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This is a story of Kaiser Health News.
Toby Lewsadder came out of an Ace hardware store with a simple dust mask to a strap. He knew it was not the right defense against the lingering smoke in the air, but that was all he could find.
The local hardware stores he inspected on Tuesday did not have the larger breathing mask that public health officials are recommending to defend against the noxious smoke of forest fires that cover communities in the state. A pharmacy that he contacted sold surgical masks for only one quarter.
"No one has them," said Lewsadder, 41, who was heading to Los Angeles to attend a conference on computer science. So, for now, the dust mask should do: "Something is better than nothing," he said.
Unfortunately, Lewsadder is wrong.
Ana B. Ibarra / California Healthline
The type of mask you wear is very important if you do not want to inhale harmful pollutants, experts say.
And as deadly fires burn in northern and southern California, destroying communities and lives, millions of people outside burning areas are exposed to the dangerous smoke that invades their communities and settle as black shroud.
Wildfire smoke is dangerous because it contains fine particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs, which can cause or aggravate respiratory problems, such as asthma. Some groups are particularly vulnerable, including children and the elderly.
Suspended particulates in most of northern California during the past week were 18 times higher than the levels recommended by the World Health Organization. Such levels can trigger acute symptoms such as breathing difficulties and headaches, even in healthy people.
Ana B. Ibarra / California Healthline
Health experts agree that the best defense is to stay inside.
But many also suggest that if you have to go out for a prolonged period of time, it is best to wear the right kind of mask, especially if you have a health problem such as asthma, heart problems or emphysema. .
Health professionals and firefighters are equipped for the right mask, but the general public is not.
So what kind of mask is the best?
Not the dust mask that Lewsadder wore. Or the surgical masks that surround your ears. Forget the wearing of a bandanna or the presence of a tissue on your mouth – these will not protect your lungs.
The California Governor's Emergency Services Office and the California Department of Public Health recommend "N95" or "P100" respirators, both approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health for health workers and firefighters.
These simple but sophisticated masks are designed to block at least 95% of fine and dangerous particles, called PM2.5, released by forest fire smoke. With a diameter of 2.5 microns or less, PM2.5 particles can not even be seen with the naked eye, said Dr. John Balmes, professor of environmental health sciences at the university. University of California at Berkeley. (For comparison, a human hair can measure a diameter as small as 16 microns.)
Once you have found the right kind of mask, it is also important to wear it correctly.
The mask should have two straps. A strap should be placed below the ears and one above. And the mask must stick to your face.
"The effectiveness of the mask depends on how well it fits the contours of your face," said Keith Bein, a senior research badociate at the University's Air Quality Research Center. from California to Davis. "If there is a hole, the air will go through the hole."
But if you have trouble breathing or are dizzy, remove the mask.
If a disposable mask is dirty inside or if you have trouble breathing, throw it away.
At the expense of some parents, N95 masks are not small enough for most children. Balmes, a doctor, told his colleagues that they could put adult masks on their children, but that he could not promise they would work.
In Sacramento, since the campfire devastated the city of Paradise, located 90 miles north of Sierra Nevada, the typical blue sky seems overcast. In fact, it is a mist of smoke that has settled on trees and buildings, leaving a pungent taste in the mouth and irritating the eyes.
Air quality levels in the region are in "unhealthy", "very unhealthy" or "dangerous" beaches for much of the week.
Residents of the area have received conflicting messages about the opportunity to wear masks. The Sacramento County Public Health Division issued a statement that only people living near the fire should wear masks because they limit airflow and can make breathing more difficult. Meanwhile, the city of Sacramento distributes free masks to the public in fire stations.
"There is confusion, and I think one of the problems is that there is not enough evidence-based medicine to know if healthy people should put on these masks and when that Is effective, "said Mary Prunicki, a medical researcher and instructor at Sean of Stanford University. N. Parker Center for Research on Allergies and Asthma. "It's something we're really trying to investigate."
Despite conflicting messages and poor air quality, many people in the capital seem to be doing their business as usual. Leland Gilmore, 77, who was walking her dog, Ruff, to McKinley Park, near downtown, did not think the smoke was "enough" to stay inside. People were not shooting hoops, playing tennis and jogging in the same park.
"I'm worried, yes, but I do not take any particular action," said 61-year-old Gail Peoples during her late morning walk with her two dogs. "This time of day seems OK."
Peoples, however, said he worried about the older members of the family, such as his mother-in-law who has lung problems and who has not left home for a week.
People know that there is a special mask, but do not know what to look for.
When Sisco Martinez, who had no asthma or breathing problems, felt chest pain, he went to the Sacramento Fire Hall to get a mask.
"I work indoors, but I did not feel very well, so I thought I'd better take one," said Martinez, 19.
Experts recognize that masks do not block all toxins in the air – chemical gases, for example, are released into the atmosphere when fires invade neighborhoods and building materials, cars, painting and other consumer goods that people use daily.
"The masks only remove the particles," said Bein. "It does not suppress toxic gases."
Still, Bein said the proper masks "always work better than nothing".
This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation.
Kaiser Health News is a non-profit news service covering health issues. It is an independent editorial program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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