Wildfires are not only harmful to the environment: these are all effects of smoke on the body

The forest fires in Quebec, Canada, which began in early June, burned nearly four million hectares of land, which could be equivalent to “10 million football fields,” a Canadian official told BBC News.

The size of the fires is such that the smoke is hitting some cities in the United States, such as New York and Washington DC, according to the British media report.

“Our heads hurt, the air is heavy and the smell of smoke is crazy,” Ecuadorians in Canada and the United States share how they experience the effects of wildfires

Regarding the health effects of these accidents, Mayo Clinic pulmonologist and toxicologist Calyton Cowl warns in an article published by the health agency about the danger posed by the ultrafine particles released by the smoke from these wildfires , because “they can be inhaled deeply into the lungs”, making them a major risk.

The effects of smoke on the body

Specialist Cowl warns that “all kinds of smoke, from cigarettes to campfires, have a common denominator: you breathe air of combustibles.”

The thing about wildfires that destroy trees, homes, and plastic, among other things, is that they release thousands of chemicals into the air, including “nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and chlorine-based compounds,” all of which are highly toxic. . , indicates the article of the health entity.

The Mayo Clinic describes the following effects of smoke inhalation from the fires:

Who is most affected by smoke from wildfires?

According to Arveen Bhasin, MD, an allergist at the Mayo Clinic, in the article mentioned above, those most vulnerable to the smoke from these fires are:

Among the recommendations to address the problem, he points out:

Stay indoors with windows and doors closed. Likewise if you are in a car; turn on the air conditioner to recirculate clean air; avoid cigarette smoke and vaping.