Smoke from the Canadian wildfires is expected to drift over Rochester in the coming days and experts are warning that the air quality will worsen.
Dr. Daniel Croft, a pulmonologist for UR Medicine who also studies air quality and its effect on our health, said individuals with pre-existing conditions, like asthma, COPD, and heart disease, should exercise more precautions over the next few days.
“It would be worth considering staying indoors, trying to keep cool, using fans indoors, and trying to avoid creating more combustion or any indoor air pollution,” Croft said. He gave the same advice for pregnant women and those of extreme ages.
Croft said if people in those groups must go outside, they should consider wearing a N95 mask to limit exposure to air toxins.
He said symptoms of poor air quality for anyone may include burning of the eyes, scratchiness of the throat, coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Some people, he said, could experience headaches.
“The particles that are in the smoke are a vast mixture of different particles and aerosols... But these particles are particularly inflammatory,” Croft said. “That inflammation is part of the mechanism of why underlying diseases are exacerbated by air pollution.”
Croft said if you do not have air conditioning in your home, consider using one of the city’s cooling centers. They include most libraries and R-centers.
Climate change, Croft said, is creating more frequent and intense wildfires. But Rochester is what he calls a “climate haven”, where the effects of climate change are not as intense as other areas. But, he said, “we can preserve our excellent air quality by reducing our own emissions.”
