Doctors warn people with disabilities in NJ to avoid smoke-filled air

As doctors warn of the dangers found in the yellow haze outside North Jersey windows experts say people with disabilities are facing increased risks.

“When you've got a disability, you have to consider exposures to pollutants. It takes you longer to get from one place to the other place. So I think that is definitely impactful,” said Khalil Savary, a pediatric pulmonologist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

The pollutants in smoke can irritate anyone, but those with lung conditions, cardiac diseases, obesity and mobility disabilities could have “a real problem,” said Robert Lahita, director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Disease at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Passaic County.

Lahita illustrates the danger this way. “Go out to your car after it's been sitting for a while," Lahita said. “Run your finger along the windshield and you'll see the carbon or the soot that will be on your finger. Those particles will wind up in the bronchioles and cause major irritation.”

Anyone with a mobility impairment that would increase exposure times, anyone who would typically have trouble breathing should think twice about heading out, he said.

Savary agrees.

“If you've got a lung condition, be it asthma, cystic fibrosis, COPD, bronchia, there's tons of different pulmonary diseases out there that results in a lot more mucus production. Right now, the smoke is going to induce coughing, induce more mucus production. You want to try and avoid being outside as much as you can,” said Savary.

Rutgers University professor Javier Robles, whose paraplegia necessitates a wheelchair, has experienced it first hand. The same spinal cord injury that inhibits the use of his arms and legs makes it hard for him to take deep breaths. He’s had more difficulty breathing over the last couple of days.

He’s not the only one. Robles is a founding member of the Disability Action Committee, a network of people with disabilities who advocate for accessibility issues. It gives him a bird’s eye view of the disability community.

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“It's definitely affecting a lot of people, especially those on ventilators,” Robles said.

Pay attention to your breathing. If you are starting to cough, watch for breathing difficulties.

“There are people who are both old and young who have asthmatic changes in air like this. They might not have asthma until they approach bad air quality like this. And then they realize they're wheezing and they can't catch their breath,” Lahita said.

Lahita recommends sitting in an air conditioned car or building if this happens.

“Whatever you do, close your windows. So you don't have this air circulating around because I'm looking out my window and I'm seeing a very big haze in front of the hospital. It's incredible actually, it's scary to the staff,” Lahita said. “It's very apocalyptic looking.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Difficulty breathing possible for people with disabilities in NJ