Working people who complain of stinging eyes, a scratchy throat, runny nose or headaches may need to look no further than their indoor workplace for the culprit. The condition is often referred to as "sick building syndrome," which seldom has a single cause. It can be the indoor climate, air, noise, lighting or psychological factors.
Poor lighting, for example, impairs job performance. According to the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), insufficient light could lead to "visual overstrain" that manifests itself in headaches, stinging and watery eyes, and flickering in front of one's eyes. Offices should therefore have windows large enough to let in sufficient sunlight. The IFA said that being able to see outside also had a positive effect on well-being, and thus on job motivation and performance.