BUSHFIRE smoke may have led to a spike in hospitalisations across NSW, but this trend has not been seen at Lithgow Hospital.
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Currently more than 140 fires are burning across the state, with a number of uncontrolled blazes in this region.
A thick cloud of smoke has been settling across Lithgow almost every day for weeks, with the air quality ranked as hazardous and health alerts issued.
Despite this, the most recent data available for Lithgow Hospital shows a drop in people presenting with respiratory difficulties.
"For the month of November 2019 there were 61 presentations to the ED [emergency department] for people with respiratory conditions compared to 83 in November last year," a Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District spokesman said.
"Of these there have been fewer presentations in the more serious triage categories (one and two) 15 in November 2018 and 11 in November 2019."
Across NSW there were 1126 presentations to hospitals for respiratory issues for the week ending December 1, which the spokesman said was higher than usual.
Ambulance calls across the state for breathing problems were also higher than usual, with 2214 calls received which is higher than the weekly average of 1787.
The spokesman said people with respiratory conditions should avoid outdoor physical activity when there is smoke around and people with asthma should also follow their Asthma Action Plan and carry their relieving medication.
"Smoke might cause no more than eye or throat irritation for most people, but those with known respiratory conditions, like asthma, or heart conditions, like angina, need to be cautious," he said.
"The best way to reduce exposure to smoke is to stay indoors with the doors and windows shut. Air conditioning can also help to filter particles from indoor air."
Stay up-to-date with fires in your region by visiting Fires Near Me.
If you see an unattended fire or have a medical emergency call triple-0.
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