LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — For residents living around wildfire smoke, doctors have a warning for you. The smoke could potentially harm your lungs and heart.
“Most of the smoke is going to cause a lot of irritation,” Dr. Jay Ladde, an Emergency Medicine Physician at Orlando Health ORMC, said. “The smoke, the pollutants in the smoke, can irritate the fine cells in the lung tissue.”
Dr. Ladde said those with existing respiratory conditions are most at risk.
“Anyone with asthma, emphysema, pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, history of strokes, heart problems, should all be on the lookout,” Dr. Ladde said.
He said if you are at risk or exposed to extensive amounts of smoke to take note of any symptoms.
“Shortness of breath, maybe sputum, nasal irritation, eye irritation, itchiness, sort of like you had an allergic reaction but at a ten-fold rate for a lot of people,” Dr. Ladde said.
Doctors said most symptoms will go away on their own or can be treated with Benadryl.
It’s suggested for patients with preexisting conditions to take their prescribed respiratory medication.
If irritants persist, Dr. Ladde said the best course of action is to stay indoors.
“Fortunately, in Florida, we have nice air conditioning systems,” Dr. Ladde said. “As long as you have a new filter in there and run that air conditioning, you should be able to filter out most of the irritation and breathe easily.”
People with lung irritation from smoke also tend to breathe faster, which can cause fluid loss. Doctors suggest staying hydrated by drinking lots of water during wildfire season.
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