We had to get out of the bay area this weekend. It was just too much to handle, waking up wheezing and with headaches all day long. I wouldn't be surprised if we see elevated rates of lung cancer in Northern California in the years to come.
If really was horrible but I feel that staying inside was enough.. but I'm not sure if this is accurate from a scientific perspective.
Lots of stuff that will really hurt your lungs won't make you immediately feel bad. A big part of why tiny particles can be so damaging actually - since they don't make you cough.
Airborne lead from leaded fuels used for two generations were far worse.