Hazy sunsets graced the Northwoods skies for several evenings in the last two weeks.
The smoke from dozens of wildfires in Alberta, Canada has been drifting across parts of the U.S. including Wisconsin.
It’s been strong enough to drop air quality in our region.
Air quality monitors in the Northwoods show that air quality has mostly stayed in the good or moderate categories.
On May 19th, it did drop into the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category.
Aspirus Eagle River Clinic Nurse Practitioner Alexis Roy says that smoke can be dangerous for people with other conditions like asthma or COPD.
“Depending on how severe that person’s symptoms are normally, it could exacerbate them to the point that they’re having significant difficulty breathing and require further treatment from their primary care provider,” said Roy.
If you’re someone who has an underlying condition that makes you more susceptible to wildfire smoke, Roy recommends staying indoors as much as possible when the air quality drops.
Roy says people can use their inhalers or take an antihistamine if they’re wheezing.
“But if they’re at all concerned. If they’re worried about the way they’re breathing. If they’re experiencing more shortness of breath that isn’t relieved with those mechanisms at home, they should contact their primary care provider or contact the clinic their primary care provider works at and speak with one of the nurses regarding their symptoms,” said Roy.
You can view wildfire smoke and air quality monitors on the AirNow website.
