HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — As the Carolina Forest wildfire continues to burn, seeing and smelling smoke across Horry County might have you worried about your health.

Conway Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Paul Richardson said for people with existing chronic lung conditions, it could be an issue.

“Think COPD, emphysema, those kind of medical conditions,” he said. “Also some patients that have significant asthma can be triggered by smoke.”

He said there are two things people with those types of medical conditions should do. For one, don’t let the smoke haze your memory.

MORE: Air quality alert issued for Horry Co. as wildfire smoke impacts community

“Basically what they need to do is number one, make sure you stay on your regimen,” Dr. Richardson said. “Whatever that regimen is, be it breathing treatments, be it medications, whatever it is. They need to be conferring with their physician about that. Their own doctor or their lung specialist may have some information and have some want them to change up X, Y or Z.”

And it might sound self-explanatory, but stay inside if possible.

“Try to just be in an area where you may not be as exposed, whatever that means,” Dr. Richardson said.

While the smoke can pose a threat, Dr. Richardson said as of Monday morning, CMC hadn’t had any patients admitted because of it.

“The average person should be fine at this point,” he said. “However, folks who have those chronic medical conditions, especially chronic lung conditions, should just be careful and monitor themselves very closely.”

Also, be mindful of your pets. If smoke is thick enough to be impacting you, it can do the same to them.

For more ways to protect yourself from smoke, click here.