CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Smoke from Canadian wildfires is severely impacting air quality along the East Coast, but it's also causing issues in the Chicago area.
“I can’t remember when it’s been this bad,” said the Respiratory Health Association’s Brian Urbaszewski.
His organization is dedicated to preventing lung disease and promoting clean air.
He said the Chicago area was already dealing with high ozone levels recently, and the addition of smoke from the Canadian wildfires created a dangerous combination.
“Those particles are connected to the same breathing difficulties, but they’re also connected to things like heart attack and stroke,” Urbaszewski noted.
The risk is particularly high for vulnerable people including children, senior citizens and people with chronic lung and heart conditions.
“Ozone smog and fine particulate matter that you get from smoke are respiratory irritants, so they’re going to irritate the lungs, the throat,and cause difficulty breathing,” Urbaszewski said.
“For people with lung diseases like asthma, it could trigger an asthma attack,” Urbaszewski said.
He said wearing N95 masks can help, but the best advice is to limit outdoor activity and stay in air-conditioned areas with filtered air if possible.
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