Special Advice for Seniors

The following recommendations are designed to inform seniors and help you manage your concerns about smog pollution’s health effects.

It is important that you learn to become aware of smog, to understand when high pollution levels are likely to occur and how smog can affect your health.

As seniors, you are vulnerable to smog’s effect on both your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. You are not more vulnerable simply because of your age, but rather because as a senior you are more likely to have a pre-existing health condition. If you have a history of heart or lung problems, you are at greater risk than if you are in perfect health.

The best advice for everyone is to take it easy on smoggy days, but because we all have different degrees of reaction to the chemicals in smog, and feel the effects at varying pollutant concentrations, some seniors need to take more care than others do. You will need to be especially cautious if you suffer from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, bronchitis, heart disease, hardening of the arteries, if you are a smoker, or are especially active outdoors.

Exerting yourself outside on high smog days increases your chances of experiencing adverse effects. So reducing, or in some cases eliminating, exertion is key to protecting yourself on these days.

Exertion causes you to breathe harder and faster, drawing more air into your lungs. When smog levels are high, you can reduce the amount of pollution that you breathe in by reducing your activity level.

Be aware that activities like garden work or taking the dog for a long walk, which are considered light activity to some people, may be heavy exertion for others. You must know your limits and pay attention to how you are feeling. You should also know that smog may reduce your capacity, so a chore that usually seems easy could prove more strenuous when pollution levels are high.

Early warning signs that the smog may be having an impact on you include mild breathing difficulties, chest tightness, cough or throat irritation, eye irritation, low energy, headache or feeling unusually tired. If you experience these symptoms, reduce your activity level and exposure.

It is also important to note that your smog reaction may sometimes lag a few days after the highest pollution concentrations. Such delayed reactions are quite common, but should not be ignored. If they persist, contact your physician.

You may wish to reduce your outdoor activities when a smog alert has been issued, but please note that smog alerts are not meant to be fully protective of those who are most vulnerable. Air pollution’s negative effect can be felt at concentrations well below smog warning levels, so if you believe that you are especially at risk because of a pre-existing health condition, you should learn to recognize when smog has an impact on you and take extra care.

Some pollutant concentrations, like nitrogen dioxide, can be elevated in high traffic areas, so avoiding activities around busy roadways may also reduce smog’s impact on you. Developing smog awareness requires that you listen and watch for smog alerts that are broadcast as part of the local news and weather reports, but also that you pay attention to the weather forecast itself. Learn to recognize and pay extra attention when it is going to be especially smoggy.

If the forecast is for a hot or hazy day, it is likely that some people are going to feel the effects of smog. If you can’t access a weather report, it’s easy to get a good sense of the air quality yourself. In general, the hotter it is - the worse the ozone smog is likely to be; the hazier - the higher the smog particle concentrations. Both types of smog can be dangerous to your health, so treat both heat and haze with caution. Haze on rainy or damp days isn’t usually as bad because precipitation washes some of the pollution out of the atmosphere.
If you suffer from a respiratory or cardiac illness, it is essential that you speak with your physician about how best to manage your condition.

When smog levels are high it may be advisable to reschedule any strenuous activities. If you are especially concerned, staying inside in a cool, clean, air-conditioned environment may be an appropriate preventative measure. If it is not cool at home, or you need to get out, the shopping mall, movie theatre or other air-conditioned location will also provide relief.  If it is not an especially hazy day, but hot temperatures are expected in the afternoon, the early morning is generally a safer time for errands and other outdoor activities.

If your condition worsens during a smog episode, or at any other time, consult your physician.

When high temperatures and humidity advisories coincide with smog, as often happens, protect yourself by staying in the shade as much as possible, keep cool and drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated.

For daily information regarding local air pollution and smog levels, Ontario's Air Quality Index (AQI) readings are provided by the Ministry of the Environment at www.airqualityontario.com. AQI values and forecasts are also available from the ministry by calling (416) 246-0411 in Toronto, or toll-free at 1-800-387-7768 (English) or 1-800-221-8852 (French). A new Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is also being piloted in the Greater Toronto Area. These readings are available from Environment Canada’s AQHI website ( http://www.ec.gc.ca/cas-aqhi/).