JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Saharan Dust is decreasing, but could have some lasting effects for people with asthma and other respiratory issues. A Jacksonville doctor talked about tips on the best way to handle the extra dust in the air.
RELATED: A huge plume of Saharan dust is heading to Florida. Here’s how and when it will affect our area
When you walk outside, you might notice something that bothers you. It’s possibly the Saharan Dust, and it’s been making its way across the Atlantic for at least the last week, but what’s really happening in the air?
We are used to the outdoors and everything that comes with it, from rain, to wind and pollen.
What about an excess of dusk, specifically Saharan Dust?
“We monitor air quality all the time, every single day to see what the air quality is looking like,” Dr. Sunil Joshi said.
Joshi is the chief health officer with the city of Jacksonville and explained why this dust could impact you.
“One of the big things with Saharan Dust is, it causes the smallest, what is called particulate matter at the smallest levels, 2.5 microns and so sometimes that’s hard to detect and hard to know whether or not people are having respiratory symptoms associated with it,” Joshi said.
Joshi said one-fourth of one piece of hair on your head is equal to the thickness of one particle of Saharan dust. It’s really small, but that’s not good either.
“Those small microns can get deep into your air way into your sinuses and into the lowest part of your lungs because of their size and then cause a lot of inflammatory issues and so 2.5 microns is an incredibly small size,” said Doctor Joshi.
The denser Saharan Dust started approaching Florida earlier this week and peaked over the last couple of days based on our futurecast.
Unlike the Ozone, the city has not seen an increase in the very small particulate matter.
Joshi said you can experience respiratory symptoms if you have asthma or other lung issues.
“You can definitely get respiratory symptoms, so if you’re somebody who deals with asthma, COPD, or chronic bronchitis, you will very likely notice a more difficult time breathing during certain times of the day,” he said. “In particular, during the daytime hours when it’s more humidity outside.”
Joshi said if you have to work outside and you have respiratory issues, you might want to wear a mask similar to what you would’ve worn during COVID-19. It can assist those with breathing issues.
The symptoms could be coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Keep your rescue medications with you and call a doctor if needed.
And by the beginning of next week, it’ll be easier for you to breathe as that dust will start to ease up.
