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SUNNY Temp: 72 °F Wind: NW at 4 mph Sunday, August 4, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend July 30, 2002 Smoke sends folks with asthma to hospitals By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune With brown skies and falling ash, health officials report a sharp increase in patients with respiratory problems. "We’ve seen a lot of asthmatics and chronic lung patients," said Steven Strange, a respiratory care practitioner at Rogue Valley Medical Center, on Monday. "They’re saying, ‘This smoke is killing me.’ " Despite complaints about the smoke, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality reports overall air quality remains good, with only occasional episodes when it is considered unhealthy. Testing stations in Ruch and Medford both exceeded federal pollution limits on three occasions between Sunday and Monday mornings. Shady Cove exceeded the limits nine times in the same period. And people with respiratory problems are succumbing to the effects of the smoke. "We’ve had a 14-year-old coming in one day and an 88-year-old another day," said Strange. "It has no mercy on age." For people with chronic lung problems such as asthma, Strange recommends buying cheap masks or staying indoors with the air conditioning on. Dr. Edward Kerwin, a Medford allergist, has also noticed an increase in complaints from patients. Whether it’s from a cigarette, a woodstove or a forest fire, Kerwin said, "smoke is an irritant." Asthma sufferers, who make up 7 percent of the nation’s population, will have to rely on inhalers, he said. "Seventy-five percent of the people who have asthma would expect to have some increase in asthma," he said. The 25 percent of the population with nasal allergies might need more antihistamines or cortisone sprays, he said. Kerwin said staying indoors helps, particularly with air conditioners filtering out many larger particles. John Becker, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, said it does seem hard to believe that the air quality is good when the smoke is having such an effect on people. "We’re not measuring whether it irritates your throat," he said. But there are definitely times when it could be unhealthy for some people to go outside, he said. The Ruch and Medford testing stations exceeded limits of 150 micrograms of particulate per cubic meter on three occasions from 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Monday. Shady Cove exceeded the federal limits nine times in the same period. Becker said Shady Cove’s high readings are consistent with its elevation and proximity to the Timbered Rock fire. Much of the bad air remains aloft, which means areas in higher elevations would have worse readings, he said. Even though there are spikes of bad air that would be unhealthy to breathe, Becker said the average for a 24-hour period continues to show the overall readings as good. The worst times? Early mornings through mid afternoons generally show spikes in readings, he said. Late afternoon breezes often help clear out the valley. Ash that floats in the air doesn’t pose as much of a health risk as do particles of about 2.5 microns or smaller, which can enter the lungs, he said. A human hair is about 50 to 60 microns in diameter. With smoke pouring in from fires throughout Southern Oregon, Becker said residents should take precautions, especially if they have health problems. "Our advice to folks is it’s getting worse before it’s getting better," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Poor visibility grounds private planes Poor visibility kept pilots who weren’t "instrument rated" from taking off from the Medford airport on Monday. The required visibility for non-instrument rated pilots is three miles, but Medford’s dropped to 1.5 miles Monday because of smoke from area fires. Federal Aviation Administration officials said smoke, like fog or clouds, can leave a pilot without a horizon reference, creating a condition where the inner ear no longer is able to provide a sense of position. Instrument-rated pilots are taught to rely on gauges for reference because gauges provide an artificial horizon. At least one out-of-town pilot couldn’t take off from the airport Monday because of the restrictions, according to an airport employee who declined to be named. Pilots without an instrument rating were also told to use other airports for landings, except in emergency situations. Mercy Flights, which airlifts patients to hospitals, reported it was able to continue service despite the poor visibility. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S