UCHealth warns of wildfire smoke health risks
If your eyes are itchy, you’re smelling smoke, coughing or struggling to breathe, it’s vital to reduce your exposure to smoky air
Aurora, Colo. – With wildfires burning in parts of Colorado and Utah, UCHealth urges residents across the state to reduce their exposure to smoky air.
“Wildfire seasons are getting longer and more intense,” Dr. Jay Lemery, an emergency medicine physician at UCHealth said. “Some people suggest we don’t even have a ‘season’ anymore and they’re just continuous.”
Who is at risk?
Wildfire smoke contains particulate matter and harmful chemicals that can pose serious health risks, especially for older adults, children, pregnant individuals and those with pre-existing heart or lung conditions. Even short-term exposure can cause eye and throat irritation and may lead to wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and exacerbation of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Dr. Lemery says when the air quality declines, visits to the ER can spike. He warns that people who do not have any pre-existing health conditions can still feel the impacts.
“It’s also young healthy people we can see come into the ER. I’ve had a triathlete come in during a bad air quality day from wildfires and say, ‘I never knew I had asthma,’ and in fact, they don’t have asthma—they have reactive airway disease from the smoky air,” Lemery said.
How to protect yourself
When air quality declines due to wildfire smoke, Lemery encourages people to take the following steps:
- Stay updated on air quality conditions.
- If you are close to an active wildfire, be ready to evacuate. Keep a 7-to-10 day supply of medications on hand along with copies of important documents.
- If you can see or smell smoke from fires in Colorado or elsewhere in the West, that means air quality is poor.
- Stay indoors with the windows closed.
- If you have underlying respiratory or cardiovascular disease, avoid exercising outdoors.
- If you have air filters in your home, use them.
- Seek medical attention if they experience shortness of breath and chest pain making it difficult to complete a full sentence.
Downloadable photo (hover over image for download option)
