the smoke from the canadian wildfires has made my air quality be in the dangerous level for most of the day and i wanted to make a bit of a guide for what to do and make it a bit more applicable to people with disabilities, especially chronic illnesses
if you are in an area impacted by dangerous air quality:
stay hydrated and inside as much as possible. if you struggle staying hydrated, increase your salt or electrolyte intake. you can add electrolytes into your water with brands like liquid iv
if you don’t wear one already, now is a great time to start masking again (and keep it up! the pandemic isn’t over!) as it’ll help filter some of the smoke. specifically use an N-95 or a KN-95 — cloth or surgical masks are not equipped for this
people with asthma, lung disease like COPD, people with cardiovascular conditions, people with diabetes, and other circulatory conditions are at a significantly higher risk due to the nature of it being an air quality issue, but if you’re chronically ill outside of these categories it will still hit harder so be aware of yourself
pregnant people are also at a higher risk than the general public
if you are experiencing trouble breathing, heart palpitations, nausea, or dizziness and it’s not something you regularly do or it’s noticeably worse, please get medical help. i get most of these usually and i know those symptoms can be normal for people who follow me, so just be aware of your normal and judge from there
if you find yourself beginning to feel any of these symptoms but don’t have access to fast medical care or money is an issue, stay alert for the start and immediately take time to rest, put a cool washcloth over your eyes, or even your full face. do as much as you can to avoid any stress to your body from excess movement
for your air conditioning, keep it on a recirculate setting if you have that setting to prevent it from bringing outside air in. you can keep the air conditioning on even if you don’t have this setting though, so if you have poor heat regulation abilities please keep it on to avoid your body going through extra stress
additional air filters in the home are also beneficial. once this has passed, replace the filters so they are clear for any subsequent events
stay in rooms you can insulate from the outside. it can also be helpful to place rolled up towels or blankets along the seams of your doors and windows to prevent outside air from getting in
if you’ve been outside, take a shower to wash yourself off. if you can’t do a shower for whatever reason, try and grab a wet washcloth or some wet wipes and wash your hands and face. those two areas prevent the pollution from entering your eyes, nose, and mouth from either touching with the hand or it migrating on your face. washing your hair is recommended too, but again your mileage may vary on what you are able to do
here’s some extra reading if you want to look more into this:
CBC.ca - “Here's how wildfire smoke exposure can impact your health”
American Lung Association - 10 Tips to Protect Yourself from Unhealthy Air
National Weather Service - Be Prepared: Poor Air Quality
Johns Hopkins Medicine - Air Quality and Health
PBS - What to Know About Bad Air Caused by Wildfires and How to Protect Yourself
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