Most people believe it's no "no big deal." It's just wood burning, much the same as sitting around the campfire. Unless you have asthma or some underlying lung or sinus condition, it's "not too bad."
And you can't escape it anyway, so why worry?
But, did you know...
During a wildfire, mercury stored in the foliage and ground litter is released and carried into the atmosphere. Sometimes in very large amounts.
Smoke from fires has been associated with increased cancer rates and cardiopulmonary disease.
And the effects are much greater if there are burning buildings, cars, etc. (The jet stream from burning towns in other states carries across Montana and beyond.)
According to Professor Athanasios Nenes, an atmospheric chemist at the Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences in Patras, Greece,
Smoke from forest fires can linger in the atmosphere for a couple of weeks as it spreads. While in the air the smoke particles chemically react with trace radicals—molecules with unpaired electrons—to undergo a process known as oxidation. This converts the compounds in the smoke particles into highly reactive compounds. When they are breathed in, these reactive compounds—known as free radicals—can damage cells and tissues in the body.
'We know that breathing in smoke when you are close to a fire is not good, but we have seen that over time it gets worse—up to four times more toxic a day down the road,' said Prof. Nenes, referring to some of their experiment results. These results showed smoke samples taken from the air more than five hours after they were released from a fire were twice as toxic than when they were first released and as they aged further in the laboratory the toxicity increased to four times the original levels.
They can make people more prone to infections, can lead to breathing difficulties and leave some people more prone to heart attacks,' said Prof. Nenes. 'At the same time the smoke particles also contain carcinogens—polyaromatic hydrocarbons—which also oxidize and become more carcinogenic, increasing the risk of cancers.'
WOW!! Not good.
After living in Montana for 16 years, I have seen firsthand the detrimental effect it can have on the body, so I wanted to give you a few quick suggestions.
Close the windows, especially during the day. Open the windows at night if the smoke and wind aren't too bad.
Use air purification and filtration systems. These can get fairly pricey, but do your best to purchase one. Even the cheaper ones are helpful.
Recommended Supportive Supplements (see links and more information below):
NAC Renew (2 tablets a day)
CoQ10 Plus (2 tablets a day)
Takesumi Supreme (3 capsules, once a day, empty stomach, away from any medications)
Use a neti pot 2-3x/day to rinse the sticky mucous membranes of your sinuses. (Remember the sticky, curly fly traps? That's exactly how the mucous inside of your nose works!)
Drink lots of water.
Stay healthy! Be safe!
Dr. Julie
These protocols are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any illness or disease. They are for information and educational purposes only. The FDA has not reviewed these statements or suggestions. The information contained in these protocols has been developed by clinical research and empirical evidence. They have been used safely by the author and other practitioners in clinical practice, but the author makes no claims of safety or efficacy when used by others. Please see your doctor for any medical conditions.
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