Health authorities are again urging people with lung disease to stay indoors as bushfires across NSW push air quality in the state towards hazardous levels.
The NSW health department says it has recorded a "significant increase" in the number of people treated for asthma and breathing problems across the Sydney Metropolitan region.
The department says this is due to the poor air quality linked to the ongoing bushfires across the state.
Smoke particles can cause a variety of health problems and can aggravate existing illnesses including bronchitis, emphysema and asthma, Professor Wayne Smith from the department says.
"Those with lung disease and heart disease should closely monitor their symptoms," he said in a statement on Wednesday.
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"The best way to avoid breathing in the smoke is to remain inside with the windows and doors closed, preferably in an air-conditioned building."
The department says between last Friday and Tuesday, 228 people attended metropolitan emergency departments with asthma, while 799 people were treated for breathing problems by paramedics.
Professor Smith says during those five days air pollution across the Sydney Metropolitan area ranged from poor to hazardous.
On Monday - which recorded the worst air quality since the fires started - there was a 124 per cent increase in the number of people observed with asthma conditions at hospital with 65 patients treated, the department said.
