Is it safe to work and commute outside? What experts advise as wildfire smoke stifles East Coast.

Millions of Americans face poor air quality advisories as smoke from Canadian wildfires sweeps across the Northeast, afflicting outdoor workers, commuters and just about anyone who ventures outside Wednesday in affected areas.

Although health experts recommend staying indoors, that's not possible for people whose work requires them to be outdoors, noted Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a lung specialist who is a spokesperson for the American Lung Association. 

"Ideally, a lung doctor would say, 'If you can stay home, stay home'," Dr. Galiatsatos told CBS MoneyWatch. "But people are going to come back to me and say, 'I need to go outside and work'."