Air quality so thick you can cut it with a knife!
If there's one thing that really bothers my asthma - it's poor air quality.
One of my family members who lives on the west coast called to say that he was so sick that he couldn't make it into work. He was really having a hard time breathing. He was staying inside with the doors and windows closed.
Of course, I had to nag him and ask if he had used his Albuterol inhaler?!
You can see from the map above that the west coast is being affected by a British Columbia forest fire.
'They’re reporting an aggravation of symptoms, shortness of breath, cough,' he says."
The same article also quotes a Colorado State University study about air quality and smoke from the Seattle area wildfires in 2012. The study showed a 35% increase in hospitalizations.
Yikes!
I hope that doesn't happen this time, but it wouldn't surprise me. Son #2 and daughter Kitty both ended up in the hospital when they were young because of poor air quality.
I hope that doesn't happen this time, but it wouldn't surprise me. Son #2 and daughter Kitty both ended up in the hospital when they were young because of poor air quality.
So, what is the air quality like in your area of the U.S? You can check it on the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for air quality. The website is called Air Now. Just click on your state at the top of the page where it says "Local Air Quality Conditions", or input your zip code.
Many TV stations will also include the air quality during the weather forecast.
It can help to check air quality when you have asthma. You can decide when to avoid exercising or spending too much time outdoors. Instead of biking outside or going for a walk, we go to our city recreation center and walk on the indoor track.
The indoor track isn't as pretty as being outside, but my lungs like it a LOT better.
Our lungs can be a little cranky when it comes to breathing in bad air
And really, can you blame them?!
Many TV stations will also include the air quality during the weather forecast.
It can help to check air quality when you have asthma. You can decide when to avoid exercising or spending too much time outdoors. Instead of biking outside or going for a walk, we go to our city recreation center and walk on the indoor track.
The indoor track isn't as pretty as being outside, but my lungs like it a LOT better.
Our lungs can be a little cranky when it comes to breathing in bad air
And really, can you blame them?!
Houston has very bad air quality. Sometimes it was so bad that they would keep us in for recess.
ReplyDeleteWe have that a lot here too, especially in the winter!
ReplyDeleteSince we are surrounded by mountains, the air can become trapped between storms and build up pollution from cars and industry.
We have had a lot of ozone problems this summer (in winter we have problems with PM 2.5). I have had to use my inhaler a lot this summer, even though I take a controller inhaler every morning and every night :(