around quietly, maybe making your family feel sick without anyone figuring out why.

Bad Air You Can’t See

The air inside houses can be dirtier than the air outside. That sounds weird, but it happens because houses trap stuff inside. New houses are built really tight to save energy, which means bad air gets stuck inside, too.

Radon is one of the worst invisible problems. It’s a gas that comes up from the dirt under your house. You can’t see it or smell it, but breathing it can give you lung cancer. The really scary part is that any house can have radon problems. It doesn’t matter if the house is new or old, big or small.

Two houses right next to each other might have totally different radon levels. The only way to know if your house has too much radon is to test for it. If the test shows high levels, people can install systems that suck the radon out before it builds up inside. Getting radon mitigation done fixes the problem and keeps families safe.

Carbon monoxide is another gas that can kill people. It comes from things that burn fuel, stuff that’s supposed to keep you warm and comfortable. Your furnace, water heater, or fireplace can make carbon monoxide if they’re not working right. Even leaving a car running in the garage can fill the house with this poison gas.

When carbon monoxide builds up, people get headaches and feel dizzy. If there’s too much, it can kill you. The scary thing is you can’t smell it or see it, just the same as radon.

Mold grows everywhere outside, and that’s normal. But when it starts growing inside houses, it can make people sick. Mold loves wet places, so it grows in bathrooms, basements, and anywhere water gets in. Sometimes mold grows inside walls where you can’t even see it, but you’re still breathing the bad stuff it puts out.

Dangerous Stuff in Old Houses

Houses built a long time ago have some really dangerous materials. Before 1978, people used paint with lead in it. Lead is poison, especially for kids. When that old paint starts chipping off or someone sands it, tiny pieces of lead get in the air and people breathe it in.

Kids who breathe lead dust can have trouble learning and paying attention. Their brains don’t work as well as they should. Adults get sick from lead too, with problems with their blood pressure and kidneys.

Old houses also have something called asbestos. People used to think asbestos was great because it didn’t burn and it was cheap. They put it in insulation, floor tiles, and lots of other places. But asbestos can give you lung cancer if you breathe the tiny fibers.

If asbestos stuff is just sitting there, not bothered, it’s usually okay. The problem happens when people tear it out or it gets damaged. Then those tiny fibers float around in the air, and people breathe them without knowing it.

Chemicals from Everyday Stuff

Even new houses can have chemical problems. Lots of things people use every day put chemicals in the air. Cleaning sprays, air fresheners, new carpet, and even some furniture release chemicals you can’t see.

Some of these chemicals give people headaches right away. Others might make you sick after breathing them for years. Houses trap these chemicals inside, so sometimes the air inside is worse than the outside air.

New furniture and cabinets often have formaldehyde in them. This chemical keeps getting released into the air for months after you bring new stuff home. It can make your eyes water and your throat hurt. Some people think it might cause cancer if you breathe it for a long time.

Bug sprays are another problem. These poisons are made to kill insects and mice, but they can hurt people too. Kids and pets are more likely to get sick from bug spray because they crawl around on floors where the chemicals settle.

Water Problems

The water coming out of your faucet might not be as clean as you think. Even water that looks and tastes fine can have bad stuff in it. Old pipes can put lead in your water. Wells can get contaminated with germs or chemicals.

Houses built a long time ago often have lead pipes. Even newer houses can have lead problems if the pipes connecting to the street have lead in them. Brass faucets can also put lead in your water.

If you have a well instead of city water, it can get contaminated too. Bacteria, chemicals from farms, or pollution from factories can get into well water. You can’t tell just by looking at it.

Even city water that’s treated with chlorine can have problems. The chlorine kills germs, but it can make other bad chemicals. Some water has pollution from factories or medicines that people flush down the toilet.

How to Tell If Something’s Wrong

Most health problems from houses don’t make you sick right away. That’s why they’re so sneaky. But there are some things to watch out for. If people in your family get sick a lot, especially with breathing problems, it might be the air in your house.

Musty smells usually mean mold is growing somewhere. Headaches that go away when you leave the house might mean there are chemicals in the air or carbon monoxide. Feeling tired all the time or having trouble thinking clearly can also be signs of bad air.

If your water tastes funny, smells weird, or stains things, it might be contaminated. If neighbors are having water problems, you should check yours too.

Making Your House Safer

The good news is that most of these problems can be fixed once you find them. Testing is the best way to find invisible problems. Radon test kits don’t cost much and are easy to use. Every house should have carbon monoxide detectors. Water testing can find problems before they make people sick.

Professional people who know about these problems can check your house for things you might miss. If you’re buying a house, it’s smart to test for radon, lead, and other dangerous stuff before you sign the papers.

Simple changes can make the air in your house cleaner. Use cleaning products that aren’t as toxic. Open windows when the weather’s nice. Keep your heating and air conditioning working right.

You don’t need to be scared of your house. Most houses are safe. But knowing about these hidden problems helps you keep your family healthy. If something seems wrong, get it checked out. It’s better to know about problems so you can fix them.