Air Quality Alert extends through weekend; doctor: Stay indoors

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The fallout from the Canadian wildfires continues for those in the states, as smoke has caused an ongoing Air Quality Alert - which has been extended until Sunday.

"We’re out in it all day every day," said Charly Polomski, Nader Tree Service.

Air quality is considered Unhealthy for sensitive groups, the same medical advice remains in effect - stay indoors as much as possible if you have respiratory conditions.

Cardiovascular concerns are pregnant or older or people who work outside – like say someone working in tree cutting – might find herself in a tough spot when the haze looks the way it does.

"We wake up sore and stuff anyway, but the last week and stuff it's been rough," said Polomski. "I feel it in my chest, more than just being sore."

Michigan residents have been breathing some of the worst air on record this past week. And anecdotally more people are showing up at clinics for breathing concerns than usual.

"We’re seeing a lot more requests for inhalers, for steroids, for things like Claritin, nasal congestion, or their asthma being triggered, or their COPD," said Dr. Asha Shajahan, Corewell Health.

The main pollutant is PM2.5- these are tiny particles that currently circulate in the air we breath at concentration levels at least 7 times what the World Health Organization says is a safe.

"The reason that’s so dangerous it can penetrate our lungs," the doctor said. "That can cause inflation in our neurocognitive areas."

According to the American Psychiatric Association, past research has associated air pollution with higher levels of stress, psychological distress, increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s, and depression.

Even short-term exposure can increase the risk of death for people with serious mental illness. No one is immune to the effect on your brain.

"This doesn’t seem to be going away we’ve been dealing with this for almost a month, and I think people are like, whatever - it's not a big deal, I don't have asthma or COPD," Shajahan said. "But I think with people out mowing their lawns, I was even getting upset at my father for being outside, mowing the lawn. You want to stay inside, and I know we keep saying that, but I think people are not really adhering to it unless they feel like they’re experiencing those symptoms."