Las Vegas (KLAS) — Due to the wildfires over the past weekend, Clark County issued an Air Quality Alert for the Las Vegas valley.
Leah Martin shared with 8 News Now that she like many others, was taken aback by the intense smell of smoke that blew through the valley.
“As soon as I came out of my house this morning, we could smell the smoke,” Martin said.
Martin is currently training for a marathon and added that she had to alter her normal routines due to noticing her body reacting to the smoke and heat.
“I have asthma. It was very difficult breathing and I had to slow my pace down, just to keep going. It’s easy to go into a panicky place when you can’t breathe,” Martin said.
Dr. Vikas Sayal a Pulmonologist at Pulmonology Group in Henderson explained that he is already receiving some concerns from patients.
“I did get at least two to three calls. Even though you may not feel the symptoms, it is causing a significant impact on your immune system,” Dr. Sayal shared.
Clark County issued an Air Quality Alert for Saturday, July 27, and Sunday, July 28 due to the raging wildfires in California, specifically the Borel and Trout fires.
“The air quality index in Las Vegas is at 107 and a good quality index is between 0-50. The higher it is, the worse,” Dr. Sayal added.
According to Clark County, “Wildfire smoke is made of small particles and other pollutants that can aggravate respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma or heart disease.”
The county also stated that it may be best for children, the elderly, pets, and people with respiratory and heart disease to stay indoors and to consult a physician if one has a medical condition that makes them sensitive to air quality conditions.
Some helpful tips to limit exposure to smoke are staying indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, considering changing indoor filters, and additionally limiting outdoor exertion as exercising regulates heavier breathing and increases the amount of particles one can inhale.
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