Deschutes County, Oregon – Deschutes County Health Services advises residents to take health precautions during periods of smoke. Many factors influence a person’s sensitivity to smoke, including severity and duration of smoke exposure and a person’s health. There are things you can do to minimize the impacts of smoke on you and your family:
·
Reduce time spent
outdoors when smoke is present.
·
Use an indoor
high-efficiency air filter (HEPA) or electrostatic precipitator in your home to
help create one or more rooms with cleaner air to breathe.
·
Set your A/C or
heating unit to recycle or recirculate when at home or in your car.
·
Stay hydrated. Drink
plenty of water.
·
Reduce other sources
of indoor smoke and dust, including: burning cigarettes, candles, gas or propane
ranges, wood burning stoves and furnaces, and vacuuming.
·
Reduce the time you
engage in vigorous outdoor activity.
·
If you have heart or
lung disease or respiratory illnesses such as asthma, follow your health care
provider’s advice about prevention and treatment of symptoms.
·
Consider maximizing
time in air-conditioned homes or buildings during smoky periods or visit
public, air-conditioned places such as libraries, community centers, senior
centers, restaurants, and retailers for relief from smoke.
Smoke may worsen symptoms for people
who have pre-existing health conditions and those who are particularly
sensitive to air pollution. Contact your health care provider to develop a
smoke plan. Sensitive groups include:
·
Persons with asthma
or other chronic respiratory diseases, such as COPD
·
Persons with
cardiovascular disease
·
Persons 65 years of
age or older
·
Infants and children
·
Pregnant women
·
Smokers, especially
those who have smoked for several years
For current information on air
quality, visit https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map
or use the 5-3-1 visibility index:
·
If visibility is well over five miles, the air quality is generally good.
·
Even if visibility is five miles away but generally hazy, air quality is
moderate and beginning to deteriorate, and is generally healthy, except
possibly for smoke sensitive persons. The general public should avoid prolonged
exposure if conditions are smoky to the point where visibility is closer to the
5-mile range.
·
If under five miles, the air quality is unhealthy for young children, adults over age
65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other
respiratory illness. These people should minimize outdoor activity.
·
If under three miles, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone. Young children,
adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease,
asthma or other respiratory illness. These people should minimize outdoor
activity.
·
If under one mile, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone. Everyone should
avoid all outdoor activities.
For current information on fires and
how to protect your health, visit: www.centraloregonfire.org.
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Media Contact: Morgan Feld, Preparedness Coordinator, 541-322-7466