The effect of wildfires on respiratory health of children
This study caught my eye because the California wildfires of 2003 impacted me and my family. In fact, over the last 10 years, we have had to evacuate from our home three times. In the 2003 fire, we were away from our home for 2 weeks.
If you have ever been near a forest fire, you know how sickening the smoke and ash can become. During the early days of the 2003 fire, white ash was falling everywhere and breathing was laborious for us all.
To measure the impact of the 2003 wildfires on asthmatic and non-asthmatic children, researchers at the University of California, LA, surveyed over 800 high school children and the parents of over 5,000 children between 6 and 7 years old who had lived in one of the 16 communities affected by the fires. Although asthmatic children were two to three times more likely to suffer wheezing, other respiratory symptoms and eye problems, non-asthmatic children also had increased symptoms as well. The results were published in a recent American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The 2003 wildfires sent plumes of smoke into the air that hovered for days, raising levels of air-polluting particulate matter by 10 to 20 times. The smoke also contained carbon monoxide and numerous other toxic substances. Such poor air quality is particularly dangerous for people with asthma, whose symptoms can be exacerbated.
So, what can you do if you are in an area that is burning? Health authorities recommend staying inside during the fires and, if necessary, wear a mask. As a dietitian, because the body is being exposed to harmful substances that can be oxidizing to the system, foods that are high in antioxidants would be a good choice. Examples would be increased fruits and vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or fish oil tablets. Researchers are not sure if long-term damage results from exposure to the smoke from fires, but they feel that since even smokers’ lung health improves once they quit, there may not be long-term damage from the wildfire smoke.
If you have ever been near a forest fire, you know how sickening the smoke and ash can become. During the early days of the 2003 fire, white ash was falling everywhere and breathing was laborious for us all.
To measure the impact of the 2003 wildfires on asthmatic and non-asthmatic children, researchers at the University of California, LA, surveyed over 800 high school children and the parents of over 5,000 children between 6 and 7 years old who had lived in one of the 16 communities affected by the fires. Although asthmatic children were two to three times more likely to suffer wheezing, other respiratory symptoms and eye problems, non-asthmatic children also had increased symptoms as well. The results were published in a recent American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The 2003 wildfires sent plumes of smoke into the air that hovered for days, raising levels of air-polluting particulate matter by 10 to 20 times. The smoke also contained carbon monoxide and numerous other toxic substances. Such poor air quality is particularly dangerous for people with asthma, whose symptoms can be exacerbated.
So, what can you do if you are in an area that is burning? Health authorities recommend staying inside during the fires and, if necessary, wear a mask. As a dietitian, because the body is being exposed to harmful substances that can be oxidizing to the system, foods that are high in antioxidants would be a good choice. Examples would be increased fruits and vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or fish oil tablets. Researchers are not sure if long-term damage results from exposure to the smoke from fires, but they feel that since even smokers’ lung health improves once they quit, there may not be long-term damage from the wildfire smoke.
posted by Margie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT at
5:56 AM
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