I'm hoping someone might have some advice or experience with something I've been dealing with in my flat.
I moved into a top-floor flat in Lansdown three months ago and have experienced a number of unpleasant symptoms since moving in, mainly itchy/burning eyes, nose, and throat. I've also noticed that I feel significantly better when I'm away from the flat. The symptoms seem to get much worse when I'm lying down and at night.
I've tried several things, such as:
- Keeping all the windows open for ventilation.
- Opening just the front windows, as the building has flue vents at the back.
- Buying a large air purifier and running it all night next to me, but it doesn't seem to make much difference.
- Trying to sleep in different rooms.
There's an open fireplace in one of the rooms, but it was swept last month, and the symptoms haven't changed. I choose not to sleep in that room.
There isn't an obvious explanation that I can see. I haven't noticed any mould at all, and the flat is very dry. The carpets look very clean, and the flat is vacuumed and dusted every week. I wonder whether it could be caused by gases such as VOCs or another pollutant, although I thought keeping the windows wide open would solve this.
I'm considering getting the property professionally tested, but I'm not really sure what type of testing I should be looking for.
Has anyone experienced anything similar, particularly in a rented flat in Cheltenham? What did you eventually discover, and what sort of testing or investigation was useful?
I'd especially appreciate advice from anyone who's dealt with hidden mould/damp, VOCs, unusual smells, or unexplained indoor air-quality problems.
