Senior News Line: A bad-air summer

How is the air where you live? At this writing, a large part of the country is under summer heat alerts with temperatures soaring above normal numbers and breaking longstanding records.

Combine that with the wildfire smoke coming down from Canada, and parts of the country are hit with a double whammy when it comes to breathable air. Nearly 100 million people are under air quality alerts.

We seniors need to be very cautious about both extreme heat and the wildfire smoke. Even short-term exposure can do physical damage.

Here are a few smoke and heat tips I’ve learned this summer:

• Keep the doors and windows closed and turn on the air conditioning. Even if yours is a single-window unit, it will help cool and clean the air. If you’re blessed with central air, invest in several new filters and put a new one in every few weeks until the wildfires are gone. Look for HEPA filters to capture the microscopic particles — known as PM2.5 — in the air. Ask for help, if necessary, to determine if your HVAC unit has a fresh air intake, which can bring smoke in, or if it recirculates the indoor air.

• Sip on extra water, even if you are not thirsty. By the time you feel thirst, you’re already slightly dehydrated. Consult your doctor if you’ve been told to limit your liquids.

• Close the curtains and drapes against the sun.

• If there’s just no getting away from the heat where you live, go to the library, a big-box store or any cooling station.

• Know your area’s AQI, or air quality index number, if you have to go out. Look at AirNow — airnow.gov — and put in your ZIP code. Watch the PM2.5 number, as well as ozone levels.