Residents of the Pacific Northwest all the way down to California are currently suffering a brutal wildfire season this year, including myself. I’ve been struggling with some smoke inhalation symptoms such as a headache, runny nose, sore throat and some fatigue. These are all symptoms that may mimic allergies or a sinus infection (which I frequently deal with). Therefore, I thought this would be a great time to share some tips on how to stay safe and survive the effects of wildfire smoke.
Here are my top 5 tips:
1. Limit outdoor exposure:
I'm fortunate enough to have a job that mostly requires me to stay indoors, but unfortunately, many jobs require working outdoors. Please check your local Air Quality Index to make sure you need to limit your time outdoors. If so, whether you are working or not, stay indoors as much as you can.
2. Indoor safety:
If you were outside, its recommended to change clothes to prevent small particles from coming inside. Anytime you're indoors while the air quality is terrible, take the following steps to keep the indoor air clean: Be sure to leave all the windows and doors shut. If it's hot and you need your air conditioner, you may have it running as long as you have a clean air filter and close the fresh air intake to prevent smoke from coming in. If it's too hot and you do not have an air conditioner, try to seek shelter somewhere else. Refrain from burning candles, smoking, and using fireplaces and gas stoves. If you have an air purifier/filter, keep it running. If you don't have an air filter, I personally own a Coway Air Purifier that works great for us.
3. Stay in tune with your health:
Follow your physician's advice and orders if you have any lung or respiratory diseases. People who have existing lung and respiratory conditions should stay inside unless instructed otherwise. If you are prescribed any controller steroid inhalers (like QVAR) or
quick-relief inhalers, or oxygen, use those if you are having difficulty breathing.
If you are healthy, you can still experience symptoms similar to sinus infections such as a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, irritated eyes, headaches, shortness of breath, and/or chest pain.
Keep track of how you're feeling from smoke exposure as well as heat exhaustion symptoms which include but not limited to profusely sweating, weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and muscle cramps.
To relieve some sinus symptoms, try using a neti pot or sinus rinse kit. I use and recommend NeilMed's Sinus Rinse Complete Kit especially since I'd rather squeeze the bottle and have more control than pour it in.
When my eyes are irritated, I use eye drops and a cold compress. I personally use Rohto Cool Max Maximum Redness Relief Cooling Eye Drops (because I like the cooling feeling), but others will work just fine such as Visine & Clear Eyes or whatever brand you prefer most. If you have googles or other eye protection gear, those can provide some relief as well.
Be sure to research and know your symptoms and when to seek medical care.
4. Stay Hydrated:
Wildfires usually happen during hot months so we should be staying hydrated, but unfortunately, that's not the case. Even I'm guilty of not drinking enough water throughout the day. However, wildfire smoke has microscopic particles that end up in the air (even when you do not see smoke) that can get trapped in your lungs and get into your bloodstream. Eventually, they can contaminate other organs which is extremely dangerous. It's a good idea to start flushing out these toxins as soon as possible. Try to drink (but not too fast) at least as much water as possible, around 10 8oz glasses of water to start. Keep drinking throughout the day especially with bad air quality.
5. Using Masks:
Some people believe wearing a mask will help prevent exposure. If you feel the need to wear a mask, do not use dust or surgical masks. Use one with a filtering respirator that is labeled N95 or N100. These provide some protection by filtering out fine particles. However, they do not filter out hazardous gases (such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and acrolein). These can be found at most hardware and home improvement stores as well as some health centers.
I hope everyone is staying safe and sending prayers to those who are suffering out there! I'll be honest, I'm actually wishing for the rain to save us all!!!
If you have any tips you'd like to share with us on wildfire smoke safety, please let us know or comment below! Thank you for reading my very first blog post, and I hope it was helpful.
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