As a series of large fires continue to burn through the Los Angeles area, blanketing neighborhoods with smoke and forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes, the air quality remains unhealthy throughout many parts of the county. Wildfire smoke is a mixture of water vapor, gas. , and microscopic particles known as particulate matter. The smallest particles, known as PM2.5 because they are less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, pose the greatest danger to human health. They can get deep into the lungs and sometimes into the bloodstream. Earlier this week, PM2.5 around Los Angeles rose to “hazardous” levels, the highest danger in the US Air Quality Index. time, like what’s happening in California now,” said Zachary Rubin, a pediatrician in the Chicago area and spokesman for the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. When the fine particles of the material are inhaled, they can cause inflammation in the body. Symptoms can range from mild , such as burning or itchy eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, and headache, to severe respiratory problems, including difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, fatigue, and chest pain. It can take anywhere from a few hours to days after exposure for symptoms In the most serious cases, it increases the risk of premature death. Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are at risk of severe side effects Rubin says anyone, regardless of health status, has respiratory effects from fire smoke exposure. How dangerous it is depends on a number of factors, including pre-existing health status, proximity to the fire, and duration of exposure. “A good rule of thumb is the more exposure the worse,” he says. The composition of wildfires can also affect human health. With the California wildfires engulfing homes and businesses, smoke in the area may be carrying chemicals released from synthetic building materials that are more toxic than those emitted from burning vegetation. People in Los Angeles County and elsewhere in the US can check airnow.gov to learn more about the current air quality in their area. Because air quality can change quickly during the day, you should monitor the readings regularly if there are fires burning in your area, and try to limit outdoor light when the quality is poor. The Watch Duty app is a great resource to check if there is a fire burning near your place. the rest of the body,” said Shazia Jamil, a pulmonologist and professor of medicine at the Scripps Clinic and the University of California, San Diego. Jamil helped develop guidelines for the American Thoracic Society on how to stay healthy during wildfires. She said that people with shortness of breath, wheezing, or increased breathing rate from inhaling smoke, which makes the heart beat faster and can worsen existing heart problems.Even healthy people can experience chest pain and shortness of breath from smoke inhalation.
