Expert advice on how to handle unhealthy air caused by smoke from wildfires

The air quality is bad enough in the Charleston area today that even people who don’t have lung or heart problems should consider limiting their time outdoors. That’s according to Lynn Schnapp, M.D., a pulmonary and critical care specialist at MUSC Health. 

“I am concerned," she said, after seeing the air quality index hit 151 early this afternoon. “That’s significant. That’s not good.” 

Anything over 150 is considered unhealthy. The reading was well below the next category, very unhealthy, which is AQI 201-300, but troubling, Schnapp said. The culprit is smoke from wildfires in neighboring states that has drifted into the Lowcountry.

For people who are especially vulnerable to changes in air quality, Schnapp said the smoky air can cause real problems. That includes people with asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart problems. The elderly also are more likely to suffer complications from unhealthy air quality.

“There’s an increased frequency of asthma problems,” she said. “The smoky air is an airway irritant. It will induce inflammation in the airways.”

MUSC Children’s Health pulmonologist Shean Aujla, M.D., offered some advice specifically for kids with asthma. “If your child has severe asthma and has been hospitalized a lot, I’d restrict their outdoor time, which is hard. But this is a tough time. We’ve got viral season, seasonal allergies and now this change in air quality.”

She also worries about preemies. “They are very vulnerable. They can have asthma-like symptoms but also have very small airways that are very sensitive to the smoky air. The parents of preemies under a year old should try to keep them indoors during this hopefully short time period.”

The parents of children with cystic fibrosis should also be on alert. “They could be very sensitive to this and are prone to cough and lung infections.”

But this smoky air is likely a short-term issue, Schnapp said. “The good news is, this is anticipated to be a transient phenomenon. We have overall good quality of air. I don’t recommend that people go out and buy filter masks at this point. The main strategy is to minimize exposure. And not to freak out if you need to cross the street.”

This week's air trouble has been a good chance to see how new low-cost sensors, including one on the MUSC campus, stack up against Environmental Protection Agency data. MUSC Environmental Health Assistant Professor John Pearce, Ph.D., said they're being evaluated by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. So far, he said, their measurements generally agree with those of the EPA. "The air quality in the region is generally unhealthy and people should continue to minimize exposure until the smoke clears."