KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - Smoke Thickens & What That Means To Your Health
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The thick smoke filling the valley distorts the color of our sun, turning it a eerie orange. And this haze masks the mountains and the buildings in the Truckee Meadows.
And as more smoke blows our way, people start to experince unwanted breathing problems.
"My ears are plugged, my sinuses are acting up. It's pretty bad. I heard this is what it's like in China on a good day, "Sparks resident Vikki Rak said.
This is why health officials are preparing to call a Stage 2 air pollution alert for Friday.
Remember, this level of unhealthy air affects everybody, not just those with chronic respiratory conditions.
Health officials insist the best thing you can do is stay indoors, choosing to crank up the a/c instead of being outside.
The smoky skies might be keeping you inside longer than you'd like, but that may be beneficial to your long term health.
"The worse the air quality, the higher the density of particles in the air, which makes it more difficult for everybody to breathe," says respiratory therapist Kirk Smith.
Saint Mary's Hospital reports more people are coming into the emergency room with breathing problems. But Smith says the number of patients making their way to see him isn't up much from this time last year. "Maybe just to people taking better care of themselves, being more aware of their environment and staying on their medications."
Allergy and asthma specialist Dr. Boris Loksin says the smoky skies will make more people more likely to develop allergies in the future. It's a unique situation we're experiencing having this much particle pollution in our air for so long. "The effect of it may not be just now, but the effect of it may be a year from now."
Loksin says people are typically genetically pre-disposed to allergies or asthma, but they can hit anyone.
If you have shortness of breath, tightness in your chest, a cough or unusual number of sinus infections, he says call your doctor. And for now, try to stay indoors with the air conditioner on. "It's a partial solution and it's not that pleasant. We like to be outdoors; that's why we live here."
If you're outside for long periods of time, a disposable surgical mask might be a good investment experts say.
