Newswise — Wildfire season is upon us, and it can be especially dangerous for people who are most vulnerable to wildfire smoke, like Northeast Los Angeles resident, Alana Yañez, 41, who suffers from severe asthma. When the Southern California wildfires hit close to her home in the summer of 2020, she experienced such severe chest pain and difficulty breathing that she had to escape her home to find cleaner air at the beach. On several occasions, she packed up her belongings with her then 2-year old son in tow and spent the day at the beach, working out of her car.
Yañez is hoping for a mild wildfire season this summer, but the current extreme heat and dry winds are increasing the probability of severe wildfires and the health risks they bring, according to Dr. May-Lin Wilgus, a pulmonologist at UCLA Health, who recently published research on the impact of wildfire pollution on people with severe asthma and COPD.
Every season, Dr. Wilgus sees first-hand the devastating impact of wildfire pollution on her patients. She offers the below tips to help people who are the most vulnerable to wildfire smoke:
- Monitor air quality reports
- Make sure you have enough medication to get you through the wildfire season
- Consult with your doctor about using fast-action relief medications, known as rescue inhalers
- Spend less time outdoors if you live in an area affected by wildfires
- When indoors, keep windows and doors closed with air conditioning on, use portable HEPA air filters
- Seek emergency care for severe symptoms, such as breathlessness, chest pain, low levels of oxygen, burning sensation in the throat or lungs, excessive coughing
I would be happy to facilitate an interview with Dr. Wilgus or Alana Yañez, a patient of UCLA Health, who can talk about how wildfires exacerbate asthma and other lung conditions and how it can best be managed.
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