{"id":18230,"date":"2024-12-17T16:25:54","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T16:25:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mpower.maryland.edu\/?p=18230"},"modified":"2025-01-08T19:40:25","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T19:40:25","slug":"wildfire-smoke-poor-air-quality-can-have-an-impact-on-health-even-for-people-who-live-far-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mpower.maryland.edu\/wildfire-smoke-poor-air-quality-can-have-an-impact-on-health-even-for-people-who-live-far-away\/","title":{"rendered":"Wildfire Smoke, Poor Air Quality Can Have an Impact on Health \u2014 Even for People Who Live Far Away."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wildfire smoke \u2014 such as that pictured here from the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif. \u2014 can have negative health effects, even for those living many miles away. (David Swanson\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Published in Yahoo Life<\/a> | December 13, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A wildfire in Southern California prompted evacuations for thousands of Malibu residents \u2014 including celebrities like Cher and Dick Van Dyke<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 this week. The Franklin Fire sprang up late Monday night<\/strong><\/a> and by Friday had burned over 4,000 acres<\/a><\/strong>. It was fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity and extremely dry conditions \u2014 a dangerous combination of conditions that may linger into the new year<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While wildfires create unhealthy air<\/strong> <\/a>conditions for people who live in nearby areas, that smoke and particulate matter<\/strong><\/a> can drift and affect those who live thousands of miles away \u2014 with a new study<\/strong><\/a> shedding further light on the quantifiable dangers of even faraway wildfires. Researchers at the University of Maryland<\/strong> found that medical visits for heart and lung problems in Baltimore spiked almost 20% in June 2023, when smoke from severe wildfires in Western Canada<\/strong><\/a> drifted 2,000 across North America, affecting people along the U.S. East Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you live in an area that\u2019s dealing with wildfire smoke, it\u2019s understandable to have questions about how to stay safe \u2014 as well as how much of an effect that smoke can have on your health. Here\u2019s what doctors want you to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is wildfire smoke dangerous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wildfire smoke is a mixture of gases and fine particulate matter created from burning vegetation and structures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC)<\/strong>. Different potentially hazardous compounds are released in the smoke, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, particulate matter (PM), benzene, acrolein and aldehydes, according to the CDC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWildfires emit very high levels of particulate matter, which can have significant effects on human health, particularly those that have pre-existing disease, including diabetes, hypertension<\/strong><\/a> and obesity,\u201d Loren Wold<\/a><\/strong> <\/a>tells Yahoo Life. Wold is a particulate matter researcher and associate dean for research operations and compliance in the Ohio State University\u2019s College of Medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This smoke can also have a big impact on your lungs, Dr. Simon Meredith<\/strong><\/a>, a pulmonologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, tells Yahoo Life. \u201cFor people with any kind of chronic lung disease, such as  COPD<\/strong><\/a> or asthma, this can lead to irritation of the airways, causing them to feel shorter of breath.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even people without chronic lung disease can end up with airway irritation from wildfire smoke, leading to symptoms like a cough and shortness of breath, Meredith says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High levels of particulate matter can even affect your heart, increasing blood pressure and causing sudden cardiac events like a heart attack, Wold says. \u201cExposure to elevated particulate matter levels long term can cause changes in heart function similar to patients with heart disease,\u201d Wold says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does wildfire smoke affect people who aren\u2019t near the fire?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wildfire smoke can drift, creating issues for people who live far away from the source of the fire. \u201cThe particulates travel hundreds of miles and can cause sinus and upper airway irritation,\u201d Dr. Reynold A. Panettieri <\/strong><\/a>tells Yahoo Life. Panettieri is a researcher and vice chancellor for translational medicine at the Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panettieri says that even people not near the fire can have serious health effects from wildfire smoke if it\u2019s concentrated enough. You can experience a range of potential health issues if you\u2019re exposed to wildfire smoke over several days, according to the Environmental Protection Agency<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n