How Air Quality Affects Health in Older Adults
Key Takeaways
- Poor air quality can increase your risks for serious health problems like COPD, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
- The Air Quality Index (AQI) can help you understand current air conditions.
- When the AQI is high, take precautions to stay safe.
- Use your Medicare coverage to address health problems related to poor air quality.
Around the globe, wildfires are getting worse. The World Resources Institute calculated that the area burned by forest fires increased by more than 5% per year between 2001 and 2023. These disasters destroy wooded areas, damage property, and put lives at risk.
One of the ways that fires harm people is by worsening air quality. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), smoke can travel thousands of miles to show up in communities that are far from the inferno itself. Since fires are unpredictable and the path of air pollution is affected by factors like weather and terrain, it’s hard to even anticipate where that smoke will appear.
What we do know is that polluted air — whether it’s caused by disasters like forest fires or everyday activities like transportation, power generation, manufacturing, and agriculture — can have serious consequences for older adults. Learn the health effects of poor air quality and how you can take precautions and use your healthcare coverage to address those dangers early.
How Does Air Quality Affect Our Health?
There’s a range of different pollutants commonly circulating in the air that have the potential to cause harm, especially for members of sensitive groups. Those groups include people who are over 65 or have a chronic respiratory illness as well as pregnant women, children, and people who work outdoors.
Some potentially dangerous pollutants that are commonly released into the atmosphere by vehicles, industry, and household appliances include ground-level ozone, which forms smog, and particulate matter, which consists of solid particles or droplets capable of getting into your lungs and causing irritation. Wildfire smoke may contain particulate matter along with other pollutants like carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that can be extremely hazardous in large amounts. Fortunately, carbon monoxide doesn’t generally travel far from the fire itself.
Health Conditions Worsened by Air Pollution
There’s a long list of respiratory illnesses and other health conditions that can be caused or worsened by air pollution. According to the National Institutes of Health, some of these risks can be especially bad for people with:
- Asthma: Both ground-level ozone and particle pollution can trigger symptoms in people with asthma.
- Cancer: Exposure to high levels of air pollution have been linked to multiple types of cancer, including lung, breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers, as well as non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
- Cardiovascular disease: Air pollution increases the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat, heart attack, heart failure, or stroke and can worsen an existing condition.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): For people with COPD, a lung disease that’s often caused by smoking or other forms of indoor air pollution, particulate matter may worsen their breathing symptoms, inflame their lung tissue, and reduce lung function.
Studies have also linked air pollution to a greater likelihood of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological disorders among older adults. Post-menopausal women, who more frequently develop osteoporosis than men, may be especially prone to bone damage if they’ve been exposed to a great deal of air pollution.
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Stay Alert
If you’re a member of one of the groups most likely to experience poor air quality health effects, it’s important to pay attention to the day’s forecast in your area. The EPA provides guidance through the Air Quality Index (AQI), which is calculated based on the levels of five pollutants that are regulated under the Clean Air Act.
The index keeps you informed about the levels of these pollutants that are present in an area and assigns an alert color so you know when you should be concerned:
Air Quality Index Value | Alert Color | Level of Concern | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
0-50 | Green | Good | Minimal or no risk from air pollution. |
51-100 | Yellow | Moderate | Some concern for people who are especially sensitive to air pollution. |
101-150 | Orange | Unhealthy for sensitive groups | May have negative health effects for sensitive populations, but less likely for the general public. |
151-200 | Red | Unhealthy | Could have negative effects for the general public and especially for sensitive groups. |
201-300 | Purple | Very unhealthy | Health alert for elevated risks to the general public. |
301 and up | Maroon | Hazardous | Health warning of emergency conditions. |
Precautions for Air Quality Health Risks
By taking steps to protect yourself, you minimize the health effects of poor air quality. The EPA advised that older adults:
- Avoid smoke from sources like tobacco, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, or burning leaves.
- As much as possible, keep your home free from mold, dust mites, and pests.
- If you have pets, don’t let them into your bedroom.
- Inspect your furnace every year.
- Fix any water leaks to prevent airborne molds.
- Check the Air Quality Index before heading outside.
When the AQI reaches a level that raises concerns for your health, follow these precautions:
- Spend less time outdoors and avoid any intense activities while you’re outside.
- Inside your home, keep the windows and doors closed.
- Use air conditioning to recirculate air inside your home. A HEPA air purifier can also help to catch particles.
- When you go out, wear a well-fitted N95 or KN95 mask to filter out particles in the air.
How Your Medicare Coverage Can Help
If you’re over 65 or have certain disabilities, you likely get your health insurance through Medicare. On Original Medicare — also called Medicare Parts A and B — from the federal government, you receive coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of health issues that may be related to poor air quality.
For example, Medicare Part B, which is medical insurance, covers durable medical equipment, like if you need to rent oxygen equipment. Part B also includes coverage for pulmonary rehabilitation programs that help people with COPD improve their breathing and pursue a more independent life. If you need to be hospitalized for these health problems, Medicare Part A will cover your stay.
However, to get coverage for most inhalers and other prescription drugs you take at home, you will need to add a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan from a private insurance carrier. Details and costs vary by plan, so check how much you’ll pay for a regular supply of the medications you take
You also have the option to switch to a Medicare Advantage plan from a private insurance carrier, which can provide additional benefits. People with respiratory or heart problems may be eligible for a chronic condition special needs plan (C-SNP), designed especially to provide coordinated care for those qualifying health issues. These plans feature Part D coverage, plus a range of other benefits that can help to manage your condition. For example, some C-SNP plans offer a credit you can use for healthy food and for over-the-counter items like facemasks or air purifiers.
Whether polluted air is in your own home or spreading across the country because of a fire, it can be a risk to your well-being. In the next wildfire season and beyond, keep an eye on the Air Quality Index and protect yourself from hazardous conditions.
Sources
The Latest Data Confirms: Forest Fires Are Getting Worse. World Resources Institute.
Why Wildfire Smoke is a Health Concern. EPA.
Air Pollution and Your Health. NIH.
Air Pollution, Heart Disease and Stroke. American Heart Association.
Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease Basics. EPA.
Air Quality Index Basics. AirNow.gov.