How Sonomans can recover from the smoke

After days of smoky air from the Camp Fire, it’s likely that most Sonomans have been affected, even those who wore N95 masks religiously and stayed indoors. Here are some tips on how to recover from the smoke.|

After days of smoky air from the Camp Fire, it’s likely that most Sonomans have been affected, even those who wore N95 masks religiously and stayed indoors. Here are some tips on how to recover from the smoke.

Unhealthy air quality levels have been in effect in Sonoma County since the fire broke out Nov. 8, with readings above 150, according to monitoring network Purple Air. Wind is expected to blow the smoke away Tuesday, followed by rain. But after 12 days of exposure, many folks are experiencing headaches, irritated eyes and other problems.

At least one local health center has been seeing a number of patients affected by the blaze in Butte County.

“What we have seen since about 48 hours since the fire started has been a notable uptick in upper respiratory complaints, especially for our senior population and children with asthma,” said Ryan Pocock, director of outreach for the Sonoma Valley Community Health Center.

Pocock said Monday. “This has continued from that first weekend into this morning in the Sonoma Valley community.”

First of all, particularly for sensitive populations such as elders and people with asthma, “If you are having trouble breathing, it’s important to see your doctor,” said Benson Chen, a pulmonologist at San Francisco’s California Pacific Medical Center.

According to the American Lung Association, “If you develop a persistent cough or difficult or painful breathing, call your physician. The first symptoms can appear as late as 24 to 48 hours after exposure.”

To help get over the effects of the smoke, drinking lots of water “is always going to be helpful,” Pocock said. “Many people don’t realize it’s the microscopic particulates in the air that you can’t see that do the most harm to our bodies and get in our bloodstream. Drinking water is the best way to get that moving through.”

Another tip: Put air conditioners in the home and the car on the recirculation setting to keep from pulling outside air into the room. Air cleaning devices with HEPA filters can provide added protection from the smoke, according to the lung association.

“If you have an HVAC system, be sure to change those filters,” Pocock said. “Most hardware stores carry three different levels of filtration,” so go for the highest level, he said.

Air purifiers can help as well, but be sure to do your research online before making a purchase.

Also, “When we have been outside in the smoky air for a prolonged period of time, it’s going to be in our clothes and hair. Getting everything into the wash and taking a hot shower or bath is a good first step after you get home, if you have to be outside,” Pocock said.

Looking to the future, Chen recommended stocking up on N95 masks, a good suggestion since many local stores sold out during the recent siege. The pulmonologist also recommended getting to know an air index site and keeping up on air quality, “just as you do with the weather.”

These sites include the Environmental Protection Agency site Airnow, https://airnow.gov/, Purple Air, https://www.purpleair.com/, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District site, http://www.baaqmd.gov/.

Reach Janis Mara at janis.mara@sonomanews.com.

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