AFRICAN DUST- Well if you’ve noticed the sky looking a little hazier than usual, it’s because of dust in the atmosphere. Over the weekend a second wave of African Dust has blown in through the Gulf of Mexico and into the Red River Radio listening area. Jason Dunion is a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association---he says this is African Dust Storm Season but we often don't notice it.
He says "You start to see the sun really does light up that dust and the way those dust particles are shaped you really see it at sunrise and sunset and it kind of has this milky white appearance when it's up in the sky overhead".
And these dust particles CAN get into your eyes and nose...and even your lungs too. Dr. Anoop Nambiar a pulomonologist at UT Health-San Antonio, says this can cause real problems.
"The patients who are going to be most susceptible are really going to be young children," Nambiar explains. "I would also say older adults. but even more so patients who have chronic problems like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and interstitial lung disease which is also sometimes referred to as pulmonary fibrosis."
Even healthier people can be affected by the dust, causing sinus irritation, congestion and an overall lousy feeling. Doctors recommend using a high-quality dust mask or some type of respiratory filter-barrier AND If you can, limit outdoor activities and stay inside.