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CNN Live At Daybreak
A Smoky Haze as Far as Las Vegas
Aired October 30, 2003 - 06:54 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to talk more about those southern California wildfires. They're sending a smoky haze as far as Las Vegas. Officials there have issued an air quality advisory and they're now urging residents with possible respiratory problems to stay inside.
We want to talk more about that.
We have Dr. Sandra Fryhofer here with some tips on how you can protect yourself and what might happen to people out there who have asthma and other respiratory problems.
DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the people that are at most risk are the very young, the very old and also people that have respiratory problems and underlying heart problems. But smoke inhalation can actually affect even people that don't have any problems at all.
Smoke contains a mixture of gasses and also fine particles that can lodge deep within the lungs, cause damage in the lung tissue causing inflammation. These particles can irritate the bronchial tubes, cause them to go into spasm and make it difficult to breathe.
Now, the polluted air can also cause vessels in the heart to constrict. That means the heart gets less blood, therefore less oxygen. And this puts strain on the heart and could trigger a heart attack.
Now, symptoms of smoke inhalation include a scratchy throat, runny nose, sinus and eye irritation, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, headaches. And during the 1998 California wildfires, medical visits for breathing problems increased by more than 50 percent.
COSTELLO: Well, we're seeing people starting to wear those masks over their face and I've always wondered if those are effective.
FRYHOFER: Carol, they're not. And, in fact, the CDC is recommending against them. These are the ones you can pick up at the store, the drugstore. I got these at the drugstore last night. They don't work. These paper masks don't work. They can block out the large particles like sawdust, but they're not going to protect your lungs from smoke.
The HEPA filters can help and the CDC does recommend those.
COSTELLO: So inside your house... FRYHOFER: Yes.
COSTELLO: Is there anything you can wear over your mouth and nose that would protect you if you're outdoors?
FRYHOFER: A more sophisticated mask, an N95 mask, might help but it's going to have to be fitted very carefully and it may not do the job. Your best bet is to try to stay indoors.
COSTELLO: Yes. But what if the smoke seeps in through the cracks in your home or through the ventilation system or something like that? Is that still a danger?
FRYHOFER: Well, Carol, what you want to do is try to stay indoors. Certainly if it's real smoky, try to keep the doors and windows closed, turn on the air conditioner, don't vacuum because this actually stirs up particles in the air. And, finally, don't forget about your pets. They may need to spend a little more time indoors, as well.
COSTELLO: Yes.
All right, Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, many thanks to you this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 30, 2003 - 06:54 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to talk more about those southern California wildfires. They're sending a smoky haze as far as Las Vegas. Officials there have issued an air quality advisory and they're now urging residents with possible respiratory problems to stay inside.
We want to talk more about that.
We have Dr. Sandra Fryhofer here with some tips on how you can protect yourself and what might happen to people out there who have asthma and other respiratory problems.
DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the people that are at most risk are the very young, the very old and also people that have respiratory problems and underlying heart problems. But smoke inhalation can actually affect even people that don't have any problems at all.
Smoke contains a mixture of gasses and also fine particles that can lodge deep within the lungs, cause damage in the lung tissue causing inflammation. These particles can irritate the bronchial tubes, cause them to go into spasm and make it difficult to breathe.
Now, the polluted air can also cause vessels in the heart to constrict. That means the heart gets less blood, therefore less oxygen. And this puts strain on the heart and could trigger a heart attack.
Now, symptoms of smoke inhalation include a scratchy throat, runny nose, sinus and eye irritation, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, headaches. And during the 1998 California wildfires, medical visits for breathing problems increased by more than 50 percent.
COSTELLO: Well, we're seeing people starting to wear those masks over their face and I've always wondered if those are effective.
FRYHOFER: Carol, they're not. And, in fact, the CDC is recommending against them. These are the ones you can pick up at the store, the drugstore. I got these at the drugstore last night. They don't work. These paper masks don't work. They can block out the large particles like sawdust, but they're not going to protect your lungs from smoke.
The HEPA filters can help and the CDC does recommend those.
COSTELLO: So inside your house... FRYHOFER: Yes.
COSTELLO: Is there anything you can wear over your mouth and nose that would protect you if you're outdoors?
FRYHOFER: A more sophisticated mask, an N95 mask, might help but it's going to have to be fitted very carefully and it may not do the job. Your best bet is to try to stay indoors.
COSTELLO: Yes. But what if the smoke seeps in through the cracks in your home or through the ventilation system or something like that? Is that still a danger?
FRYHOFER: Well, Carol, what you want to do is try to stay indoors. Certainly if it's real smoky, try to keep the doors and windows closed, turn on the air conditioner, don't vacuum because this actually stirs up particles in the air. And, finally, don't forget about your pets. They may need to spend a little more time indoors, as well.
COSTELLO: Yes.
All right, Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, many thanks to you this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
