Good Lifestyle

Many of us are counting on A daily walk To keep our mind and our bodies in good shape. But with Canada forest fire smoke Covering a large part of the north of the United States, is it still sure to stem outside? Although the omnipresent smell of smoke can make your walk less pleasant than usual, being locked up is not so fun either - as we know too well after having lived the COVVI -19 pandemic. According to the American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are many factors at stake when you assess if you have to spend time outside when air quality is bad.

"The level of air pollution, the state of health of a person and the duration and intensity of the exercise are all important to consider", write his experts, noting that there is no strict answer and fast in complete safety to take a walk outside in polluted air. That said, in New York and other places affected by Canadian forest fires, atmospheric pollution levels are extremely high and classified as "very unhealthy".

Go to ALLOW.GOV To check the current level of air pollution where you live and the corresponding color code alert. If your city is in the red zone or worse, it recommends avoiding painful outdoor activities, keeping activities less cautious and moving physical activities inside or posting them until the air clears. Note that people with heart or pulmonary disease, the elderly, children and adolescents are invited to completely avoid outdoor physical activities in this case.

If you are determined to go out - or if you have To brave the mist, as many of us do - read to find out what you need to know about what can happen to your body if you walk when the air quality is bad.

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"It is preferable to avoid or limit time outside when air quality is as bad as today, especially if you belong to a sensitive group", researcher and Air quality expert Jie Zhao , PHD, tells Better life . "This includes people with respiratory problems such as asthma, allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (MPOC); cardiovascular conditions; weakened immune system; as well as older adults, pregnant women and young children."

If you venture outside, he says that the first thing that will probably happen is that you will feel the effects of forest smoke in your eyes and your throat. "In the short term, if you are a healthy adult, you can feel a sore throat and itching due to irritation. If you fall into one of the sensitive groups, you can feel a cough, a breathing Skating, difficulty breathing and in serious cases, serious heart problems. "

It is not only your eyes and your throat that are in danger if you decide to go to a ride in the seriously polluted air, explains Gail Lebovic , MD, the CEO of Silicon Valley Inventions . Most of us breathe irritants, germs, allergens and potentially toxic substances every day - especially if we live in an urban community - but the additional smoke of forest fires can really resume a notch and have an effect more important on our lungs.

"The nose is the window of the lungs," she said. "Exposure to forest fires and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can wreak havoc on the delicate nose, sinuses and in particular lungs."

Lebovic says that in the short term, breathing in these particles suspended in the air can manifest itself as allergies, asthma and sinus problems. In the long term, "these irritants can cause serious pulmonary conditions and, in some cases, even cancer".

Although the current smoke situation due to Canadian forest fires will not last more than "another day", according to CBS News, they report that experts say "we can see More events like this While summer continues. "If air quality continues to be poor, this is bad news for our body and our daily walks.

"In the long term, the fine particles that you have inspired by smoke can cause more damage, because it can stay in your lungs and even enter the blood circulation, finally by making its way to certain organs, like the wall of the heart ", Said Zhao, explaining that this is how pollution causes heart attacks." The general rule is that the longer and more serious your exposure to air, the more it can cause your health at long. term."

Lebovic says that contaminated air of breathing means that there is less oxygen at the disposal of our lungs, which makes it more difficult for our vital organs such as the heart, the brain and the kidneys. "The poor air quality is not a joke," she warns.

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If you live in a place affected by forest fires, you may have noticed that many people carrying masks outside, as they did during the pandemic. However, Zhao says that fabric masks and surgical masks are not particularly effective. "A properly adjusted N95 is the only type of mask that can significantly reduce the quantity of fine particles (PM2.5) that you inspire," he said. "It is also important to note that no mask will prevent you from irritation of the eyes." AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

If you decide to walk, it is better to keep it short - and stick to it during the day. "Particle concentrations are generally worse at night , " Michael Koehle , MD, PHD, and director of the Environmental Physiology Laboratory at the University of British Columbia, told The Washington Post . He explained that smoke sets up closer to the ground over the day and only begins to rise after sunrise the next day. So, if you usually walk around at night or at night, or if you prefer to go out early, before the sun rises, you may want to rethink your routine. "The levels before dawn are still high," he said.

Best Life offers the most up -to -date information for high -level experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not supposed to replace professional advice. If you have health questions or concerns, always consult your health care provider directly.