Smoke persists over Metro Vancouver for BC Day
Posted August 7, 2017 10:12 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Another day, another special air quality statement from Environment Canada.
Smoke from the wildfires in the Interior continues to be carried into the Lower Mainland by outflow winds, and there is still no definite timeline for when those winds will change direction.
Advisories now cover the entire southern half of BC. The province’s Air Quality Health Index varies depending on the region and the time of day.
Currently, the worst affected area is Kamloops where the risk is ‘very high’. At that level, even those without heart or breathing problems are advised to reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors.
Hedieh Hafizi with Copeman Healthcare Centre in Vancouver says smoke exposure can temporarily change your lung functions, because heavier breathing allows more pollutants to enter the body. So if your daily routine involves outdoor exercise, consider doing a lighter version of it.
“You can continue whatever you were doing before inside in a gym… or you can be in an enclosed area using body weight exercises, things like that, until conditions are better,” she says.
“If you have a medical condition such as heart disease, it can cause angina, or even in the worst case scenario, a heart attack. So you have to be especially careful if you have a medical condition.”
