These symptoms are, in part, your body attempting to expel particles by washing them away. Your body may produce extra phlegm in response to inhaling smoke. The immediate short-term effects, regardless of sensitivity, are burning eyes, nose and throat, watery eyes, runny nose, coughing and shortness of breath. People at elevated risk include children, the elderly and anyone with a cardiopulmonary or respiratory illness, including asthma and allergies. The severity of these effects depends on whether or not you are at elevated risk. Inhaling wildfire smoke has several short-term effects.
Does wildfire smoke cause allergy and asthma symptoms?
The damage caused by particles in the lungs can lead to greater susceptibility to infections. When particles this small enter the lungs, they cause an inflammatory response that can extend from the surrounding cells to systemic inflammation. You may see particles of this size referred to as PM 2.5, meaning they are 2.5 microns in size or smaller. Fine (under 2.5 microns) and ultrafine (under 1 micron) particles are of special concern, because particles that small can enter the lungs and become lodged in the tissue there, causing damage to the surrounding cells. The size of the particles is important because smaller particles stay in the air longer, and therefore are dispersed over longer distances and wider areas. Wildfires introduce a massive amount of particulate pollutants into the air, estimated to be more than urban pollution ( Black et al., 2017).
The particulate component of wood smoke is made up of particles of varying sizes, based on the material being burned and the temperature it burned at. Particulate matter in wildfire smoke: size and health effects Other types of harmful gases include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. The predominant chemical component of wood smoke is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Unless you are directly downwind from a burning car, the wood smoke is the most concerning. However, such a vast amount of wood and grass is burned by wildfires that human-made objects that burn only produce a relatively insignificant amount of chemicals. Severe wildfires might incinerate human-made structures adding a mix of chemical compounds from burning cars, homes and other objects in with the smoke. Though most uncontrolled wildfires happen during the dry season, there are controlled and agricultural burns that can involve wet, “green” vegetation. The gaseous component can vary widely based on what type of material is burning and whether it is a wet or dry season. The types of gaseous pollutants in wildfire smoke It consists of two main components: particulate matter and gaseous pollutants. The composition of wildfire smoke is very complex. That will help us better understand what precautions we need to take when the smell of burning wood is in the air. What are the short and long-term effects of wildfire smoke on your health?How do those health effects interact with conditions like asthma or allergies? We can answer these questions by looking closely at what wood smoke is made of and analyzing the medical research. Air quality is a top concern for those in wildfire smoke-affected regions, as there are possible health effects of inhaling smoke.