Yesterday kicked off #SmokeReady Week! Wildfire season has already begun in Alaska and many Alaskans have seen smoke in their area recently. We cannot predict how much smoke we may get throughout the season in a particular area, but we can be prepared. Each day this week, we will feature ways you can protect your health from smoke and why it is important.
Wildfire smoke particles are tiny enough to bypass our body’s normal defenses, entering the lungs and bloodstream. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. The best way to protect yourself is to reduce your exposure to smoke.
Because smoke particles are so tiny, they can remain suspended in the air and travel long distances. This is why Southcentral and Interior Alaska are currently experiencing smoke from fires far away, in Southwest Alaska.
Breathing wildfire smoke can worsen many health problems and cause minor to serious symptoms like headaches, stinging eyes, coughing, trouble breathing, asthma attacks and chest pain. However, not everyone who is exposed to wildfire smoke will have health problems. Age, individual susceptibility – including lung conditions (e.g., asthma, COPD) or heart disease, and other factors – determine whether someone will experience smoke-related health problems.
Infants and children, pregnant women, adults 65 and older, and people with heart and lung disease may experience more severe acute and chronic symptoms from smoke exposure and therefore should discuss a plan with their healthcare provider before the smoke arrives.
Learn more about how you can protect yourself from smoke-related health issues here:: https://www.airnow.gov/air-quality-and-health/.
The latest fire weather forecasts for Alaska can be found here: https://www.weather.gov/arh/fire.
Original source can be found here.
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