Health impacts of wildfire smoke

[00:00:00]Health Spotlight, presented by Columbus Regional Health.

[00:00:06]>> Wildfire smoke can travel hundreds, even thousands of miles, bringing hazy skies, potentially dangerous air quality. Smoke moving across parts of the Midwest now is raising some health concerns. A lot of people talking about that. Wish TV medical expert Dr. Janelle Gordon joining us. Dr. Gordon, always great to see you.

[00:00:23]>> Hi, Tina.

[00:00:23]>> Uh so, let's start with what's actually in the air. Why is wildfire smoke dangerous? What happens when those tiny particles get into our lungs?

[00:00:32]>> Yes, so the air quality we know is very poor right now. And in addition to the ozone levels being very high, there are also very small particles, which are called PM2.5, which can get into the smallest of our airways and even seep into the bloodstream, leading to a host of different symptoms, especially in individuals with chronic medical conditions.

[00:00:51]>> Yeah, um what Who is most at risk when the air quality drops other than those people that you just spoke of?

[00:00:57]>> Yes, so we really want to watch out for the very young. So, infants and small children, especially toddlers or daycare children who may be playing in outside in playgrounds right now or even in pools. We always want to watch out for our seniors. And then when it does come to chronic medical conditions, especially those with obviously lung disorders, any heart issues. We also want to be sure that we're looking out for our emergency responders and outdoor workers.

[00:01:21]>> Mhm. I mean, I was just I noticed it last night. I was on a walk and I'm like, my my throat kind of feels itchy.

[00:01:26]How long is too long to be outdoors just for anyone right now?

[00:01:29]>> We really want to limit our time outdoors right now. If you can, if you're someone who likes to go for a run, I know as I was telling you before the break, I was doing a lot of outdoor running last week. We really want to move those exercises indoors right now if we can. And then also be sure that we're taking care of the indoor areas and even inside of our cars to be sure that we're decreasing our risk of taking in some of these particles from the air.

[00:01:51]>> And uh which symptoms should people be watching out for? When should we want to seek medical attention?

[00:01:57]>> So, common symptoms that someone may experience right now with the air quality as poor as it is includes coughing. And especially as symptoms progress, you can start to develop a very thick mucus that feels like it needs to come up. Individuals may notice watery, burning eyes, as well as a burning sensation in their nose. And as you mentioned, the throat. It can lead to difficulty breathing. Some individuals may even notice that they start getting some chest tightness, especially those who have issues such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD.

[00:02:27]>> Other than limiting our time outdoors, how else can we protect ourselves? Do those air purifiers and masks work?

[00:02:34]>> You have to be careful when it comes to a lot of products right now, including the air purifier. So, you want to be sure that it does have an HEPA filter.

[00:02:41]And a good way to see if a product that you're looking at is legit or not, go to the Consumer Reports website and they have a host of items that are definitely certified. And then also, when it comes to just protecting our own body, we want to be sure that we're wearing proper masks. So, N95s are our best bet.

[00:02:55]They're going to filter out 95% of those particles that are in the air. However, it needs to be well-fitting. And so, individuals with facial hair or small children may have difficulty getting it in a well fit. You want to be sure that it's tight along the nose, underneath the chin, and that it has two straps, one going above the head and resting about here, and then the other's going to come behind here and rest just at the base of the um the the neck. So, it's very important that you do that if you're going to be out. And then back to the air purifiers, it's important to pick an area where you are going to congregate the most in the home and place the air purifier there.

[00:03:29]Also, see if you can put your HVAC system, as well as the AC in your car, on the recirculation setting where it's pulling the air from inside instead of pulling it from outdoors inside.

[00:03:39]>> All right. Thank you for the information, Dr. Jenal Gordon, WISH-TV medical expert. It's great to see you, as always. Phil.