The last couple of days have brought the smell of smoke, limited visibility, and hazardous air quality levels to the Northwoods.
Wildfire smoke contains particulate matter or PM that can travel deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
A study published earlier this year links chronic exposure to wildfire smoke to an average of 24,100 deaths per year in the lower 48.
More immediate impacts include worsening asthma and other chronic lung diseases, increasing the risk of heart-related complications, and irritating the eyes, nose and throat.
Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital and Aspirus Eagle River Hospital saw slight increases in smoke-related patients presenting to the Emergency Department or Urgent Care on Wednesday.
“If you're having trouble with breathing or allergies due to the poor air quality or any of those symptoms that can certainly pop up, might be a good idea to see your provider if those symptoms aren't resolving on their own by removing yourself from that exposure,” said Dr. Tony Malik with Aspirus Health.
Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions are most at risk for serious complications.
Some kids will produce a lot of mucus in an effort to clear all that smoke, so they'll become very stuffy with lots of drainage and a productive cough.
For many parents, one of the biggest questions during smoky conditions is when it's time to limit outdoor activities.
While the Air Quality Index (AQI) can be a useful guide, Aspirus Pediatrician Dr. Sarah Dennison says families should also pay attention to how a child is responding to smoky conditions.
“First thing I tell patients is, ‘How do you feel? Like, how are you feeling right now? You are noticing the smoke. You smell it. How do you feel with that amount of smoke?’ If they feel pretty good, normally I tell them to hydrate. Try to stay in a place that's not smoky, and they should do fine. Limit your time outdoors, especially between 10 and 5p.m.,” said Dennison. “But if a child comes in to see me and they're already feeling poorly, I say absolutely need to stay inside all day, and we need to kind of clean this out, try to spit out everything, lots of hydration.”
A properly fitted N95 mask may help reduce exposure to smoke particles. Air purifiers, even homemade ones, can help keep air inside the house clean.
