Experts break down the long-term effects wildfire smoke can have on your body
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Apu Gomes/Getty Images/ROBYN BECK
Experts have shared the long-term effects wildfire smoke has on your body in the wake of the devastating fires currently spreading across parts of California.
As of today (January 10), ten people have died the Los Angeles' wildfires and 180,000 have been forced to flee their homes.
200,000 others are under evacuation warnings as the devastation continues.
One person to have died in the wildfires is 82-year-old Rodney Nickerson, who made the decision not to leave his Altadena home which he'd lived in since the 1960s, his daughter said.
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She tried her best to get him to leave the property, but he refused.
For those who have been fortunate enough to survive the wildfires, they might find that the suffer with some side effects because of the smoke.
And it won't just be those in the immediate area that'll be affected, but people in the surrounding areas too as wildfire smoke can travel thousands of miles.
Speaking about this, Sara Adar, a professor of epidemiology and global public health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said the pollutants in fire smoke can get into a person's bloodstream and lungs.
Inhaling wildfires smoke can lead to symptoms like difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, and coughing, Dr. MeiLan Han, a spokesperson for the American Lung Association and professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at University of Michigan Medicine, added to TIME.
The effects of wildfire smoke can be long-term as well.
According to Dr. Han, research has shown that repeated exposure to air pollution — wildfire smoke included — can increase the risk of developing chronic respiratory conditions.
Some studies have also suggested that it could affect brain health. For example, Adar has researched the link between long-term exposure to air pollution and dementia in older adults in the US.
Apparently wildfire smoke was one of the types of air pollution found to have particularly harmful effects on the brain.
As to how you can protect yourself from suffering the affects of wildfire smoke, people are advised to wear a N95 or KN95 mask if you need to go outside.
If you're driving, Dr. Han says that you should 'make sure your car is recirculating the air rather than bringing in air from outside'.
Otherwise, it's best to stay indoors with your windows shut to reduce your exposure to the smoke.
You can support those affected by the fires by donating to the Red Cross online, by calling (800) 733-2767 or texting REDCROSS to 90999.