Runny noses, sneezing and watery eyes are more likely to be a result of the budding allergy season and not smoke from the ongoing fires.
While high winds continue to challenge firefighters battling the Indian Gulch fire, which has been burning west of Golden since Sunday morning, they have helped decrease the amount of smoke in the air, according to Pat Reddy, senior air quality meteorologist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
“At the moment there is not much smoke, the winds pretty much blew the smoke away overnight,” Reddy said.
Air quality conditions are expected to remain good to moderate in the Denver area and on the Front Range today.
Anyone near the fires who has trouble seeing through the smoke should be cautious, and anyone with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, respiratory illness, the extremely young or the elderly should try to limit their time outside.
No one has been admitted for or complained of smoke-related injuries connected to the fire, Dr. Rohit Katial, an allergist at National Jewish Heath said.
But the warm weather has caused trees to start pollinating and the unpredictable weather has intensified allergy symptoms.
“You might have some days that are good, but the season is essentially here,” Katial said.
During warm days people with allergies can feel like “wow what hit me,” and then completely normal when a spring snowstorm rolls through, Katial said.
As the season continues, it takes less allergens to spark symptoms in patients whose noses’ defense systems have become weakened.
The allergy season usually peaks in June and runs through August, Katial said.
Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
