How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke

A person wearing a face mask walks before the Empire State Building during heavy smog in New York on June 7. Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

As wildfire smoke envelops sections of the U.S. Great Lakes, Northeast and mid-Atlantic, mitigating risk is essential.

Why it matters: As record poor air quality stemming from Canadian wildfires impacts the eastern U.S., pollutants in wildfire smoke can seriously affect the body — a reality the western U.S. knows well.

The pollutants in wildfire smoke can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing, per the Environmental Protection Agency.

If you have to be outside, wear an N95 OR KN95 mask that's well-fitting to filter the air you're breathing, DeCarlo said.

Of note: Dust masks and surgical masks, meanwhile, don't offer sufficient protection from particles during wildfire conditions.

Using an air filtration system or an air purifier with a HEPA filter can reduce indoor particle levels, DeCarlo told Axios.

You can also make an air purifier yourself.

Also consider avoiding smoking cigarettes, using gas, propane and wood-burning stoves and furnaces, spraying aerosol products, frying or broiling meat, burning candles and incense and vacuuming, per California's health department.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends that pet owners keep animals indoors as much as possible and keep windows shut during periods of poor air quality, as they are also affected by air pollution — especially birds.

Go deeper: Listen to the Axios Today podcast, where host Niala Boodhoo and Jacob Knutson talk about the air quality levels in the eastern U.S. and what else people can do to protect themselves.