Hartford HealthCare doctor talks effects of poor air quality on people's health
The air quality has been deemed dangerous because of the particular matter in the smoke coming from the wildfires.
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The air quality progressively declined throughout the day Wednesday due to wildfires in Canada, which is why health experts say the best thing to do is to stay indoors for the time being and to wear face masks if going outside.
The air quality has been deemed dangerous because of the particular matter in the smoke coming from the wildfires.
People with upper or lower respiratory issues from sinus, nasal issues, vocal cord issues, asthmatics or more will feel the most irritation from the smoke, including children and the elderly.
Dr. Steven Thau, director of pulmonology medicine at Hartford HealthCare, says the short-term effects could be difficulty breathing, coughing, eye irritation, so he advises anyone who needs an inhaler to keep it on on-hand.
Thau says long-term effects depend on how long this haze remains in the area.
"We know that air pollution, poor air quality over time will result in detrimental effects in patients' respiratory, cardiovascular system for sure. What we don't know is OK is this is going to be for three or four days. It's probably not going to have any long-term effects unless you have a vulnerability," says Thau.
The doctor says people feeling anything out of the ordinary should mention it to their physician.
News 12 reached out to area hospitals, most of which said they have not seen a difference in emergency room visits stemming from the air quality alert.
The air quality alert has been extended for parts of Connecticut through Thursday night.
