The haze hits Malaysia again. Several areas in Malaysia, including Selangor and Sembilan are reaching unhealthy level. With the hot weather, water disruption and no raining for a long time, make the haze even more worse.

Haze in Malaysia

The main cause of the haze is the open burning in Indonesia’s Riau recently. According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, about 7,972ha of land and forests have been destroyed by fires in the province. The smoke fire has caused many people in the province to suffer various respiratory problems.

To monitor the haze condition, Google has recently launched a Southeast Asia (SEA) Haze Crisis Map for the public to keep an eye on the air quality levels.

Survival Guide

The haze can pose serious health hazard, especially to those with a history of respiratory illness. Other than respiratory illness, it can also affect the throat, eyes and skin. Below are some guides to survives throughout these haze-days:

Stay indoor

Stay indoor as much as possible. Stay inside your house or in a building with air-conditioned or air purifier. Do not go out for an outdoor activity. Make sure your windows and ventilation outlets at home are closed properly.

Drink more water

Drink at least 2 litres of water a day to stay hydrated. Stay away from drinks that can cause dehydration. For instance, alcohol and coffee.

Bring along instant fixes

Always make sure to have these items in your bag: face mask, eye drops, water bottle, tissue, wet wipes. These will be your instant fixes in case of red eyes, scratchy throat and trouble with breathing.

Monitor API

Keep yourself updated on the haze. Check the pollution index before you go out from your home, be it to work or to travel to other states. You can always refer to the local news paper or the Department of Environment (DOE) websites which updates on every two hours. You can also check the API on Google’s Haze Crisis Map.

Consult the doctor

Always seek for the doctor immediately if you are feeling uncomfortable, especially if you are having difficulty in breathing. Always brings your medical solutions during the haze period if you are having breathing or skin problems.

The haze problem is not something we can stop immediately, what we can do is to protect ourself and loved ones from health issues. Hope everyone can stay healthy throughout these haze-days.