At what AQI level do you mask outside?

@pweg I never worry about whether I am the only person in a mask, whether it is for air quality or infection reduction. My daughter is a nurse, long Covid sufferer and has severe asthma. Her attitude is now mine. "What I do is for my health. If people ask I will explain, but I really don't care what they think."

My husband, neighbor and I wear masks on poor air quality days to mow and do year work I don't pay too much attention to the AQI - my lungs tell me if it is necessary. We always mask in airports and planes no matter what others are doing. Our Asian neighbors, who have much worse pollution in their countries, often mask in poor air quality - right down to little preschool children.

I have bronchiectasis and bicycle a lot but I can't do it with a mask. When we had the smoke from the Canadian wildfires in the Northeast last year my pulmonologist said it was ok to be out exercising when the AQI was under 100, and that worked for me. I didn't go crazy, but I did 20-mile rides and did not feel any effects. I think it also depends on how healthy you are— I exercise a lot and take my meds and do the other stuff like I am supposed to, which I imagine fit into what my doctor told me and how I felt.

Does an n95 mask help with wildfire smoke?

Our air is at 157 right now. The smoke is visible and smellable.

Yes, the particulates are quite large and are effectively blocked by an N-95 mask. I actually use the industrial ones, with the built-in exhalation port that makes it easier to breathe. This is a one-way valve, so it keeps out the bad air, but makes it easier to exhale. It also stays drier because much of the moisture from your breath is going out of the mask.
Picture of an example below - we but them by the dozen from a big-box home improvement store and look for the NIOSH certification on each mask.

That said, wildfire smoke is also irritating to the eyes. Wearing glasses, especially wraparound ones, and using soothing (not "redness-reducing") eyedrops helps. We really like the Optiva drops in individual vials that we can carry in our pockets and use as needed.

This is really great information. Thanks so very much, Sue.

Always no matter what. At least a medical mask because aspergillis is always in the air except maybe in the super cold of winter! And an N95 anytime there is any increased air quality count.

I am also a bicyclist. I did a few shorter errand rides with a mask in peak allergen season, but my mask got sweaty as well as damp from breath condensation. I now won't mask while riding. Instead I do a saline sinus rinse as soon as I get home, which seems to help me a lot. If I'm especially worried about the air quality, or have been coughing on my ride, or feel like I over-exerted, I will do both a sinus rinse and an extra hypertonic saline nebulizer session as soon as I get home, before I even shower. I wish I had known about sinus rinses and nebbing saline years ago, because doing this really makes me feel much better after long rides (60-85 miles, haven't hit 100 since my diagnosis).

Yes, definitely!

I wear a mask every time I walk out the door. Who cares what others think? It is my health. There are so many germs out there. I think in my area people don't even seem concerned with someone wearing a mask. I have the kn95. I use them in the house when cleaning or if I have visitors. I even put it on to meet the mailman or amazon driver. In the house, I use air purifiers 24/7.
Definitely stay masked up 24/7 if you can if you have active fires around you. I was hospitalized last year because I caught a germ during the fires in our area. Even wearing a mask didn't protect me.