How to protect yourself from poor air quality & wildfire smoke

July 18, 2024

The best way to protect your health from poor air quality and wildfire smoke is to reduce your exposure and seek cleaner air.

  • Stay indoors: Reduce time spent outdoors to protect your health.
  • Reduce outdoor physical activity: Refer to the Air Quality Health Index and decrease physical exertion outdoors in when air quality is poor
  • Consider wearing a well fitted respirator if you cannot access cleaner air: Use a well fitted respirator (e.g., N95, KN95) properly to reduce exposure to particulate matter in smoke.
  • Activate medical management action plans: Ensure that your plan to self-manage any chronic diseases (e.g., respiratory and cardiovascular diseases) are in place and up to date, and that adequate rescue medications are available.
  • Use a home clean air shelter: Spend time in a room in your home with a portable air cleaner with HEPA filtration to reduce smoke exposure.

Stories@IH

Read our latest stories

5 Minute Read
Community & Culture

HR has always come naturally to Maria, and she enjoys helping people achieve their career goals. Read her advice for job applicants.

4 Minute Read
Community & Culture

Dr. Dwight Ferris works to support and enable the patient voice throughout the health-care system and advance equity, diversity and inclusion.

5 Minute Read
Community & Culture, Health & Wellness

These communication tips can help relieve the fears and worries of your children and young loved ones ahead of and during an evacuation.

3 Minute Read
Health & Wellness

Climate change is arguably our most urgent public health issue. Here's how we're finding new & innovative ways to create a more sustainable health-care system.

4 Minute Read
Community & Culture

Seija discovered her passion for mental health & substance use work after she was posted to an inpatient psychiatric unit. She’s now a team lead at Kelowna MHSU

2 Minute Read
Health & Wellness

Know the ways you can protect yourself from wildfire smoke, and learn how to recognize the health symptoms you might experience from poor air quality.

STAY CONNECTED

Receive news and alert posts, and Stories@IH blog posts, right to your inbox!

mail