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SALT LAKE CITY -- Eyes stinging, throat burning, nose stuffy or trouble breathing? You're not alone.
Dr. Duane Harris, with the Intermountain Allergy Clinic in Draper said, "Generally, people with asthma, emphysema or chronic bronchitis have to worry when the air looks, smells and tastes this bad."
Dr. Harris says people with diagnosed problems should stick to their medications, stay indoors and not exercise outside. He says others can try over-the-counter artificial tears or eye drops.
Bad air thick along the Wasatch Front; relief expected Tuesday
Federal air monitors forecast the worst air in the country to blanket much of Northern Utah Monday, but a storm Tuesday is expected to bring quick relief."Just anything to soothe the eyes may help. Sometimes artificial tears that are put in the fridge so they are cold can be very soothing," he said.
For breathing, try a humidifier or steam from the shower. Dr. Harris says the best prescription, even though it may sound a bit facetious, is to take a vacation.
"Go to Park City and rent a condo, or go to St. George for a week while the air quality is at its worst. That will probably work better than anything else you can do," he says.
Dr. Harris says usually with a day like this he gets a lot of calls.
"My guess is after the first of the year I'm going to get a lot of calls -- people who have been sick for a while but don't want to take time off from their shopping or wrapping," he says. "I would guess that there are a lot of people out there that are having troubles."
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
