Respira tranquilo esta temporada de incendios

As the weather turns warmer and drier, every resident of North Central Washington knows that fire season is just around the corner along with its unfortunate cousin: wildfire smoke. As the number of fires and the severity of the smoke have increased, both from local fires and others further afield, various departments and teams at Confluence Health have been working to care for the community to help mitigate the health effects.

“As wildfires become more common in North Central Washington, it is important for us to prepare for the known health effects of wildfire smoke,” commented Dr. Bindu Nayak, an endocrinologist and the co-medical director of health equity at Confluence Health.

With the incidence of wildfires increasing, Dr. Nayak and fellow Confluence Health physician Dr. Saba Lodhi, who specializes in pulmonology, were recently asked by the American Medical Association (AMA) to contribute to an article discussing climate change, the affect it has on fires and smoke, and how the public can best care for their health. The article was part of a series called What Doctors Wish Patients Knew that aims to provide a space where physicians share what they want patients to understand about today’s healthcare headlines.

In the article, Dr. Lodhi discussed how the impact on public health comes “in two main ways: By changing the severity of existing health problems and by creating new unanticipated health problems.” The changes in temperature, along with air and water pollution, can have negative impacts on public health by increasing heat-related illnesses and cardiovascular diseases, and even the transmission of infectious diseases. One area of particular concern, which is of little surprise to anyone who has tried breathing on particularly smoky days, is the impact on the lungs.

“Exposure to this particulate matter [from wildfire smoke] increases respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations, clinic and emergency department visits, and medication dispensations for asthma and COPD,” added Dr. Lodhi.

“Children are more sensitive to the effects of wildfire smoke and children with asthma are one of the most vulnerable groups with regards to wildfire smoke exposure,” continued Dr. Nayak. “From our hospital data, we observed that Hispanic children with asthma in our community were affected with higher number of emergency department visits due to breathing problems during the wildfire season. We know that addressing health inequities proactively can help tremendously.

“Wildfire smoke can be very hazardous, especially to the young, elderly, and those with lung disease,” remarked Jill Gustafson, a pediatric outpatient case manager at Confluence Health and another member of the ongoing project. “There are ways to prepare ahead of time to minimize and control its negative impacts on your family’s health. One of the most important steps is to contact your doctor’s office for an appointment to review and manage your lung health before illness or smoke strikes. Be proactive. You can control your asthma, so don’t let it control you!”