DELMARVA - As large smoke plumes envelop Delmarva, the American Lung Association has released tips to stay safe with the unhealthy air quality.
They say these five tips help avoid lung irritation and health complications due to increased air pollution:
- Stay indoors. People living close to the fire-stricken areas should remain indoors and avoid breathing smoke, ashes and other pollution in the area.
- Protect the air in your home. Keep doors, windows and fireplace dampers shut and preferably with clean air circulating through air conditioners on the recirculation setting.
- Keep an eye on symptoms. Higher levels of smoke in some areas can make breathing more difficult. If you are experiencing symptoms, contact your healthcare provider.
- Take precautions for kids. Extra precaution should be taken for children and teens, who are more susceptible to smoke. Their lungs are still developing, and they breathe in more air (and consequently more pollution) for their size than adults.
- Ask for help. The American Lung Association’s Lung HelpLine at 1-800-LUNGUSA is staffed by nurses and respiratory therapists and is a free resource to answer any questions about the lungs, lung disease and lung health, including how to protect yourself during wildfires.
The association says that the air quality is predicted to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, older adults, and people with lung diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The Environmental Protection Agency also recommends the use of N95 respirator masks to protect from the smoke, and to limit time outside.
More tips like avoiding vacuuming, smoking, and cooking meat can be found here.