We’re getting questions from you all about health, so here we go.
What are the symptoms?
Exposure to wildfire smoke can cause health problems that range from minor to severe. Some symptoms include:
- Eye, nose, and throat irritation (burning eyes and runny nose)
- Fatigue
- Headache and coughing
- Wheezing and shortness of breath
- Worsening of existing conditions, especially heart and lung diseases
- Asthma attacks, chest pain, or irregular heartbeat
For people with health conditions symptoms can be
serious, with increased risk of hospitalization or death. But smoke is not good for anyone to breathe. Health impacts can continue through the week following a wildfire smoke
event . Continue to monitor symptoms and don’t
delay care if needed.
What about the long-term impacts of smoke?
While there is a lot of evidence about the short-term impacts
of wildfire smoke up to a week after exposure, the longer-term health impacts
from wildfire smoke are not well known, though this research is emerging after
increasingly smoky summers.
However, the research is clear that breathing in PM2.5 (the
main component of smoke) even at low levels is not good for health.
Who’s most affected?
There are groups of people more sensitive to smoke, but that list includes more than just health conditions, and likely includes you or someone close to you.
- People with heart and lung disease, people over 65 and under 18, pregnant people, outdoor workers, people of color, tribal and indigenous people, and people with low income.
What about masks?
It’s tough to stay inside all the time with extended periods of smoke. A properly fitted, NIOSH-approved respirator can reduce your exposure to smoke if you have to be outside. KN95 masks or other masks that are approved in other countries may not provide the same protection as NIOSH-approved respirators because they are not regulated in the United States. If using a KN95 mask, look for ones that meet requirements similar to NIOSH-approved respirators. Cloth face coverings, surgical masks, and masks with filter inserts generally do not provide much protection from breathing in smoke.
Are there any particular indoor air quality monitors that are recommended? Are they accurate? Trying to decide if I want to do a portable air purifier or look into getting a whole house one installed since the smoke will continue every year.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of air sensors on the market of varying accuracy. Check the South Coast AQMD AQ-SPEC evaluations for performance evaluations of several PM2.5 sensors. Some sensors have correction factors that can be applied to help improve accuracy (like PurpleAirs). As you select one, also consider how you will use it--outdoors vs. indoors, if you want one you can easily move around or keep in one spot, and if you'd find it easier to look at the data online or displayed on the sensor. Paying attention to how air quality trends and compares over time can be helpful, even if the sensor is not the most accurate.
DeleteAQ-Spec PM Sensor Evaluations: http://www.aqmd.gov/aq-spec/evaluations/summary-pm
For your comment about portable air cleaners vs. whole home filtration, this EPA guide is helpful: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2018-07/documents/guide_to_air_cleaners_in_the_home_2nd_edition.pdf
I've been wondering about cumulative effects. Although I have mild asthma, I've never been too affected by the smoke, not much more than the average person. But this year, it is really bothering me, and it hasn't even been exceptionally smoky in my area, not like 2020. As soon as the air quality veers into the moderate range, I'm experiencing symptoms.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if it's possible that I've just become sensitized by the annual exposure.
I’m not sure I have an answer about general increasing sensitization, but there are a number of factors that could make a person more sensitive that can change over time, like if you have a health condition that is changing, or if you are also experiencing an acute respiratory infection during the smoke. This is probably best answered at an individual level by your medical provider.
DeleteEven at moderate levels, we do expect that some people especially sensitive to smoke could start to experience health effects.
Thanks for this information! My indoor cat actually wound up with mild bronchitis this week, and I'm thinking it's a result of the smoke. Even though we have multiple air filters and weather stripping, the smoke has still gotten into the house all week, causing us all to wheeze and sneeze.
ReplyDeleteOh no - sorry to hear about your cat. My dad's a veterinarian, and we chat frequently about wildfire smoke impacts to pets. Here's a factsheet that the EPA produced that might be helpful: https://www.airnow.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/protect-your-pets-from-wildfire-smoke.pdf.
DeleteI posted this comment yesterday, but it looks like it got moderated and deleted. When I look at the DOH website for advice on youth sports and what point they should be cancelled in terms of air quality, all I see is information on covid and wildfire smoke. It would be easy to come away from this page with the conclusion that exercising at the AQIs we're seeing lately is not an issue for children unless they're also suffering from covid. Can this page please be updated to articulate the risk independent from covid? My kids are not having sports canceled and are being asked to by coaches to compete at 180 AQI because of this kind of messaging (it's only a problem because of covid...)
ReplyDeleteYour previous comment is still in the queue and will be answered by DOH (likely today). Keep in mind we do not delete valid questions, but we don't "release" them onto the blog until someone has been assigned the question and is ready to answer. The FAQ section on the DOH smoke site does have information about students. Here: https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Documents/Pubs/334-332.pdf?uid=63470406f0b25
DeleteThank you for your comment and following up. We are getting quite a few comments, and it just takes time to work on answers. COVID-19 has been a big focus for DOH the last few years with the pandemic and is especially important because there is increased health risk when coupled with wildfire smoke. We definitely appreciate the feedback, it helps us improve our messaging and communications. We will consider it as the status of the pandemic changes. Here's our guide regarding children's activities and smoke that we have distributed broadly statewide. https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Documents/Pubs/334-332.pdf?uid=63470406f0b25
DeleteThe health tab on this blog also has less COVID information.
Thank you for your replies. I found those guidelines, and in my experience over the past 8 weeks of unhealthy air, let alone the last five years that this has been a big issue in Washington, is that no one is following them in terms of youth sports. No one at all. I think it would be helpful, if there really are concerns about the health impacts of smoke exposure for children, if DOH would ramp up the messaging efforts beyond the distribution of the guidelines.
DeleteIt's helpful to hear your experience with the guidelines, and we appreciate feedback and more messaging about wildfire smoke and children's health is wanted. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
DeleteNeed to better phrase your section on "There are groups of people more sensitive to smoke... " which includes people of color, tribal and indigenous people. People of color and tribal and indigenous people are not, because of their race alone, essentially sensitive to smoke. The WA DOH site you linked to explains better what you probably mean: "There are groups of people with increased risk for sever health impacts, such as hospitalization or death, including: People of color and tribal and indigenous populations because of institutional and structural discrimination that often put these populations in challenging life circumstances and unhealthy environments."
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! We are aware of this and continue to discuss and re-evaluate how we can improve our messaging across different platforms. Your feedback is helpful to this process.
DeleteThanks for the fine information, as usual. :)
ReplyDeleteRe: respirators, I think it's worth mentioning that NIOSH-approved elastomeric (i.e. rubber) P100 masks are becoming easier to find and the filters are getting cheaper, relative to the early/mid COVID pandemic. I find that it's easy to chuck one in my bag/in my bike's basket, and the reusability personally helps me cut down on costs. One set of simple p100 dust filters in an elastomeric respirator may last for numerous donnings/doffings outside of work/highly polluted environments, potentially unlike a flatfold N95 (which many of us are used to using for COVID protection, and probably throw out when they get sweaty). NIOSH-approved respirators without exhale valves are becoming generally available, and are also suitable for protecting people around you from COVID when used as directed. They might be a good option for some readers.