Feeling especially tired, irritable, unfocused, physically ill and even depressed these days? You’re not the only one. Heavy wildfire smoke from Oregon and Washington is making air quality across the state unhealthy, which comes with several impacts.
Missoula public health officials Monday said that when air quality is rated as "Unhealthy" or worse, everyone should reduce or avoid long or intense outdoor activity.
For those who don’t have a choice and must be outside under these circumstances, a cloth mask or bandanna won’t cut it. They’re unable to filter out the tiny particles that make us sick.
When we breathe in fire smoke, those particles penetrate deep into our lungs. Then, they move into the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body, making us feel ill.
Health officials recommend wearing N95 or KN95 masks. They’re specifically designed to capture 95 percent of those tiny particles.
Weather forecasters say there’s a chance western Montana may get some temporary relief from the dense smoke by mid-week.
