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SMOKE EXPOSURE AND YOUR HEALTH | NSFMed at Glitch City
| >WHO IS AT GREATEST RISK FROM SMOKE EXPOSURE?
People who have lung diseases like COPD, asthma, or heart disease are at higher risk of developing illness from smoke exposure.
Older adults and children are more likely to be affected by health threats from smoke.
Expectant mothers may be more likely to be affected by smoke due to physical changes caused by pregnancy.
| >TAKE STEPS TO REDUCE YOUR RISK FROM SMOKE EXPOSURE
Evacuate from the path of fires. Listen to the news to learn about current evacuation orders. Follow the instructions of local officials about when and where to evacuate. Take only essential items with you.
Check local air quality reports. Pay attention to public health messages about safety measures. Continue to check reports even if there is no longer active burning– smoke can stay in the air for days after fires end.
Consult local visibility guides. Some communities have monitors that measure the amount of particles in the air.
Keep indoor air as clean as possible if you are advised to stay indoors. Keep windows and doors closed. Run an air conditioner, but keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, go to a designated shelter away from the affected area.
Avoid activities that increase indoor pollution. Burning candles, fireplaces, and gas stoves can increase indoor pollution. Vacuuming stirs up particles already inside your home, contributing to indoor pollution. Smoking also puts even more pollution into the air.
>Do not rely on dust masks for protection. Paper “comfort” or “dust” masks commonly found at hardware stores are designed to trap large particles, such as sawdust. These masks will not protect your lungs from the small particles found in smoke. A properly fitted, NIOSH approved particulate respirator (such as an N95 or P100 respirator) is the best choice of mask to use in protecting your lungs from smoke.
Protect yourself when cleaning up after a fire. Cleanup work can expose you to ash and other products of the fire that may irritate your eyes, nose, or skin and cause coughing and other health effects. Wear gloves, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and shoes and socks to protect your skin. Wear goggles to protect your eyes.
| If you are feeling unwell or note changes in your health after smoke exposure, please seek care as soon as you are able. Contact emergency services immediately if you or a loved one are experiencing any of the following:
- Severe shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Coughing up blood, or bloody sputum (phlegm)
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, lethargy or double vision
| Can't wait for the opportunists to scalp protective gear...
| Yeah. They're gonna hate us. Guess what we're handing out in bulk at the evac stations and surrounding areas while we wait for full deployment with Zaibatsu? If you see a WL truck, knock and we'll hand you a pack.- Aweiz
| Thank-God I started stocking up on gear after the last riots and blackout; saved me and my fam some trouble...
It's really bad right now, with all the smoke and the clearing efforts.
| It's a relief to see /someone/ cares to inform folks
| The fire isnt even real, just grow up jesus; what's a little smoke ever done to a man, stop being pussies about it.
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| As fires remain burning within the Downtown District, NSF Medical Center’s Glitch City location continues to see hundreds of the district’s residents daily for serious issues related to smoke inhalation, thermal injury, dehydration, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Recently, individuals from neighboring districts and the many communities along the borders of Downtown have begun presenting to our emergency room in search of care for similar, though less acute issues; many also expressing surprise at the fact they are being affected by the drastic changes in an environment they are not immediately located within. Unfortunately, movement of smoke from burning areas puts much of the city at risk for exposure, as well as the health issues associated with it.
In the interest of the well-being of our patients, both current and prospective, we would like to offer the following information regarding prevention and management of smoke exposure. This information is not comprehensive, and was originally written by the Glitch City Center for Disease Control in the context of smoke exposure from wildfires– however, our team of experienced pulmonologists and other practitioners of respiratory medicine feel that regardless of context, this advice still applies and is valuable.