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Our valley is experiencing wildfires. As I watch the particulates in the air make our sunsets hazy and threaten the valley, there is a sense of dread that pervades. How will this change things? My heart goes out to everyone affected by the fire, yet I'm going to move beyond the dire impacts of displaced families and the risks to our brave firefighters. I'm going to focus on actions that we can do as individuals to protect our health and future in the face of wildfires.
The people most at-risk from wildfire smoke are those with pre-existing conditions of heart and lung disease, the elderly, and children under 18. For those people, special measures should be taken to include air purifiers, and more stringent safety precautions. I am going to focus on the general population of healthy adults in this article.
The biggest health threat from smoke is the fine particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs. Effects of these fine particles can cause burning eyes, a runny nose, cough, phlegm, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. With prolonged exposure, inhalation can cause bronchitis, reduced lung function, and an increase of the number of heart attacks and strokes.
By this time in 2020, we are experts at adjusting our lives to protect the health and wellness of others. I have heard how overwhelmed people are from the addition of wildfires to an already precarious coronavirus landscape. People feel we're being pummeled when they are already down for the count. Please remember that it won't be like this forever and we will get through it. We are adaptable. We will persevere.
Here are some steps that will protect your health from wildfire smoke...
Here are some steps that will protect your health from wildfire smoke...
If available, switch out the dust or cloth mask for an N95 mask in order to capture fine particles when you are outside.
Keep doors and windows closed at home and in the car, limit outdoor exercise and stay inside when air quality is bad.
Subscribe to CDPHE Air Quality Alerts, please email aq_subscribe@state.co.us and note you would like to be added to the colorado.airquality listserv to stay informed about the air quality.
Follow the fire bans.
Since those with health conditions are even more vulnerable in these times, take a class or support the local organization called Starting Hearts ( https://www.startinghearts.org/) to help a stranger or loved one if they are ever experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest. Don't let ignorance be the reason you lose someone.
Be a proponent of having an AED at work or home or know where it is located.
Now, lets move on from the current situation of symptom mitigation to look towards the future. As I delved into this topic, I found that the means of government communication about air quality is not sophisticated. A listserv that you have email someone to join? We can do better...
I also found that the research around wildfire smoke and the effects on populations is inconsistent, despite being relatively extensive. We have no clear idea about the long term health effects or impacts of wildfire exposure. Funding is needed to understand this topic more thoroughly.
But what hit home the most is what I found in a research review article..."wildfires and smoke exposures are anticipated to increase in the western US as climate change progresses."
Climate change is such an overwhelming issue. It is easy to feel powerless against it, even (may I daresay) forget about the effects it is having and will continue to have on our lives. We put our heads down and continue on our way because it is too big.
However, if we look at the world and if we want to avoid this situation again in the future, we have to go big. Wildfires are not going away until each of us addresses our impacts on climate change. That means changing our diets to be more plant-based, reducing food waste, investing in clean energy, and protecting our rain forests.
It's not the easy path, but it's the right one.
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