Wildfire smoke can worsen asthma. What you can do to protect yourself – GLOBAL

July 20, 2023

The death of a nine-year-old B.C. boy whose asthma was exacerbated by wildfire smoke is a horrific example of how dangerous poor air quality can be for people suffering from underlying respiratory and cardiac conditions, experts say.

When wildfire smoke pollutes the air, “there is definitely an increase in asthma exacerbations,” said Dr. Anne Hicks, clinical lead of the children’s environmental health clinic at the University of Alberta.

In addition to asthma, research has shown that wildfire smoke is associated with more hospital visits for both children and adults with other lung conditions, such asviral infections, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as heart attacks and strokes, Hicks said.

Here are some things you can do to protect yourself and your children.

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/9844952/wildfire-smoke-asthma/