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| Summer heat, fires make bad air worse |
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| Written by R.D. O'Bryan | Health Matters | |
| Friday, 25 July 2008 | |
 “Up in the blue / you are breathing the air / of Frequent Flyers / swirling molecules / microbial cyclones / volatile cologne / bacteria / each receptive alveole / penetrated and vacated / by parts of strangers.” While the poem quickly evolves into a love poem after this, it is clear the poet went to great length in using the imagery of air to communicate things that can be deeply absorbed within. For the poet, it was romantic love. For the rest of us, a casual look out our windows reveals something a bit more insidious. Indeed, these past few weeks, many of us have been miserable in what we’ve been absorbing. As a native of the Los Angeles area, I know all too well the woes of poor air quality. Geographically, L.A. is a half-bowl open to the ocean, with the steep rim formed by the formidable San Gabriel mountains. With the constant ocean winds blowing inland, the city’s smog has nowhere to go. The Central Valley is also a bowl. The four mountain ranges around the Central Valley all form a long, deep depression. While the Valley has a much larger area and a lighter population density, the bowl effect is in place nonetheless. The valley air is already filled with many types of agricultural particles, and new industry and the pollution created by thousands of people commuting between Bakersfield and L.A. and between the Bay Area and Sacramento have created an environment similar to Los Angeles. The heat of summer and the many fires blazing across our state have made things even worse. Inhaling such air can lead to or aggravate myriad health problems. Those with chronic lung conditions — asthma, emphysema, bronchitis — are most susceptible. Poor air quality also can trigger migraine headaches and send allergy sufferers running for their nasal sprays and antihistamine pills. The key to avoiding such scenarios is to limit exposure to the outside air and avoid physical exertion. It is also extremely beneficial to know the exact particle and ozone level status of your area. Many newspapers print daily air quality forecasts. AirNow.gov is also an excellent online resource that gives updated air quality information for the whole country. Of course, if you suffer from a particular lung or allergy condition, you should consult your health care provider ahead of time to come up with a medical plan that works best for you.
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