Why and how to avoid fire smoke exposure

As wildfires increase in the U.S., so does the risk of breathing in smoke, which as you know, is detrimental to your health, because it is fine particulate matter that can cause negative effects on your respiratory and cardiovascular health, especially if you have pre-existing conditions such as asthma and heart disease.

But what does wildfire smoke contain? It is composed of a mixture of gases and small particles that are emitted by vegetation, building materials and other materials as they burn. Smoke from wildfires can make anyone sick. Even healthy people can get sick if there is enough smoke in the air.

Breathing smoke can have immediate health effects, such as coughing, difficulty breathing normally, burning eyes, throat irritation, runny nose, sinus irritation, wheezing and shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, asthma attacks, fatigue and rapid heartbeat.

Remember that there are more vulnerable population groups, i.e. people who are more likely to get sick if they breathe smoke from a wildfire are the elderly, pregnant women, children and people with pre-existing respiratory and heart conditions.

If possible, avoid exposure to wildfire smoke. Here are some tips to avoid breathing wildfire smoke and protect your health.

First, you should pay attention to air quality reports from the authorities. If there is a forest fire in your area, it is very important to pay attention to news or warnings about the health hazards of smoke.

You should pay attention to messages issued by public health authorities and take safety precautions such as avoiding being outdoors.

In some cases there are announcements or alerts from the authority, it is important to follow them, and although the amount of particles in the air is not measured in all communities, some in the western United States do have guidelines to help calculate air quality.

In case the authority indicates that people should stay inside their homes, do so and stay inside keeping the indoor air as clean as possible. To do this you should keep doors and windows closed, unless it is very hot outside, as this could make it very hot inside as well. And if you have air conditioning, turn it on, but close the outside air intake and keep the filter clean to prevent smoke from entering. If you don’t have air conditioning in your home and it’s too hot to stay inside with the windows closed, it’s best to take shelter elsewhere.

Another suggestion is that if smoke concentrations are high, it is important that you do not light anything that burns, such as candles or the fireplace. Do not vacuum as this moves the particles already in your home. Do not smoke tobacco or any other product as this will increase air pollution. Something very important is that if you or someone in your family suffers from asthma or other pulmonary or cardiovascular disease, take your medications and manage your respiratory problems as directed by your doctor, but if your symptoms worsen, call your doctor.

However, you should be aware that dust masks are not sufficient to protect you because they are designed to protect you from large particles such as sawdust but do not protect your lungs from smoke. Therefore, “N95” masks will provide some protection when used properly.

Finally, it is very important to avoid exposure to smoke, especially for outdoor recreational activities, as forest fires and controlled burns, i.e., supervised burning of land to control vegetation, can produce a lot of smoke.

Avoid exposing yourself and your loved ones, and if you plan to visit a park or forest, verify that there are no forest fires or planned controlled burns in the area.