as a series As deadly wildfires continue to rage through the Los Angeles area, smoke has filled neighborhoods and thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes, air quality remains unhealthy in many parts of the county.
there is forest fire smoke mixture of water vapor, gases and microscopic particles Known as particulate matter. The smallest of these particles, known as PM2.5 because they are less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, pose the greatest threat to human health. They can lodge deep in the lungs and sometimes even enter the bloodstream. Earlier this week, PM2.5 around Los Angeles rose to “hazardous” levels, the highest alert. US Air Quality Index,
“Wildfire smoke is risky for everyone, especially when the particles released are in large quantities over a long period of time, as is the case right now in California,” says Zachary Rubin, a Chicago-area pediatrician and spokesman for the American College of Health. Used to be.” Of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
When microscopic particles enter the body, they can cause inflammation in the body. Symptoms can range from mild, such as burning or itching in the eyes, runny nose, sore throat, and headache, to serious respiratory problems, including difficulty breathing, wheezing, cough, fatigue, and chest pain. It may take a few hours to several days for symptoms to appear after exposure. In the most severe cases, this increases the risk of premature death.
Children, the elderly, pregnant people, and people with heart or lung conditions or a weakened immune system are at higher risk of developing serious side effects. But Rubin says it's possible for anyone to suffer respiratory effects from exposure to wildfire smoke, regardless of their health status.
“Any level of air pollution, including wildfires, can be dangerous to your health,” says Laura Corlin, an environmental epidemiologist at Tufts University School of Medicine. How dangerous it is depends on several factors, including your existing health condition, your proximity to the fire, and the duration of exposure. “A good rule of thumb is that more exposure is worse,” she says.
Wildfire structure may also have implications for human health. As California fires engulf homes and businesses, smoke in the region likely contains chemicals released from synthetic construction materials that are more toxic than those released from burning vegetation.
People in Los Angeles County and elsewhere in the US can test airnow.gov To know more about the current air quality in your area. Since air quality can change rapidly during the day, you should monitor the readings regularly if a fire is burning in your area, and try to limit exposure to outside air if the quality becomes poor. Needed look at duty The app is a good resource to check if fires are burning where you are.
How to protect yourself and others
“The lungs purify the air we breathe and send it to the heart, and the heart pumps it to the rest of the body,” says Shazia Jamil, MD, a pulmonologist and professor of medicine at Scripps Clinic and the University of California, San . Diego. Jamil helped develop it guide For the American Thoracic Society on how to stay healthy during wildfires.
She says if someone is having trouble breathing, wheezing, or has an increased breathing rate due to the smoke, it can cause the heart to beat faster and may aggravate pre-existing heart problems. Are. Even healthy people may experience chest pain and shortness of breath due to the smoke.