02-14-2008, 12:54 PM
Please do not under-estimate the dangers of sulfur in the air you breathe. It takes just a few SECONDS of inhaling air with a concentrated level of sulfur gases to produce a dramatic response in someone's airway. This is true whether or not you have a problem with your breathing (asthma, COPD, etc)under ordinary circumstances. If you are a smoker, have asthma or COPD, this kind of exposure may put you in the ER...or in a coffin. Please steer clear when you can.
Also, do not underestimate the intensity of ultra-violet exposure when up on our lovely snow-capped volcano. Unprotected exposure might get you the burns of your cornea experienced by welders who might work without their thick, blue lenses. This is not a joke; every January or February, on a Monday after a nice weekend, when there is snow up on the mountain, folks show up in clinics, and E.R.s, around the island howling in pain, unable to open their eyes. After a day or two of PROFOUND discomfort, things usually settle down if no infection develops. If only they had been wearing sun glasses.
Also, do not underestimate the intensity of ultra-violet exposure when up on our lovely snow-capped volcano. Unprotected exposure might get you the burns of your cornea experienced by welders who might work without their thick, blue lenses. This is not a joke; every January or February, on a Monday after a nice weekend, when there is snow up on the mountain, folks show up in clinics, and E.R.s, around the island howling in pain, unable to open their eyes. After a day or two of PROFOUND discomfort, things usually settle down if no infection develops. If only they had been wearing sun glasses.