HEALTH EFFECTS OF SMOKE EXPOSURE
Immediate effects
of short-term exposure to forest fire smoke include:
- Sore or tearing eyes
- Cough
- Runny nose
Other symptoms often
experienced from smoke exposure in combination with physical exhaustion,
psychological stress and poor nutrition include:
- Cold
symptoms
- Persistent
cough
- Sore
throat
Signs of high blood levels of carbon monoxide include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Decreased
mental function
Intermediate effects of
exposure to forest fire smoke (from days to weeks) include:
- Lung
or airway congestion
- Persistent
cough
If you have asthma,
emphysema, chronic bronchitis that does not respond to your regular medications
Smoke exposure in combination with physical exhaustion, psychological stress,
and poor nutrition can lead to acute bronchitis
Prolonged exposure.
It is very unlikely that you will ever experience this from forest fire smoke
and little is known about its effects.
The risks are probably the same for cigarette smoking, and include heart
disease, stroke, cancer, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Note: The mixture of particles, liquids, and gaseous
compounds found in smoke from wild land fires is very complex, and include
compounds that can irritate and even injure the tissues of your mouth, nose,
throat and lungs.
Recommendations:
- If you
are located in an area where you can smell smoke, or you experience
symptoms of coughing, eye, nose, mouth, or throat irritation, then move
indoors and stay there with the windows closed as long as it is safe to do
so.
- If
you continue to smell smoke and experience these symptoms when
indoors, then consider evacuating to another location, away from the fire
and smoke.
- If you
have severe symptoms of headache, dizziness, nausea, prolonged cough, sore
throat, or shortness-of-breath, visit an urgent care/emergency room or
contact your medical provider.
- For
more severe shortness of breath, chest pain, decreased mental function or
other life-threatening condition, call 911 immediately.