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Poor Air Quality and IPF
Hello,
I live in an area that gets wild fires and often gets poor air quality because of it. What are the guidelines for IPF and poor air quality? At what point do I need to limit activities and take precautions and what are those precautions? My lungs currently are not too bad and I would like to keep them that way as long as possible.
Darcy -
1 Reply
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Hi @darcy424, Not a doctor here, but my mom is 3 years post tx and lives in Northern California, which is a very high wildfire area. You should follow the guidelines for the “sensitive groups” category in the AQI. Staying inside with the windows shut is the best way to protect your lungs during wildfire season. Indoor air purifiers, while initially a bit of an expense, can be very helpful in keeping your home air healthy. My parents have two from BlueAir. If you must go out, wearing a high-quality mask (N95, KN95) can help, but a legit respirator is best when the AQI gets above 100. Of course, your ability to maintain O2 saturations in a respirator should also be monitored… Not sure if you are using supplemental O2 or not.
There are several apps out there that can alert you of the AQI in your area and you can adjust accordingly. The EPA’s AirNow app is the one we use. There are others that map AQI for you.. IQAir I think is one. Hope this helps. 🙂
Christie
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