Yucky Haze! 10 Tips to Stay Safe & Healthy

Oh dear, oh dear! The air outside is looking a bit… yucky again. It is hazy! Do you know what haze is?

My little boy had a funny idea! He said, “Mama, I know why there is haze! It is because of the traffic jam (‘jem’), right?” Hehehe. So cute! He thought all the cars stuck together made the smoky air.

Well, not quite, little one! But his idea made me think. We really need to know what this yucky haze is and how to keep our family safe and healthy when it visits us here in Malaysia.

Read First

I first wrote this during an earlier haze episode, so the API reading below is from that day, and you can check today's reading on the Department of Environment website.

Quick List: 10 Tips to Fight the Haze

1. Drink, Drink, Drink!
2. Windows Up!
3. Play Inside Today!
4. Seal the House!
5. Go Easy on Coffee and Alcohol
6. Eat Your Superpower Foods!
7. Sleepy Time Is Important!
8. Washy Washy!
9. Wear a Mask!
10. Extra Helpers (Vitamins and Supplements)

What IS This Hazy Stuff Anyway?

Imagine the air is like a big, invisible soup. Haze happens when lots and lots of tiny dust bits and yucky smoke get mixed into the air soup. Where does it come from?

• Sometimes people burn big fires outside (open burning). Oops! That makes smoke.
• Big factories sometimes puff out smoke too. Puff puff!
• And yes, my little boy was a little bit right! Cars and motorcycles make smoke too. Vroom vroom... cough cough!

All this tiny dust and smoke floats around in the air like a big, grey, foggy blanket covering the sky. This blanket can hide the sunshine! Boo! It makes it hard to see far away. Where did that tall building go?

And the most important thing: this yucky air soup can make our bodies feel unwell. Oh no!

Is Kak Mawar Okay?

On the day I wrote this, the air was getting quite hazy. The number helper (the Air Pollutant Index, or API) said it was 161. That is in the unhealthy range, so be careful!

My own eyes felt itchy and watery. Ouchy! My throat felt dry and tickly. Cough cough! My friend rode his big bike all the way from Johor the day before, and he said the haze was so bad it was hard to breathe. So scary!

Listen to Your Body! (Early Warnings)

Sometimes, our amazing bodies give us little warning signals when the air is not clean. Like a little alarm bell!

• Does your nose start running like a leaky tap? Sniffle sniffle!
• Do you start sneezing a lot? Achoo! Achoo!
• These can be signs that your body is reacting to the yucky bits in the air. Time to take care!

Uh Oh! Time to See a Doctor?

But if you start feeling really unwell, please listen carefully!

• Does your skin feel super itchy all over?
• Does your chest feel tight or hurty when you breathe?
• Is it hard to breathe, or do you cough a lot?

If yes, please tell Mommy or Daddy right away! And grown-ups, if you feel this way, please go and see a kind doctor quickly. We don't want things to get worse. Safety first!

Who Needs Extra, Extra Care During Haze?

Everyone should be careful when the air is hazy! But some people need to be extra, extra careful because their bodies find it harder to cope with the yucky air.

• Tiny babies and little children (like my own little ones)
• Wise grandmas and grandpas (warga emas)
• People whose chests sometimes feel tight (like asthma or bronchitis)
• People with other lung or heart conditions
• People who smoke (smoking already makes lungs sad!)
• People who work outside all day long in the hazy air

Kak Mawar's Haze-Fighting Plan

I try my best to keep my family strong. Every day, I make sure we eat healthy food. I also take a supplement drink (Vivix), and my kids have their own chewable vitamins (Vitalea for Kids) and a drink mix (Mealshake). These are just part of our routine, not a shield against haze.

So far, they are still playing happily! Alhamdulillah! Remember, trying to stop getting sick is easier than getting better later. Prevention is better than cure!

10 Easy Tips to Fight the Haze!

Okay, friends! Are you ready for some super easy ways to stay safe and strong when the haze comes to visit? I found these great tips from Suria FM (thank you!) and added a few notes of my own. Let's try them together!

Tip 1: Drink, Drink, Drink!

Lots of plain water! Like giving your body a good shower on the inside. Keep sipping through the day. Glug glug glug!

Tip 2: Windows Up!

If you are in a car, keep the windows closed and let the air-con do the work. Don't let the yucky haze sneak in!

Tip 3: Play Inside Today!

Let's have fun indoors! Build a fort, read a book, draw pictures. Try not to play outside too much when the air looks grey.

Tip 4: Seal the House!

Close doors and windows tightly. If you have an air-con or an air purifier (a machine that cleans the air), switch it on. Keep the inside air clean and happy.

Tip 5: Go Easy on Coffee and Alcohol

This one is for grown-ups. Too much coffee or alcohol won't help your body on hazy days. Water is the best friend during haze!

Tip 6: Eat Your Superpower Foods!

Eat lots of yummy fruits and veggies, especially ones with vitamin C (like oranges!) and vitamin E (like nuts and seeds!). Nom nom! They are good for your body in general, though they will not make you immune to haze.

Colourful fruits and veggies also give us antioxidants. These help balance free radicals, unstable little molecules that our bodies make naturally and that smoke and polluted air can add to.

Tip 7: Sleepy Time Is Important!

Get lots of good sleep! When you sleep, your body recharges its batteries and gets ready for the next day. Zzzz.

Tip 8: Washy Washy!

Wash your face often, especially around your eyes, nose and mouth. Wash away any sneaky haze dust! Splash splash!

Tip 9: Wear a Mask!

If you really have to go outside, wear a well-fitting mask. An N95 (or similar) mask filters fine dust better than a normal surgical mask, but it must sit snugly on your face. Little children and people with lung or heart conditions should ask a doctor first, because some masks can make breathing harder. Be a haze-fighting ninja!

Tip 10: Extra Helpers (Vitamins and Supplements)

Eating good food is most important. Some people also take extra vitamins or supplements, like I do, but they do not replace healthy food and cannot protect you from haze. Ask a doctor or pharmacist what is suitable for you, especially for children, pregnant mums, or if you take regular medication.

When to See a Doctor

If breathing feels hard or your chest feels tight, see a doctor, as this is general information and not medical advice.

A Little Wish from Kak Mawar

I hope these simple tips help you and your family stay safe and healthy during this hazy time. Let's all drink lots of water, play indoors and be kind to our bodies! Hopefully, the sky will be clear and blue again very soon. Sending healthy, happy wishes to everyone!

#HazeMalaysia #StaySafe #HealthTips #ProtectYourFamily