With all these fires, air quality has been pretty bad lately!

There is a lot of particulate and allergens in our air.

In our office we are seeing so many people affected by breathing in the smoke.

They are experiencing new headaches, asthma attacks, sinus congestion, sneezing and dry throats, among other things.

Some of the more sensitive people, those with allergies, COPD, asthma, etc., may be experiencing this worse.

I would encourage people to spend as little time as possible outside while we have such poor air quality.

If you do need to be outside to work or for whatever reason, be sure to wear a mask.

If possible, exercise indoors, not outdoors.

What mask should I wear?

I would recommend against cloth masks, tunnels, and surgical masks in favor of the n95s and kn95s.

Cloth masks and tunnels are not designed to protect your lungs from the particulate in the air, but they are probably better than nothing.

Surgical masks are designed to keep the wearer from contaminating a sterile environment around them, we need a mask that works in the opposite direction.

The n95 and kn95 masks, in addition to some higher-end masks with filters ARE designed to prevent inhalation of particulates in the air.

This is what I have been wearing when I need to go outside because they are affordable, easy to find, reusable, and often come in bulk.

Let us know if you need any help finding a mask that works for you.

Stay safe and healthy!
Dr. Taylor