East Wenatchee, WA – Public health officials urge Chelan and Douglas County residents to stay indoors due to wildfire smoke and unhealthy air quality conditions.
Wildfire smoke can cause serious health problems, especially for sensitive groups including: children, pregnant women, adults older than 65, and people with heart and lung diseases or respiratory illnesses. Learn more about the Washington Air Quality Advisory at: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/4300/waqa%20infographic_English.pdf?ver=2018-07-26-131607-693.
If you are experiencing serious symptoms, please seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms related to poor air quality include:
• Watery or dry eyes
• Coughing/wheezing or throat/sinus irritation
• Shortness of breath
• Headaches
• Irregular heartbeat and chest pain
The best way to protect your and your family’s health during poor air quality conditions is to limit time spent outdoors and follow these steps to improve indoor air quality:
• Keep windows and doors closed to avoid smoky air from coming inside;
• Avoid bringing outdoor air inside by setting air conditioner(s) to “recirculate”;
• Avoid adding indoor air pollution and do not vacuum, use candles, or smoke; and
• Use a portable air cleaner with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter.
Stay informed of the latest wildfires and local air quality by visiting the Washington Smoke Blog at: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/.
To stay informed on local public health, visit www.cdhd.wa.gov and follow CDHD on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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