Dr. Sam Madeira, NMDSafety first: a strong sewage or rotten-egg smell with symptoms such as dizziness or difficulty breathing can be an emergency. Leave the building and call 911 or your gas or water utility.
What is sewer gas?
Sewer gas is a mix of gases produced as waste breaks down, including hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and methane. Plumbing is designed to keep it out of your home, but small failures can let it in, often intermittently, so it’s easy to dismiss.
Common sources in a home
- Dry drain traps in guest bathrooms, basement floor drains or unused showers
- Cracked, disconnected or blocked plumbing vent pipes
- A failed wax ring under a toilet
- Damaged sewer lines or septic problems
The same leaks that let sewer gas in can also cause water damage and mold, so the two exposures sometimes travel together.
How Dr. Madeira helps
- Connect the dots between your symptoms, your home and your timeline.
- Find and fix the source with a licensed plumber, so exposure stops.
- Support recovery with personalized nutritional and botanical medicine, sleep and nervous system support.
- Look for related exposures such as mold from the same leaks.