Smoke from wildfires making for dangerous health conditions in NYC region

NEW YORK - On a drive from Queens to Manhattan this week the city skyline was visibly choked out by wildfire smoke. One of the most recognizable buildings in the world, the Empire State Building, was barely a silhouette in the blanketing haze.

By Wednesday, rain helped clear up the air, but the fires out west and up north in Canada still present a lingering problem especially during these hot and humid days.

And that could create health risks for everyone – particularly for people with underlying conditions, according to NYU Langone Health cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Newman.

"Raise your blood pressure, they can cause your heart rate to go up, they can do different things to the way your blood clots, or doesn't clot or the levels of inflammation," Newman said.

Limiting time outdoors could be helpful if another plume of smoke makes its way across the country as dry conditions and months of drought keep the threat of wildfires high in the United States.

And, we asked him if there's any benefit to putting our masks back on while outside.

"I don't think we have evidence yet to suggest that wearing those N-95 masks for everyone would be helpful," Newman said. "Though researchers are looking into whether air purifiers in our bedrooms at night would be helpful."

The bootleg fire in Oregon is now the worst of nearly 80 major wildfires in the U.S.

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Many people have turned to apps like IQAir to get more specific information about air pollution conditions in their exact location.

"It tells you which hyperlocal [weather] station is nearest to you," CEO Dolphin Hammes said. "So you can see the nearest station and from there, you can determine how clean or how dirty your air quality is."

No matter what, Newman said regular physical activity is the best health advice to protect the body against conditions like this.  Just be careful how much time you spend outside on the hazy days.