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Wildfire smoke can pose health threats |
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Wednesday, 08 August 2007 |
 HEALTH EFFECTS – Somewhere behind all that smoke from the wild fires is the City of Conrad, viewed from Sam George Hill on Saturday. Health effects from smoke can range from minor to serious with irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract to more serious disorders, including asthma, bronchitis, reduced lung function and in the worst case, premature death. Particulate matter can alter the body’s immune system and affect removal (a body function) of foreign materials from the lungs, like pollen and bacteria. I-O Photo by Buck Traxler
Most healthy adults will recover quickly from smoke exposure and won’t suffer any long-term consequences.
However, for more sensitive populations, a recommendation from the Health Department is, if you can smell smoke and see smoke, take precautions to limit your exposure.
People who are especially vulnerable when air quality is poor are:
Children, whose lungs are still developing;
The elderly, whose lungs no longer clear out smoke particles as effectively;
People with chronic lung diseases, such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis;
People with heart diseases, such as coronary artery disease and pulmonary hypertension; and smokers, whose lung function is already compromised.
For healthier individuals, the smoke is irritating, but the effects aren’t permanent.
Studies have shown that forest firefighters did not suffer any long-term heart or lung problems associated with their exposure to smoky air over the years.
Still, that doesn’t mean healthy people should ignore the smoke and go about business as usual.
Smoky air contains higher levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. This is important because it can impact exercise tolerance. People should be careful not to exert themselves too much when the air quality is poor.
People tend to breath more deeply during exercise, bringing more pollution deeper into their lungs. They also tend to breath through their mouths, bypassing the natural filtering ability of the nasal passages.
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) monitors air quality in Montana on a daily basis during the wildfire season.
To find out about air quality in our area, visit the DEQ website at http://www.deq.mt.gov/FireUpdates/ .
For more information about the health impacts of smoke, contact the county health department at 271-3247.
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