For you, recent wildfire smoke may be generating coughing, sneezing and an unforgiving runny nose. For Kelley Addis, it's generating business.
Forget small talk about the weather. Addis' customers cut straight to the point.
"This smoke is so bad, huh?" begins a mucus-laden customer. "Can you do something about my sinuses?"
Addis, a massage therapist at Chiropractic Solutions, knows she will have a full day of facial massages to help customers cope with sinus irritation.
Even her dog, Buddy, coughs and refuses to go outside.
But people with allergies aren't the only ones facing difficulties.
Medical experts agree that wildfire smoke may also spark problems for those with lung conditions.
"Anybody who has intrinsic lung disease could be affected," said Dr. Mark Brantly from Shands HealthCare at UF.
This includes the near-10 percent of the U.S. population that has asthma, a disease that makes it difficult to breathe in certain situations.
Environmental factors are a major trigger for asthma attacks, Brantly said. Smoke in the air can cause patients to experience these attacks more often.
"These individuals have a hypersensitivity to stimuli," Brantly said.
He said he would not be surprised to see an increase of patients experiencing effects from the smoke.
Fortunately, Susan Nesbit, a nurse practitioner, has not seen a large increase in asthma patients at the UF Student Health Care Center.
"The good news is we haven't seen asthmatics lining up," Nesbit said. "People who have asthma know how to take care of themselves."
She said asthmatics can usually treat their symptoms with inhalers.
Brantly said those with allergies, like Addis, also tend to be more susceptible to the increase in smoke.
"Every time I go outside, my allergies act up," said Addis, who fights allergies like many of her customers. "It's like a mask on my face."
In fact, both Brantly and Nesbit encourage people to avoid going outside when heavy amounts of smoke are in the air.
"Avoiding the smoke is one of the most important things," Brantly added.
If you do have to go outside during smoke flare-ups, Brantly recommended using nasal rinses or "neti pots," a teapot-like device that helps flush out the sinuses.
He said face masks are typically ineffective, and people will achieve better results using high volumes of nasal rinses.
Nesbit suggested checking the quality of air online to see what parts of the day might have a higher smoke content.
"Anything beyond clean air is not going to be good for you," Nesbit said.
Although Brantly and Nesbit agree that mild smoke should not cause any long-term damage, Gainesville's exposure to the wildfire smoke is a wait-and-see process.
"Hopefully, we'll get a good rain and wash it all down," Brantly said.
