As wildfires rage in southern California, Scripps News spoke with Dr. Omer Awan, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, about the health risks involved for those nearby.
Smoke from fires in particular "can have dramatic and devastating effects on your health both in the short term and in the long term," Awan said. "Part of that is related to the effects of particle pollution. What happens when houses, cars, buildings, plastic burn — they emit very small particles into the atmosphere. These particles are extremely small. They're smaller than the size of our hairs and they can at as an irritant to many parts of our body."
They can irritate our eyes, cause coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
"There are certain vulnerable populations that will be more affected. We're talking about children — particularly those five years of age and younger, and also the elderly population and those that have chronic medical conditions." Awan said. "Young people and elder individuals can't clear particles from their lungs as efficiently as those who are healthy. What happens is that those particles stay in the lungs and it can exacerbate wheezing, chest pain, and for those that are older, even things like asthma or obstructive lung disease like bronchitis."
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The U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention recommends several steps for minimizing risk from wildfire smoke, including tracking air quality advisories for your region, following recommendations from public health and emergency officials in the event of a fire, and using high-efficiency HVAC filters and facemasks or respirators to keep your personal air cleaner.
Extended exposure to wildfire smoke can also increase the risk of more serious conditions such as cancer. Research has shown wildland firefighters are estimated to be at an increased risk of lung cancers and other cardiovascular disease, due to their increased exposure to the fine particulates in wildfire smoke.
Watch the full interview with Awan in the video above.
