Have you noticed the hazy skies lately? Poor air quality isn’t just uncomfortable. It can have serious effects on your heart and lungs.

Across much of the United States, smoke from Canadian wildfires has combined with extreme heat to create unhealthy air conditions. While many people think smoke mainly irritates the lungs, wildfire smoke contains tiny particles known as PM2.5 that can travel deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.

Once these particles enter the body, they can trigger widespread inflammation, damage blood vessels, increase blood pressure, and force the heart to work harder. This raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, abnormal heart rhythms, and worsening heart failure, especially in people with existing cardiovascular disease.

Poor air quality also affects the lungs by triggering asthma attacks, worsening COPD, causing coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and reducing your ability to exercise or perform everyday activities.

Those at greatest risk include:

• Older adults
• Young children
• People with asthma or chronic lung disease
• Individuals with heart disease

Even healthy people may experience eye irritation, sore throat, coughing, or reduced exercise tolerance when air quality is poor.

To protect yourself:

• Check your local Air Quality Index (AQI) before spending time outdoors.
• Avoid strenuous outdoor activity when air quality is unhealthy, especially during the hottest part of the day.
• Keep windows closed during periods of heavy smoke.
• Run your air conditioning on recirculate when possible.
• Use a HEPA air purifier to reduce indoor smoke particles.
• If you must be outdoors for an extended period, wear a properly fitted N95 mask.
• Stay well hydrated, since heat places additional stress on the heart.