THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON YOUR HEALTH. WHAT WAS ONCE RISING FLAMES IS NOW RISING SMOKE. TWO DAYS SINCE ITS FIRST FLICKER, THIS PILE OF HAY IS NOW CONTAINED ENOUGH TO BURN OUT ON ITS OWN UNDER A CLOSE WATCH FROM FIRE OFFICIALS. BUT WHILE THE HEAT DIES DOWN, THICK SMOKE CONTINUES TO IMPACT NEARBY RESIDENTS. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO AVOID THE EXPOSURE, SORT OF IN THE IMMEDIATE PERIOD. DOCTOR TAJ RAHMAN, WHO IS A PULMONOLOGIST AT UPMC, SAYS HAZY, SMOKY AIR CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON HEALTH. BUT NOTES THE EXTENT OF IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON. SOME FOLKS THAT DO HAVE PREEXISTING CONDITIONS ASTHMA, COPD, ALLERGIES, OTHER CHRONIC LUNG DISEASES, THEY SHOULD JUST BE MORE SORT OF ON THE CAREFUL SIDE THAT INCREASE CAUTION, THOUGH, DOESN'T MEAN PEOPLE NEED TO STAY INSIDE ALL DAY. AVOID BEING OUT FOR THE LONGER WALKS, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN SORT OF DRIVING AROUND, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THAT AIR CONDITIONER ON AND NOT THE WINDOWS DOWN. OF COURSE, EXPOSURE CAN'T ALWAYS BE LIMITED. SO RAHMAN URGES RESIDENTS TO KEEP TABS ON THEIR HEALTH. MOST COMMON THINGS THEY WOULD HAVE IS SORT OF ITCHY EYES OR SOME IRRITATION, A LITTLE BIT OF A LINGERING COUGH OR SORT OF A THROAT IRRITATION. THAT KIND OF THING. FOR THESE MILD SYMPTOMS, RAHMAN SAYS, STAYING INDOORS AND USING OVER-THE-COUNTER ANTIHISTAMINES SHOULD BE ENOUGH RELIEF. NOW THE SYMPTOMS START TO GET WORSE. WHERE YOU'RE COUGHING, A LOT, YOU'RE COUGHING UP STUFF AND NOT ABLE TO GO TO SLEEP FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE WHEEZING GETTING SHORT OF BREATH, THAT'D BE A GOOD TIME TO REACH OUT TO YOUR PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR. WHEN IT COMES TO LONG TERM IMPACTS, RAHMAN SAYS RESIDENTS CAN REST ASSURED THAT THEIR RESPIRATORY SYSTEM SHOULD BE JUST FINE. THE POSITIVE THING IS YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU AVOID THE EXPOSURE, DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS, THERE'S NO LONG LASTING EFFECTS. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU KNOW, IT