Health experts are advising people to stay inside and wear masks, eerily familiar, but this time it’s for the wildfire smoke that has been plaguing Kamloops and the Okanagan not a pandemic.

Wildfire smoke is going to affect people differently, but here are some tips from experts that can make a difference.

The University of British Columbia’s wildfire smoke and public health expert Dr. Sarah Henderson said there are a lot of ways to reduce the negative effects of wildfire smoke.

“In some ways, it’s kind of simple. The less smoke you breathe, the better you’re going to be protecting your health in both the short term and the long term,” she said.

“What are your opportunities to reduce your smoke exposure? Most of us breathe a vast quantity of air every day, about the size of a backyard swimming pool.”

Taking it easy and staying indoors are two pieces of advice consistently given by public health experts, but if cabin fever is driving you mad there are public spaces like malls and libraries with good air conditioning and filtration systems.

“If you’re going for a hard run, you’re breathing about 10 times more air than if you’re sitting on a park bench,” she said. “Move your workout inside to a cleaner air environment and take it easy when you’re outside if you can.”

A well-fitted N95 mask might give you pandemic flashbacks but they are the best option for being out and about in wildfire smoke. Other masks, especially ones with several layers of material, can be effective for filtering out the fine particles in wildfire smoke that cause negative health effects.

Staying hydrated is always good advice but especially when your body is trying to filter out toxins like PM2.5.

Pregnant women, young kids, elderly people and anyone with preexisting conditions like COPD, diabetes and schizophrenia are going to be more susceptible to smoke.

A three-piece DIY air filter is easy to make and effective at cleaning the air inside your home. Some air systems have a recirculation mode which recycles the air inside the building rather than pulling air from outside.

Lubricating eye drops can help with irritation and some experts say wraparound sunglasses can help reduce smoke exposure when you’re outdoors.

“It comes down to thinking about ways that you can breathe less smoke,” Henderson said.