| Health
Hints For Those In Fire Areas
By Murray Grossan MD
 Smoke
is very dangerous. Most people die in fires from
smoke, not burns. As the fires sweep through Southern
California, consuming hundreds of thousands of
acres, a huge amount of smoke in being inhaled
and will have unfortunate effects on the health
of many persons in these locations. The weather
forecast is for warm Santa Ana winds, aggravating
the spread of the fires, with no relief in sight
(as of this writing 10/29/03). For the many asthmatics
and allergy patients, these fires are especially
serious.
The ill effects of smoke exposure
have been carefully studied since the terrible
fires in Kuwait and Indonesia. The incidence of
asthma in 10-14 year olds was much higher than
normal as well as a higher incidence of sinus
conditions.
The by-products of forest fires
include chemicals such as carbon monoxide and
various aldehydes that act to impair cilia function.
In the respiratory tract — the nose, sinuses,
trachea (windpipe) and the smaller airways of
the lungs, there are millions of tiny "oars"
called cilia. These beat to remove foreign material
out of the sinuses. In the nose they beat backwards
and move the foreign materials, such as smoke
particles, out of the nose to the stomach. In
the chest they beat upwards to move the unwanted
material out of the lungs to the throat, where
the end up harmless in the stomach. If you can
keep the cilia active, you can avoid the problems
that come from smoke inhalation.
One bad sign: when the cilia of
the chest can’t do their job, coughing takes
over. Either there is too much material in the
lungs for the cilia to handle or the cilia aren’t
moving enough to do their job. Or there could
be a chemical irritation of the lungs.
Besides avoiding the smoke, what
can you do?
a. Breathe through a wet mask when
you go outside. Drive with car windows closed.
b. Drink large amounts of warm/
hot tea. Tea stimulates the cilia. Decaffeinated
tea is fine.
c. Chicken soup also activates cilia.
d. Drink enough of any liquids so
that your urine turns light.
e. Use a nasal moisturizer spray.
Be sure there is no benzalkonium or mercury preservative
that might impair the nasal function. If possible,
find an enhanced nasal moisturizing formula free
of additives and preservatives. By cleaning the
nose this way you can help preserve the normal
nasal function.
f. Just as you wash your hands and
face to remove soot and ash, washing your nose
and sinuses can be very helpful. You can make
a saline solution – 1/2 teaspoon of salt
to 8 ounces of warm water with a 1/4 teaspoon
of baking soda and gently sniff this in and out
the nose until the return is clear. (It is OK
if it comes out the mouth.) Or you can use the
Pulsatile Nasal Irrigation — this is a machine
that pulses at the “prime rate” to
cleanse the nose/ sinuses and help restore normal
function. If you continue to inhale smoke, it
is OK to repeat the irrigation as needed. You
can use salt solution or the prepared mixtures
designed for these devices.
g. Most of the over the counter
cough preparations such as Robitussin are fine
for loosening thick phlegm in the chest. Try to
avoid codeine preparations as these may slow cilia.
h. After exposure to smoke, use
pulsatile irrigation, or gentle sniffing of nasal
solution to help get the nose working well again.
If the return from the nasal irrigation is clear,
then just a nasal moisturizer is needed.
i. Caution: although antihistamines
work well for seasonal allergy, they may cause
additional drying of the mucus secondary to smoke
exposure. Fine to use Sudafed and similar products
for congestion after smoke inhalation, but caution
in using the regular antihistamines. The congestion
following smoke exposure is not necessarily an
allergic response as it is an inflammatory one.
 You
must not neglect your chest symptoms. If coughing
or shortness of breath persists, the earlier you
contact your doctor about an inhaler for the chest,
the better your chances are that you will not
have any long term effects form the smoke. Your
doctor will prescribe an anti-inflammatory product
or combination and then you can breathe better
with less cough.
Take care of your eyes as well.
Here are helpful hints from a Los Angeles eye
specialist:
1. Protective glasses or sunglasses
are essential. There can be excessive glare from
the sun filtering through the smoke, and anti-glare
coatings can be very helpful.
2. In active fire areas, goggles
can help prevent ashes or debris from blowing
into the eyes, burning either the cornea or conjuntiva.
If something should blow into the eye, immediately
irrigate the eyes with cool water (or any water
available) for at least ten minutes before seeking
medical attention.
3.Dryness, burning and stinging
can be helped by frequent use of over-the -counter
Artificial Tears, available at any pharmacy or
supermarket. These can be used as often as every
hour, if necessary.
4.People with contact lenses are
at greater risk for drying and irritation. It
would be safer to wear glasses during the times
of poor air quality. If contact lenses must be
worn, non-preserved Artificial Tears should be
instilled frequently.
5.If the eyes actually become painful,
consult an ophthalmologist, as there is a greater
risk for corneal abrasions or infections.
6. As with all risky situations,
common sense is the number one protection against
serious eye injuries.
After the fires stop, many
persons continue to have thick phlegm and mucus
as a result of the smoke products affecting the
cilia. Do daily pulsatile irrigation. If thick
phlegm continues, fruit enzyme lozenges such as
those from pineapple and papaya are helpful. Look
for proteolytic enzyme tablets with both papain
and bromelain in them, calibrated in enzyme activity
units. These enzymes thin the mucus and can improve
the moisture levels.. Fortunately they taste good.
Are you suffering from smoke from the Southern
California Fire? Let us know (ENTconsult@aol.com).
We'd like to help, and we'd really like to hear
from any rescue centers including medical facilities.
Dr Grossan's Hydro-Pulse
Nasal Irrigator for sinus sufferers is available at AllergyBuyersClub.com
Top
|
It
is Thanksgiving time and my husband, who
is doing a great deal of volunteer work
right now, remarked the other day that
coming home to our house was a sobering
contrast to the people he works with who
struggle to have enough to eat and pay
their basic living expenses. It is good
to remind ourselves to count our blessings
at this time of year, and help those less
fortunate. 
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