In recent years, wildfires have been happening more often—and burning more intensely. That means many people are facing air quality issues. To help explain what this means for your health, Carilion Clinic Family Medicine specialist Christopher Mertes, MD, shares helpful tips below.
What is air quality?
Air quality measures how clean or polluted the air is. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tracks 6 main pollutants and shares daily air quality ratings using a color system:
Who’s most at risk?
Wildfire smoke makes air quality worse by releasing harmful particles and chemicals into the air we breathe. While poor air quality affects everyone, some people are more sensitive to it, including:
- Children
- Older individuals
- Pregnant people
- People with asthma or other lung conditions
- People with heart disease
What you can do
“If the air quality level goes from yellow to orange or red, that’s when I recommend people start taking precautions,” says Dr. Mertes. Here are some steps to protect yourself:
- Limit time outside
- Keep windows and vents closed
- Avoid burning candles or using fireplaces, which can affect indoor air quality
- Skip heavy physical activity
- Don’t smoke
- Postpone using gas-powered tools like lawn mowers
“If the air quality reaches red or purple levels, stay inside as much as possible,” says Dr. Mertes. “And if you have to go outside, consider wearing an N95 mask. It won’t fully ease the effects of bad air quality, but it can help.”
How does air quality affect health?
Breathing in polluted air—especially from wildfire smoke—can affect your health, even if you're usually healthy. Symptoms can range from mild to serious, depending on how long you're exposed and whether you have existing health issues.
Common symptoms include:
- Burning or watery eyes
- Runny nose
- Scratchy throat
- Coughing
- Chest tightness
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Headache
- Fatigue
For people with asthma, COPD, heart disease or other health concerns, these symptoms can become severe and even lead to medical emergencies.
“If the air quality is bad, your lungs are working harder,” says Dr. Mertes. “And if you already have a condition like asthma or heart disease, it doesn’t take much to trigger symptoms or make things worse.”
Visit airnow.gov to check the air quality in any U.S. location and reach out to your primary care physician if you have questions.
