Wildfire smoke has long been known to exacerbate health problems like heart disease, lung conditions, and asthma, but now a new study finds that smoke from these fires can lead to poor health thousands of miles away.
Wildfire smoke has long been known to exacerbate health problems like heart disease, lung conditions, and asthma, but now a new study finds that smoke from these fires can lead to poor health thousands of miles away. Researchers from the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC) found that medical visits for heart and lung problems rose by nearly 20 percent during six days in June, 2023, when smoke from Western Canadian wildfires drifted across the country, leading to very poor air quality days in Baltimore and the surrounding region.
The new findings were published today in the journal JAMA Network Open.
During the summer of 2023, severe Canadian wildfires created a vast plume that drifted more than 2,000 miles across the country, leading to poor air quality on the East Coast of the United States, and many individuals experiencing breathing issues that led them to the doctor’s office.
Read More: University of Maryland - School of Medicine
Photo Credit: Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/photos/colorado-fire-sky-clouds-smoke-78114/
