We're right at 6:44 with this weather alert,
the big story this morning in central Ohio,
the air quality apparently getting worse.
This is a live look outside right now.
You can see the haze.
They're hovering in the light of day.
Take a look at this comparison m
John Glenn Columbus Internationl
Airport Sidebyside comparison
for your friends on the left,
this week on the right.
Last week and really you
can barely make out the sky.
In that scene on the left this morning,
we are talking with an allergy expert about
how these conditions affect breathing.
Doctor Roger Friedman from OhioT
and allergy Physicians joins us live.
And Doctor Friedman,
we talked with you before,
so our viewers are somewhat
familiar with you.
So I want to get right to having
you talk about what the exposure
to this wildfire smoke is really
doing to our bodies.
Yeah it's it's really a shame.
I mean it's it's bad it's and
unfortunately look like it can
get a little bit worse today.
These fire particles are just
dangerous and damaging to all o.
They they affect our eyes, our ,
our throat and most importantly
our lungs and they can hurt
virtually all of us and any of ,
but in particular the high risk people,
young children.
The elderly they affect people o
have lung disease in particular.
If you have asthma or COPD heart disease,
pretty good bad also for pregnant women too.
So it it's just a it's just a
shame and it's just really bad.
Bad for all of our people and and for
all of my patients it's we've gn
literally hundreds of phone calf
people being bothered and irritated and
these fine particles is is wildfire smoke.
Fine particles can can damage the eyes,
the nose, irritate them and and
then definitely damage the lung.
They're they're these very small particles,
these PM20 fives we call them,
they get deep into the lungs
and and they can cause,
you know, major problems.
It's it's why when you're a firefighter
you wear respirator when you go
into a fire it it filters out te
things and we're unfortunately
getting these particles unfilte.
And they're irritating most everybody.
So let's talk about some of the
symptoms because before we were talking,
you know, a couple of weeks ago
about people who have asthma,
COPD, those underlying conditio.
But if you're somebody who
doesn't have any of those,
how are you going to know that
you're being affected by this
particles? I think the answer
unfortunate is go outside and breathe.
Right now, for most of most normal people,
again, without these underlying conditions,
it's going to irritate your nos.
It's going to irritate your may cause a
little bit of cough and may cause a little
bit of eye symptoms and stuff like that,
but it it's an irritant for virtually
everybody and it's not damaging to everybody,
but it's irritating to everybody, again,
those people who have underlying conditions.
It can lead to major problems wh
them where we're seeing lots moe
people having coughing spells,
asthma spells, things like thatd
and ironically especially for an hour,
just as one of the reasons I'm n
is that this is in the height oe
allergy season until you've got.
Kind of two factors together.
The wildfire smoke affects ever,
and if you happen to have aller,
it kind of affects you doubly.
So You said go inside and breat,
which we kind of chuckled at he.
But what if you do want to get t
and enjoy maybe a ball game or,
say, a Taylor Swift concert? Ye,
yeah, I don't think anyone's goa
miss their Taylor Swift concert.
Again, you know, fortunately alf
us have gotten used to the last three
years wearing masks and this is a really
good time to bring out your N95 mask,
your Can 95 mask if you're goino
be out for a long period of tim.
I think that's that's important.
And again, like all all good ad,
you know, drink lots of water,
stay hydrated and and if you're being
bothered, stop. Just settle dow.
You can go into air conditionin,
go into your car,
turn on your air conditioner,
things like that.
If you're if you're noticing major problems.
All right. Dr. Roger Friedman,
thank you so much for joining us
bright and early here on Wake U.
See bus with some really good advice.
My pleasure. Stay safe. Thank you. You too.