Western Wildfire Smoke In the US Exposes Millions to Hazardous Pollution

Posted: October 22, 2020 2:21 pm

The west coast has been experiencing large wildfires. As a result of this, millions of people have been exposed to dangerous amounts of smoke and pollution. Thousands of people have died due to the pollution. The elderly and people who have weak immune systems are the most likely to become seriously ill after being exposed to smoke.

According to AP, five cities in the United States have had high pollution levels. Oregon is one of the states that has been hit especially hard. Portland has experienced its highest pollution level ever. Hundreds of people in Oregon have been going to the emergency room daily after being exposed to pollution.

Barb Trout is a 64-year-old retiree who lives in the southern region of Portland. She stated that she has gone to the emergency room twice due to asthma attacks. She said that this is something that she has never experienced before.

Barb has tried to stay inside since Labor Day. However, she had an asthma attack a few days later. She could not breathe and had to be rushed to the emergency room. She had another asthma attack a few weeks later. This asthma attack was even worse the second time. She stated that she had a near death experience.

Barb said that the second asthma attack was quick and hard. The doctors and nurses were able to stabilize her, and she was able to go home a few days later. However, she is still haunted by the possibility of having a third asthma attack. Barb and her husband have created an alarm system, which will allow her to quickly get help if she has another asthma attack.

Martin Johnson is Barb’s pulmunologist. He stated that many people have been showing up to his office struggling to breathe after being exposed to wildfire smoke. Martin practices in Salem, which has been experiencing its highest level of pollution in the past two decades.

The vast majority of Martin’s patients have recovered. However, some of them have been left with permanent damage. He also suspects that some of the people died of heart attacks that were triggered by the wildfire smoke. He said that many people do not go to the hospital when they have symptoms, so they end up dying at home.

There was a study done by Stanford University that showed that 3,000 people who are over the age of 65 in California died after being exposed to wildfire smoke. This happened over a six-week period. Hundreds of other people died due to the poor air quality.

It is common for wildfires to occur in the western region because the climate tends to be drier over there. Shawn Urbanki is a U.S. Forest Service Smoke scientist. He stated that wildfires can produce 10 times more pollution than industrial facilities and vehicles.

Scientists have found there are many long-term problems that can result if people are exposed to smoke. They have found that people who are exposed to smoke are more likely to develop the flu. Pollution exposure can also weaken the immune system. Additionally, the smoke can decrease lung function.

Gabriela Goldfarb works at the Oregon Health Authority. She stated that the coronavirus just adds another set of worries. Studies have shown that pollution can worsen the coronavirus symptoms.

Climate experts have stated that people who live in the Midwest should prepare for more fires. They stated that the weather can bring more intense fires. Loretta Mickley is a climate researcher at Harvard University. She stated that the smoke and wildfires will continue to increase. She also said that it is not unreasonable to expect the fires to get worse every year.

Eric Landguth is a professor who works at the University of Montana. He has explained how the pollution can cause serious damage to your lungs. He stated that the particles can irritate the lining of your lungs. It can also enter your bloodstream.

There are some things that you can do to protect yourself from the effects of the wildfires. You should check the local air quality report. If you are high risk, then you should follow the advice of your health care provider. Additionally, if you are told that you need to stay inside, then you should try your best to keep the indoor air clean.

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