The California wildfires are spreading with unprecedented devastation. Though the severity of the current wildfires is unprecedented, they are hardly unexpected. Longer fire seasons and greater areas at risk were forecast years ago, with rising global temperatures from climate change (1, 2). Today we have a number of studies on the effects of air pollution to inform us on the best ways to protect ourselves.

California’s wildfires. They’re big. They’re scary! Yet they are also necessary. Did you know that forest fires replenish the soil with nutrients from charred vegetation, allowing for restoration? And that the water that vegetation can no longer use fills streams for animals to drink? Within proper parameters, wildfires are necessary and beneficial to our ecosystem. As our climate warms, and wildfires become more common, we must adapt develop strategies to dampen their more detrimental effects.

When fires encroach upon our communities, destroying homes and buildings, and inhibiting our ability to enjoy the wonderful, therapeutic benefits of being outdoors, it’s particularly difficult and potentially harmful to us humans. In particular, the burning of homes and buildings can release toxic chemicals such as asbestos, dioxins, carbon monoxide, metals, plastics, herbicides, pesticides and particulate matter, which travel through the air for hundreds of miles. Horrible, right? Well, did you also know that our bodies are impressively equipped with mechanisms to protect us from air pollution?

The first line of defense against chemicals and particulates are the fluids that cover your lung lining and respiratory tract. They create a physical barrier, preventing tiny, toxic chemicals from entering into the body! These fluids are high in antioxidants, proving an initial neutralizing defense against these toxins. Some of the antioxidants found in respiratory tract fluid include glutathione, vitamin E, and vitamin C.

Another defense comes from our liver, which helps our body eliminate thousands of toxins every day. In fact, the more often our liver is exposed to certain chemicals, the more efficient it becomes at eliminating them. However, if our body gets overwhelmed by a toxic load that exceeds our physical capacity, our body’s natural defenses will be unable to keep up and this leads to symptoms. In the case of smoke and particulates, we can have burning eyes and trouble breathing, or even more serious cardiovascular symptoms if over prolonged periods.

Here are some things you can do to help optimize your body’s defense systems and improve your home air quality:

• Supplementation! There are a number of nutrients which have been found to support detoxification of airborne pollutants and decrease associated health risks. Check in with your provider if you’d like to know more – always remember that nutrients and supplements in therapeutic doses should be prescribed and taken with supervision from a license care provider.
  
• Keep doors and windows closed as much as possible.
• Use a high quality air purifier indoors, especially in your sleeping area. The air purifiers we recommend are made by Blue Air: www.blueair.com and IQ Air: www.iqair.com. If you don’t have an air purifier available, an acceptable hack is to tape a MERV13 filter to a box fan.
• Try to use air conditioning instead of opening windows during warmer weather, if power use recommendations for your area permit.
• Consider relocating temporarily if you have significant risk of illness with exposure to smoke.
• Hydrate well, consider adding electrolytes to your water or drinking coconut water. Generally adults should drink 1/2 of their body weight in ounces.
• Limit physical exertion, including reducing the intensity of your work-out if outdoors.
• If you must be outside, use a particulate respirator. This will have either “N95” or “P100” printed on it and have two straps for a secure seal around your face.
• Emotional support: If you or your loved ones have been significantly impacted, please give special attention to your emotional health. The National Center for PTSD has tips for coping with emotional trauma after a wildfire.

References

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