BOZEMAN — For the last week, smoke has obscured views of the Bridger Mountains in Bozeman. Now, residents may have also been noticing some health effects that come with poor air quality.
I can't lie, I've been those feeling the smoky impact. My irritated eyes prompted a visit to Dr. Ryan Stephenson at Northwest Health, a practice he opened with his wife three years ago.
“I’ll pull down your lower lid ... it actually is pretty irritated,” Stephenson said during my eye exam.
“The smoke has really been affecting my vision ... is that common?” I asked.
“It is common,” Stephenson said. “Similar to the ways that pollen does, except it’s more difficult to rinse off.”
Stephenson is not only an eye doctor, but also an otolaryngologist, a physician who specializes in ear, nose and throat issues — all areas commonly affected by wildfire smoke.
“Have you guys been seeing people coming in with complaints recently?” I asked.
“Definitely,” Stephenson said. “And I think there’s a lot of confusion about what’s actually causing the symptoms.”
With several days of dense smoke lingering over the area, Stephenson said patients have reported a range of symptoms.
“Itchy, watery eyes, dry mouth, dry nose, nasal congestion, postnasal drip — those are the more superficial complaints,” he said.
Stephenson said more serious symptoms should prompt people to seek medical attention.
“What would tip you over to see a doctor or seek help is shortness of breath, increased wheezing,” he said. “For asthmatics out there, not responding to their typical inhalers.”
While my irritated eyes are manageable for now, questions remain about how long the smoky conditions will continue.
“Every summer we have some smoke,” meteorologist Matt Elwell said. “This is particular in that the smoke is sticking with us. It’s not going anywhere.”
Elwell said the stagnant smoke has lingered for about a week, with Air Quality Index readings higher than 150.
So where is that smoke coming from?
“This was coming out of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho,” Elwell said. “A lot of that smoke is flowing in on the upper levels. And now that we have the local fires, we’re getting down into a lot of the valleys.”
Local fires include the Bobcat Lakes Fire, which has burned around 7,600 acres, and the Sand Creek Fire, which has grown to nearly 16,000 acres.
Firefighters continue working to contain the blazes, while residents wait for changing weather conditions to bring relief.
“As we get later in the week, we do have some hope because we’ve got a cold front that’s slated to move through,” Elwell said. “We’ll get little breaths of fresh air maybe on Tuesday afternoon and again Wednesday.”
Elwell said the cold front could improve conditions by Thursday.
Until then, Stephenson recommends limiting exposure to smoke whenever possible.
“Keeping the windows closed in your house. Using AC if you can. Using air purifiers,” he said. “When you’re in the car, keeping the air circulator on.”
He also recommends wearing an N95 mask outdoors.
“Limiting exposure is key,” Stephenson said.
