- Hazardous air quality poses a risk of lung and heart inflammation.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that this air can cause various health problems, including sinus pain.
- Headaches and migraines can also occur as symptoms of exposure to poor-quality air.
This summer, the United States has been experiencing dark smogs with a strong burnt wood odor, caused by wildfires.
This hazy air contains tiny particles, measuring approximately 2.5 micrometers or smaller. That size is minuscule (to put it into perspective, a human hair is about 70 micrometers in diameter, and particles smaller than 25 micrometers are invisible to the human eye),
Inhaling these particles can lead to inflammation of the heart and lungs, which is especially risky for children, older individuals, and those with chronic illnesses.
However, there are also other immediate health effects associated with exposure to poor-quality air.
12 signs indicating exposure to poor-quality air
The CDC states that individuals exposed to fine-particle pollution, like the kind currently present in the northern US, may experience the following:
- Coughing
- Trouble breathing
- Wheezing
- Asthma attacks
- Stinging eyes
- Scratchy throat
- Runny nose
- Irritated sinuses
- Headaches
- Tiredness
- Chest pain
- Fast heartbeat
Why wildfires can cause headaches
As reported by the Huffington Post, the conditions resulting from wildfires can lead to congestion and sinus blockage, triggering headaches.
A recent NIH study, cited in the Huffington Post report, found a correlation between wildfires in California and people reporting tension headaches.
Dr. Raj Fadadu, a wildfires researcher at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, told the New York Times that inflammation caused by inhaling particles likely contributes to wildfire-related headaches.
The authors of the NIH study cautioned that this issue will become more frequent for people as the world continues to warm. “As climate change drives longer and more intense wildfire seasons, wildfire PM 2.5 may contribute to more frequent headaches,” the authors said.
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