The effects of breathing wildland fire smoke include eye and throat irritation, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Those who are most sensitive to exposure to particulate matter include people with heart or lung disease, children, and the elderly.
Wildfire smoke can make anyone sick. Even someone who is healthy can get sick if there is enough smoke in the air. Breathing in smoke can have immediate health effects, including: Coughing. Trouble breathing normally., and stinging eyes. A scratchy throat.
Besides coughing and trouble breathing, many people experience symptoms similar to a sinus infection, such as headaches, sore throat, a runny nose and even tiredness, according to the CDC. Wildfire smoke can be especially harmful to the elderly, pregnant women, children and those with chronic heart and lung diseases.
Those variety of health symptoms could make you feel lethargic, forgetful and less productive. Wildfire smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and particles produced when wood and other organic materials burn. The biggest health threat from smoke and pollution is Particulate Matter (PM) 10, such as dust and soot.
The unhealthiest material in wildland fire smoke is the small particles (particulates). They may make it harder to breathe or make you cough. These small particles can also make existing heart and lung conditions worse. Who is most at risk from exposure to smoke ?
Wildfire smoke is a mix of gases and fine particles from burning vegetation, building materials, and other materials. Wildfire smoke can make anyone sick .
Can smoke make you feel lethargic?
Smoke could have an effect on your energy level Smoke can trigger burning eyes, runny nose, cough, phlegm, wheezing and difficulty breathing, all of which could make you feel lethargic. This video file cannot be played. Those extra yawns could be because of stress, insomnia or disrupted sleep.
A common question we ran across in our research was “Can smoke inhalation cause fatigue?”.
While smoke inhalation can cause burning in the chest, a sore throat and nasal passages, it would only cause fatigue if the oxygen level in the blood were to fall and that would usually make the patient feel short of breath and could potentially cause cyanosis–a blue tinge to the skin.
But health experts said it could be the smoke causing you to feel extra tired throughout the day. High concentrations of smoke can trigger a range of symptoms from burning eyes, runny nose, cough, phlegm, wheezing and difficulty breathing.
What are the symptoms of wildfire smoke inhalation?
Symptoms associated with wildfire smoke inhalation: Shortness of breath – Continuous exposure to smoke pollution may show up initially as shortness of breath, whereby you find it difficult to breathe even during low-impact tasks. A sore throat – A sore throat can be closely associated with smoke inhalation.
Inhaling large amounts of carbon monoxide—a colorless, odorless gas emitted close range to the fire—can also disrupt the amount of oxygen being delivered to the body. This can result in headaches, nausea, feeling dizzy, and even premature death, per the ALA. Who is at the greatest risk from wildfire smoke?