Boise Seniors Have Greater Risk of Reacting to Smoky Conditions
“When there’s really bad forest fire smoke, you can’t even see the Foothills,” says
pulmonologist Dr. Kate Sutherland of the Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, adding, “I sit here and I think about how hard it’s going to be for a lot of my patients who are struggling to breathe on a day like this.”
Dr. Sutherland offers some practical advice for everyone in Boise during this wildfire season, as smoke from wildfires in the West and Canada form a blanket over the Treasure Valley.
To avoid putting your health in harms way, regardless of the air quality index, Sutherland recommends:
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stay indoors, or limit time outdoors
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don’t vacuum (stirs up particulates)
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don’t burn candles
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check the air filters on air conditioners (make sure they are clean)
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check what kind of air conditioner you have (make sure it’s recirculating indoor air, not pulling in air from outside).
Get up-to-the-minute air quality conditions online through the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality’s AirNow website and Idaho Smoke Information blog. Find out about wildfires burning around the West at the National Interagency Fire Center’s inciweb site.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people with heart disease, respiratory conditions, the elderly and children can benefit from a freestanding indoor air filter with particle removal.
Brightstar Care of Boise provides a full continuum of skilled in-home care services for needed safety during Wildfire Season. To learn more: Click Here
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