Sitting by an outdoor fire can be enjoyable, but for people with a respiratory disease such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, etc., inhaling smoke from wood or wildfires, even briefly, can irritate the eyes, throat and lungs.
When something is burned, it’s broken down and the elements are released into the air. Wood smoke contains wood tars, gases, soot, carbon monoxide, dioxins, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other fine particles. All of those tiny particles can make respiratory and heart disease symptoms worse and cause breathing difficulties.
Wildfires are even more of a cause for concern, as they can contain particles from substances such as plastics and household chemicals. These particles can be especially toxic when inhaled. "When homes burn, along with cars and other things, you incinerate all of this material. It’s hard to quantify, but that stuff is almost certainly more toxic,” according to pulmonologist Anthony Gerber, MD. Research (Opens in a new window) indicates that exposure to these toxic particles increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, even if you’re only exposed for a few hours.
If you’re exposed to wood smoke from wildfires, campfires, fire pits or a nother source, the following factors can help you improve your lung safety.
