The problem from Canadian Wildfires doesn’t seem to be going away and unless you are one of the few people that can travel for vacation for an extended period of time you will need to take precautions in your home. For most of us the haze or smoke conditions will be an irritant and not an immediate life threatening condition however this prolonged exposure can result in health conditions even for the most healthy individuals. For the best information about how you can protect yourself you should consult your doctor especially if you have any underlying problems that low air quality might make worse.
Elderly And Sick Persons Must Take Real Precautions
The first and most important thing to understand is that if your Oxygen Levels are dangerously low then you need to seek professional help from a doctor or emergency technicians immediately. If you find yourself gasping for air it is no different that if you were in an actual fire condition where no normal face mask will be able to improve the Oxygen Levels. An EMT or Emergency Room can provide you Oxygen. If you have in home care nurses then it might be possible to order a Oxygen Generator which you would wear. Most Pharmacies or online stores can provide you with an inexpensive Blood Oxygen Tester which is worn on your finger and reads your blood oxygen levels. Never delay calling your healthcare provider when you are in question or having symptoms.
Physical Activity Should Be Limited
As you know any time that you exert yourself your body will burn off the oxygen in your blood. If you are running you will feel out of breath and need to take deep breaths to regain your normal breathing. This is the same for any activity in your home or throughout your day. When oxygen levels are lower than normal even by a small amount your body can react to them. You might feel tired or have headaches or feel that you have lost your breath. For this reason in low air quality conditions you want to limit your activity to the bare minimum. Taking your pet for a long walk might not be the smart thing to do for either of you. Remember your pets will also feel added stress.
Use Your Air Conditioner But Make Sure Its Not On Vent Mode
There should be no problem using your home’s Air Conditioner if it is in good operating condition.It can also improve your air quality by reducing the humidity, reducing your stress levels and by filtering some of the particulate out of the air.
Although most HVAC Systems including whole home units do not normally exchange or mix outside air with inside air because the most efficient way to cool air is to recirculate it over and over through the evaporator unit this is not the case for window units.
If you have a window unit air conditioner it is important to make sure that it is not set to let in outside air. Normally this is a manual lever or button on the unit that opens the vent however some units might have it set electronically. Electronics on these units often default when they are turned off or unplugged or there is a power surge so just check your owners manual and make sure its not venting in outside air.
Reduce Your Use Of Gas Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces And Indoor Smoking
The first and most important thing is to not smoke in your living area. If you are a smoker whether it is vaping or tobacco you should limit your smoking to outdoors or possibly a garage area where the smoke will not enter the rest of the living space. You are just going to make things worse. And Yes Even Vaping will cause indoor air pollution and you don’t need that at this time. Even if you live alone go outside for a few minutes or reduce your intake.
You should also reduce your use of any appliance that consumes air from the living space. Most furnaces today use outside air for combustion but if your furnace is not a 90%+ efficient unit then it is likely it will be using some indoor air to burn its fuel. The same is true for gas hot water heaters and even gas stoves. Limit your use or don’t use them. If you have question you might be able to call your HVAC technician or Plumber for help identifying your unit and how it works. Wood Stoves and Fireplaces even Gas Units should not be used. The same is true for portable heaters and even candles. If it consumes Oxygen then its not your friend right now so limit or discontinue use through out the Air Quality Emergency.
Even your electric dryer or bathroom fan can be a source of using air or taking it from the inside and forcing it outside so do so with the thought that it can cause a problem. If indoor air is leaving your home then outdoor air is being sucked into your home through cracks around windows and doors.
Limit Your Use Of Cleaning Products And Any Scented Items
Any Product that causes scents will be an issue. From healthcare products to home deodorizers all of it should be limited during an Air Quality Event. That means don’t bleach your bathroom because you won’t be able to open the windows. Don’t spray air fresheners and you might actually want to gather anything like that up and place it in a sealed box or plastic bag or move it to a garage area.
If you must use perfume or deodorant then do so in a way that is not offensive to others. Remember at this point in time the issue is being able to breath and although you might not be effected by it others probably are. Its a hard balance to make but if the people around you sometimes complain during normal times then be kind about it.
Final Note
Every little thing that you do will add up to better air quality but you must remember that if Oxygen Levels are dangerously low then there is no way that you can improve this. You must seek professional help and remove yourself from the situation or call for medical help. Removing yourself from the situation like we said at first is pretty impossible unless you can travel very long distances so this is why you must be alert about everything you do that could make things tougher at this time.
Take it easy and relax, have a sandwich for dinner instead of cooking a big meal, reduce your use of cleaning products and scented items, never use your fireplace or wood burning stove, make sure that your windows and doors are sealed well, Use your air conditioner instead of a window fan.
Simply reduce the stress in other ways that you can control and that hopefully will be enough to get you through it.