IH sends out another warning about the dangers
Interior Health can't stress enough how you should take care and avoid exposing yourself to wildfire smoke.
Chief Medical Health Officer, Doctor Trevor Corneil, says the small particles of soot, in the smoke, can get inside your lungs and constrict the air space – and get into your bloodstream constricting some of the vessels.
"So the clinical symptoms we watch for are initially some sore throat, some scatchiness, but as the particulate matter increases one can experience shortness of breath – and in some cases – persons with chronic heart conditions can actually experience worsening of their heart symptoms, whether that's heart failure or chest pain," he says.
Doctor Corneil says people should try and stay indoors, especially in a place with air conditioning or an air filtration system – and most importantly – avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
And he repeated a warning about the inability of contractors or surgical masks to give you any protection.
"The speical ones that we use for specific situations in hospitals, where we're concerned about the spread of viruses, those actually only remove some of the particles – not all of the particles – and they're very difficult to wear. They cause people to have difficulty breathing on their own, so we don't recommend people wear masks," he says.
Dr. Corneil says if you are experiencing clinical symptoms of any kind, contact your health care provider or local walk-in clinic.
Find the Air Quality rating here
