What to do with bad air quality and travel

[Beefull8]

Happy New Year! I’m traveling now and will be in an area tomorrow where the air quality is 151. It’s in Disneyland so I can’t avoid being outside unless I skip it all together. But it’s why we are here. Has anyone here been somewhere with bad air quality and been ok with using a mask? Thanks!

[Homely2 Administrator]

I have never found an answer to properly bad air quality for a long period of time. In the short run, nasal breathing, mask, scarf all help. I am also on fostair 100 mart, so have the freedom to alter my inhaler dosage when I know I am going to get into trouble.

I have had too many bad asthma attacks when going too places when I know I should not, so now I tend to avoid going.

If you have to go, do everything possible and retreat to safety at first sign of trouble. I spoiled a really lovely holiday once by stupidly walking into the centre of Santander, rather than say, no.

[Beefull8 in reply to Homely2]

Ugh 😑 I am trying to avoid an asthma attack if possible. Seems like most people don’t understand why I would cancel. I am already feeling unwell due to low ferritin. Do you think staying indoors would be safe enough?

[Homely2 Administrator in reply to Beefull8]

You could always try ringing their helpline and see if you can find someone who knows what it is like there indoors. However you have to follow your knowledge of your asthma.

[peege]

For years I wore something over my nose & mouth when commuting on the London Tube in the hope of filtering out the fumes, people smell & germs. I'm sure it helped at the time however in England mask wearing is perfectly acceptable & normal everywhere . Tricky decision, staying indoors you're at risk from people germs (& air conditioning if in America). I'm off to India in a few days & praying there's no air con in my room & if there is that my room-mate agrees to have it off at night or I shall be wearing a mask in bed because its a big trigger for me 🙄

[Beefull8 in reply to peege]

Oh wow! Hope you have a safe and fun trip! I wish we didn’t have to worry about things like this

[peege in reply to Beefull8]

Thank you and good luck with your trip too !

[Mandevilla]

Is there no way you can cancel/reschedule? I have found from past experience that if the surrounding atmosphere is causing issues for my asthma, I'm not going to enjoy myself anyway. And there's no getting away from it, unlike a localised trigger where you can walk away from it. We had to drive four hours through fog last week (no way of avoiding it) and even with liberal use of my reliever inhaler, I felt so rough and was wiped out for a couple of days after. And all I had to do was sit in the passenger seat of a car - no way could I have walked around.

[Beefull8 in reply to Mandevilla]

Ugh that’s terrible! We flew from far away and canceled once already. This makes me worried since I already feel unwell and can barely walk from low ferritin. Not sure what to do but I did call my doctor.

[runcyclexcski]

I always have a 3M respirator with carbon cartridges in my backpack, in case air quality is bad, or if there are smokers nearby. For everyday "life", I wear a disposable 3M N95/P2 mask with a carbon layer at all times, under a bandana; I only take it off for passport control or eat/drink (one bite/one breath at a time). For staying at hotels, I take a portable ducted air purifier with me in my car, put up a tent on top of the hotel bed, and sleep in the tent (the clean air is blown into the tent, so I can vet 8 hrs of perfect sleep). I also carry an emergency pack of oral steroids with me, in case things go south. I try to avoid flying, b.c. they've lost my air purifier before and I do not trust airlines anymore. So I drive if it's possible.

The disposable 3M respirator is the 9922, the respirator half-mask is the 6503QL; both are on amazon.

As a ballpark "quality test", I use my neighbor's weed smell in the building lobby. The disposable respirator attenuates the smell, but I can still tell it's there. The half-mask removes it completely. Ditto on the "Christmas smell" of wood people burn in their fireplaces. The disposable respirator attenuates it, while the half-mask respirator removes it completely.

[Beefull8 in reply to runcyclexcski]

You are so prepared! I am already traveling so can’t get these things but I do have my mask, inhaler, portable air filter. Just so scared about driving into a bad area and encountering an issue. I had a little bit of trouble with shortness of breath on the plane. I should have canceled this trip.

[runcyclexcski in reply to Beefull8]

Do you have your oral steroids on you? These really helped me when I went on a business trip and stayed at an airbnb which has mold/dust issues. Within a day things turned south, so I am glad I had my 20mg tablets.

Are you driving? If yes, you can always drive away to a safer area, or drive to a hospital. I try to avoid public transport: I just feel trapped knowing I can't do much if things get bad.

[Beefull8 in reply to runcyclexcski]

Thanks! I do have my oral steroids on hand and we are driving! My doctor said if Im inside that’s the safest but it all depends on how I feel once I get there.

[runcyclexcski in reply to Beefull8]

Good that you are driving and have someone to look after you :).

***My doctor said if Im inside that’s the safest but it all depends on how I feel once I get there.

Generally yes, I agree, but it depends on how the air ventilation is set up. I found that in Europe and often in the UK there is either no ventilation at all, or the air is vented through the windows/by direct intake (no filters) -- even in hospitals and A&E. In that respect, the indoor air quality ins the USA was safer: the indoor air, especially in medical and research buildings, was cleaner particle-wise, and sometimes even conditioned to 50% RH.

[Beefull8]

This is helpful! What is 50% RH? Im still in good air quality area but will be driving soon. Wish me luck!