Smoke Inhalation and Lung Health

What you can do when the side affects of smoke inhalation affects your lung health.

Health Hazards of Smoke Inhalation

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.

Related Reviews & Articles

Smoke Air Filters & Smoke Air Purifiers

IQAir HealthPro Series Air Purifiers	AllerAir Air Purifiers for Tobacco Smoke	Austin Air Healthmate Air Purifiers for General Air Cleaning	Blueair 201 Air Purifiers with HEPASilent Filter