Wildfire smoke and asthma

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Hello Alpha

5 min readSep 8, 2021

Wildfires can damage more than precious nature and property — the smoke can be detrimental to your lungs. This is especially true for people with asthma.

Once a devastating rarity, wildfires are becoming increasingly common in warm states like Texas, California, Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon. As frequent as they may be, wildfires wreak havoc on communities, national parks, and on the health of citizens living nearby the burn site.

The harmful smoke that is produced by wildfires can aggravate breathing problems and irritate the lungs, throats, eyes, and nose. This is especially true for people with asthma and other breathing conditions.

How does wildfire smoke affect your lungs?

Wildfires are unplanned and unwanted fires that occur in natural areas such as nature preserves, forests, fields, and other open spaces. They become more likely after a drought and in seasons of high wind and low rainfall. Wildfires can be caused by natural occurrences like lightning, but more often they are caused by human error. Campfires, fireworks, and cigarettes are common origins of major wildfires.

With smoke traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles away from its origin, the impact of wildfires is often felt by people near and far from the flames.

Wildfire smoke contains minuscule particles that can cause irritation in the lungs when inhaled. Common reactions to inflammation in the lungs include wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Research indicates the health impact of wildfire smoke includes:

Diminished lung function
Signs of oxidative stress
Inflammatory response throughout the body

In patients with asthma, these effects are magnified. Asthma is a condition that causes difficulty breathing via narrowing of the airways, swelling, and excess mucus. Studies show that the smoke — and the resulting particulate matter — lead to significantly more hospitalizations for patients with asthma.

How can you protect yourself from wildfire smoke?

With wildfires already burning and fire season just around the corner, you might be wondering what you can do to protect you and your family from wildfire smoke. Tips for minimizing the detrimental effects of smoke include:

Monitoring air quality

Especially if you have severe allergies or asthma, it is important to keep a careful watch of air quality in your area. Make yourself familiar with AirNow.gov for up to the minute resources on air quality and active wildfires. Keep in mind that wildfires that are hundreds of miles away can impact air quality in your area, depending on wind patterns and other environmental factors.

Preparing an emergency kit

Everyone should have a quality disaster or emergency kit at home, but especially so if you have severe asthma or lung conditions. Gather an emergency kit that includes:

Water. Every disaster kit should include at least a week’s supply of clean, sealed drinking water.
Food. Keep at least a week’s worth of nonperishable food items in your house in case of a sudden or severe drop in air quality.
Medication. Especially if you have asthma or another lung condition, it is imperative that you keep a supply of your medication on hand in case you must stay indoors for an extended period of time. The same is also true for any inhalers or medical devices you may need.
Goggles and masks. Include a pair of goggles and several masks in your emergency kit in case you need to head outdoors when the air quality is unhealthy.

Plan ahead

Take time to map out potential exit routes — both out of your home and out of your neighborhood and city — in case of a fire in your area. Know where you will stay in the event that the air quality becomes unsafe by coordinating with family and friends or research lodging outside of your area.

Stay inside

If there is smoke in the air but you are not in immediate danger, plan on staying indoors until air quality improves. Keep your windows closed and use an air conditioner or HEPA filter to clean the air inside your home. Be sure to replace filters regularly to maximize their ability to clean particles from the air.

Skip the outdoor workout

If there is smoke in the air, avoid outdoor exercise. Plan on remaining indoors until the smoke has cleared and air quality has improved to “Good” under the Air Quality Index.

Wear a mask

If you have asthma consider investing in N-95 or P-100 masks as a part of your wildfire preparations. When used correctly, respirator-type masks can help minimize smoke inhalation. Respirator masks can be purchased at hardware stores and pharmacies. To maximize the benefit of the mask, make sure it fits securely over your nose, mouth, and chin.

It is important to note that common cloth masks do little to filter harmful particles from the air.

Does smoke put you at a higher risk for COVID-19?

Research has shown a correlation between exposure to wildfire smoke and COVID-19. Wildfire smoke may make it easier for COVID-19 to penetrate deep into your lungs. It is also possible that the particles in wildfire smoke carry the virus from person to person.

Beyond this, the CDC notes that people who have had COVID-19 remain at higher risk for wildfire smoke-related lung damage or breathing problems. You should remain vigilant of coughing when accompanied by fever, chills, body aches, or upset stomach.

When to see a doctor about smoke inhalation

Especially if you have asthma, it is essential that you carefully monitor your symptoms. If you have persistent asthma symptoms — such as difficulty breathing, continuous coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath — do not hesitate to seek medical treatment. If your symptoms are severe, seek emergency services immediately.

Alpha Medical offers online medical consultations as well as prescriptions for asthma. To get started, you will complete an online consultation and an Alpha Provider will work with you to help you best manage your asthma and minimize your risk of other respiratory conditions.