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OkiNinjaKitty
"Dust is in the air. . . . everywhere I look around". . . . . You're probably seeing "PM 2.5" floating around followed by the word "WARNING" and thinking to yourself "AHHHHH". Luckily you've "liked" the OkiNinjaKitty Facebook page and we're going to talk about just what PM 2.5 is and what you can expect. PM 2.5 is a fancy-shmancy way of saying that there is excessive dust in the air. You've probably heard of it before using a different name like "Yellow Dust" or "Asian Dust". Basically weather happening in China happens, kicks up a lot of dust and blows it our way. There are undoubtably some of you out there who have images of Bear Grylls trekking through the sand dunes trying to survive floating in your head. . . . . . this is not what we are going to experience here in Okinawa. In actuality it's going to look just like another day, maybe an overcast day. No thrashing wind. No need for special Mad Max glasses necessary. WHO NEEDS TO BE CONCERNED? Being that this is excess dust in the air those who have respiratory problems should be taking some extra precautions to ensure they stay in tip top shape. The same is true for children and the elderly. (Notice how I didn't say lock yourself inside a sealed room and wait for this to pass.) These precautions could be reducing outdoor activity (maybe skip that run; try a walk instead) or even wearing something like a face mask to reduce the amount of dust you're inhaling. WHAT WILL THIS DUST DO TO ME? There are some of you out there who may not even notice that there is excessive dust in the air others may find yourselves experiencing some basic allergy like symptoms to include: itchy eyes, itchy and runny nose, sore throughout, coughing, congestion, tightness in the chest, shortness of break, difficultly taking deep breaths, wheezing, and excessive fatigue. These symptoms are likely to come and go with outdoor exposure. WHEN SHOULD I BE WORRIED? If you're experiencing symptoms and they are not going away or are unbearable it might be a good idea to seek some medical attention. Hang tight for more details as they become available.
Source: West Pac Weather
