Wildfire Smoke: How to Protect Yourself
Written by Marilyn Howarth, MD
When wildfire smoke drifts into your community, it is not just an outdoor annoyance, it can be a serious health risk. Wildfire smoke can be dense obscuring visibility or creating a haze as far as you can see. Either way it is a complex mixture of gases and fine particulates that can easily travel deep into the lung carrying carcinogens, irritants, and other hazardous chemicals that can have serious health effects like preterm birth and heart attacks. When people live near an active fire, it may be obvious that they should wear an N95 respirator (the same type that protects us from respiratory viruses like COVID), but what about the Philadelphia region, where the smoke is variable in its density?
The answer to this question is not the same for everyone. First, everyone should have a way of knowing the Air Quality Index every day. Signing up for a text or email at airnow.gov is one way to make sure you know. For air quality rated as orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups) or worse, using an N95 mask may be useful. People with serious cardiovascular disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should consider wearing an N95 mask but should also check with their doctor about whether they are able to do so safely. Although most people can wear an N95 mask, some with very severe pulmonary and/or cardiac conditions may not be able to. Pregnant women should wear an N95 mask with an Orange or worse AQI. Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to poor air quality. However, children’s faces are difficult to fit with N95 masks so their use in children is not known to be effective.
In addition to acute effects of poor air quality, our health is impacted when we are exposed to poor air quality over time. Heart disease and pulmonary conditions are worsened with exposure to particulates over time. For this reason, healthy people may choose to wear N95 masks to reduce exposure even when the air quality is orange. If the air quality is red or worse, all adults should wear N95 masks outside and possibly inside.
There are other strategies to consider when the air quality is poor. Outdoor activities should be limited. Avoid outdoor exercise. Consider stocking up on medication and groceries to limit trips outside. Staying inside is better but may not be significantly better. There are several strategies that will help to improve the air quality indoors:
- Close windows and doors and use air conditioning if you have it. If you don’t have air conditioning, keep track of how hot it is in your home and find a cooling center if it is over 90.
- If you have a central heating and cooling system put it on recirculate and use a high-efficiency air filter (MERV 13, if possible)
- Use a portable air purifier properly sized for the room you are in. If you only have one, move it to your bedroom at night.
- Avoid cooking meals that create smoke and limit gas stove use.
- Avoid lighting candles, burning incense or fires.
Although reducing your time outside is best during poor air quality, you should not avoid going to the ER or your doctor if you have symptoms of illness. Wildfire smoke season can last for days or even weeks, but with the right mask and precautions, you can greatly reduce your exposure and protect your health.
