Should you be concerned about the air quality index?

As smoke from more than 180 wildfires in Canada travel south and affect regions of the U.S., hundreds of thousands of Americans face air quality advisories. This news leaves people, including parents of children with respiratory conditions, wondering just how concerned they should be.

“During periods of poor air quality, it’s important for sensitive groups, including pregnant women, newborns, older adults and individuals of all ages with respiratory problems, to limit their time outdoors,” says Dr. Shimoni Dharia, a pulmonologist at Advocate Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Dharia explains parents of pediatric asthma patients should have asthma action plans in place and be ready to use emergency inhalers when needed.

She offers the following tips for children and adults to plan ahead for poor air quality:

1. Stay indoors: Keep windows and doors shut, and use air purifiers with fresh filters and air conditioning with clean filters. If you do not have air conditioning, consider shelters or air-conditioned stores and malls.
2. Stay in the know: Online resources can help you discover the air quality index near you. Levels less than 50 are considered healthy, and levels higher than 150 can lead to respiratory symptoms among the general population. People with lung disease should avoid being outside when the air quality index is between 100 and 150.
3. Use an asthma action plan: If the smoky air is causing shortness of breath, chest tightness or other difficulty breathing, start your rescue inhaler.
4. Consider masking up: If you need to go outside when the air quality index is high, you can use a fitted N-95 mask.

Your doctor can help establish an asthma action plan. Find a doctor in Illinois or Wisconsin.