ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News is getting new insight into how to deal with smoke and haze across metro Atlanta.
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Sunny weather brought people out to Piedmont Park, but that haze in the air may be more than just an inconvenience.
Smoke from wildfires can travel anywhere from 100 to 1,000 miles, reaching areas far from the source.
Doctors say that while many people may only feel mild discomfort, for others, the impact can be much more serious.
“The patients that really need to be worried about this are those that have asthma, COPD or emphysema, chronic lung disease, and also those that may have a suppressed immune system. Think about our pregnant patients, our diabetics, and especially our elderly,” Dr. Dhaval Desai with The Atlanta Internists said.
Air quality levels backed up those concerns on Wednesday, with the Air Quality Index reaching red levels around midtown Atlanta and other areas.
Dr. Lilly Hwang with Atlanta Allergy and Asthma says when air quality reaches those levels, sensitive groups should limit outdoor activity.
“Because with those particular matters this way, it’s very easy for it to enter into your respiratory tract. It goes into (the) nasal passageway, mouth, and then into your lungs and into the sort of smaller airways in your lungs, which can affect quite a lot of people,” Hwang said. “Just take a day off and just kind of watch the weather.”
On days like this, she recommends skipping outdoor workouts and closely monitoring conditions.
For safety on smoky days, experts recommend:
- Keeping windows and doors closed
- Avoiding the use of kitchen and bathroom fans that can pull in outside air
- Running your air conditioning on “recirculate” mode
“If you work outside, if you’re in lawn maintenance, doing a lot of construction work outside today is the day that you would want to wear that protective mask and breathe in healthy filtered air,” Desai explained.
RELATED STORIES:
- State of Emergency declared over South Georgia wildfires
- This is what you need to know if the smoky air is bothering you
- Wildfire risk: How to track, prepare if flames get near
- Georgia wildfires updates: First mandatory burn bans in state history
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