Three Things Thursday highlights three things I am paying attention to as an epidemiologist each week.
TODAY is all about the outbreak1 of wildfires in Canada, the smoke that is filling the air, and the associated health risks those of us on the East Coast of the US are experiencing.
Here are the THREE things you need to know about the wildfires and your health…
Hoping these posts help to educate and empower you
to be healthy and create healthy communities.
The outbreak of wildfires burning in Eastern Canada is producing large amounts of smoke. The smoke is spreading across the East Coast and midwest of the US. The air quality in many major cities — DC, New York, Philadelphia — is very dangerous.
Look at the pictures of NYC on Monday compared to Wednesday.
The smoky air in NYC is full of gases and fine particulate matter (teeny tiny pieces of burnt material). The particulate matter in the air caused by the wildfires is really, really small (less than 2 micrometers in size).
Two micrometers is really small. The diameter of a human hair ranges from 50-70 micrometers (µm). So the tiny particles floating around in the air (as a result of the wildfires) are really small.
Particles this small are NOT filtered out by the respiratory system’s filtration system (think: nose hairs, mucus in the back of your throat). These small particles end up settling deep into the lungs. And they can irritate the lung tissue. They can also enter the bloodstream and cause harm in other parts of the body, including the heart.
Exposure to the wildfire smoke can cause irritation to one’s eyes, throat, nose, and lungs, ultimately leading to people feeling like they are short of breath. Individuals also report experiencing allergy-like symptoms, hoarseness, a sore throat, and fatigue.
Individuals who have chronic lung disease, asthma, or allergies are at increased risk of severe health effects caused by exposure to the smoke. Children, pregnant people, and the elderly are also at increased risk.
What should you do?
First, be aware. Air quality alerts are being posted by meteorologists and AirNow.gov.
Second, if you live somewhere with poor air quality — stay inside, keep your windows closed, and use an air filter/circulate the air within your home.
Third, if you have to go outside and the air quality is poor, wear a mask. N95 masks will reduce your exposure to the tiny particles in the smoke.
The smoke caused by the Canadian wildfires is no joke.
And we all need to be taking the air quality warnings seriously. Your lungs are too precious. If you are advised to stay inside for the next day or two, please do so.
Have further questions about the wildfires or the health effects associated with smoke? Please ask —
And be sure to share this information with your friends and family —
An outbreak is defined as more than what is expected.
Is it safe to run our window A.C. units?