Wildfire Smoke and Chronic Illness Part 1: It’s a Trigger

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Gosh, I don’t even know what to say or how to begin. I’m just so numb after watching all the news about the wildfires in Los Angeles. Everything about it is so unbelievably sad. My heart goes out to everyone affected by those fires. I especially think about the people dealing health issues. You already have enough on your plate and now you have to deal with the smoke from those wild fires, which can be a huge trigger for many symptoms.

What’s in the Smoke ?

I’m not an expert but I think we have an idea of how toxic that smoke can be. All we need to do is think about all the things that the fires had burned. Metals, treated wood, plastic, paint, fabrics (from couches, carpets, curtains clothes, etc.), rubber tires, chemicals used for cleaning, etc just to name a few. Think of all the things in your house, your car, and your yard that’s what is in that smoke. And let’s not forget about the fire retardant that is dropped, it too is in the air. So if you really think about it, that’s a lot of unhealthy stuff to be breathing in.

Now this smoke doesn’t just go up and disappear. No, it actually stays in the atmosphere, creating a hazardous air quality that expands for miles and miles away from where it started, .

Symptoms Can Surface Months Later

The smoke from wildfires can trigger many symptoms. For example respiratory issues, sinus problems, headaches, etc. Some will notice symptoms right away while other symptoms, like with your hair and skin may show up weeks or months later. Having symptoms show up significantly later makes it extremely difficult for one to identify the root cause of their symptoms.

But don’t worry, I’m not sharing this to cause fear. I’m sharing this to help you navigate through this so you can ask the right questions and pinpoint the real trigger. In this case….it’s the smoke from the wildfires. Again, I’m no expert, I am only sharing this because I myself have experienced being in wildfire smoke.

My Experience With Wildfire Smoke

A couple of years ago, my home was in an area where smoke from wildfires polluted our air for weeks. I remember one day the air quality being so bad that the sky was dark like dusk at around 10:00 – 11:00 in the morning. It actually looked like a scene from an apocalypse movie. That was such a crazy thing to see.

As time went on the air quality returned to healthier levels and the smoke cleared up. My sinus issues and headaches went away and I felt like my health returned back to normal.

Then out of nowhere my eczema flared up. This was something out of the norm as I haven’t had a flareup like this in years. Of coarse I asked myself the typical questions: Did I eat anything different or try anything new? Which the answer to both were NO, so that had me baffled.

But then I remembered reading in the Liver Rescue book by Anthony William, that there is a 6 week cycle that happens with eczema. So I counted 6 weeks back and sure enough it was when those wildfires took place. You can watch this video for more details about my experience.

Another symptom that can happen way after being in a wildfire is hair loss. I didn’t experience this because I wasn’t in a situation where adrenaline was being released. But if you are, this one is for you.

According to Medical Medium books, our current hair is a result of the health of our bodies 8-10 months prior. So just like my eczema flareup if you are experiencing hair loss evaluate what was happening in your life 8-10 months prior. Was it a stressful time? Were you in a situation that caused you to release a bunch of adrenaline? If you were then that stress could have triggered changes with your hair. For more details on hair loss and how to recover check out My Hair Loss Recovery post.

Take Action and Be Proactive

Of course these things occur without any warnings, which makes it a bit difficult to prepare for. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t able to do something. You see once you are aware there are some things you can do to be proactive with the situation.

Here are some of the ways I support my body and be proactive with my health.

Part 2 “Wildfire Smoke and Chronic Illness: The Path to Recover” will be shared shortly so be sure to subscribe to be notified. In the mean time check out these resources below.

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers,

Air Pollution Support

Information Resources Used in This Post

Supplements to Help Recover from Wildfire Smoke
Environmental Illness
Tips for Poor Air Quality
Environmental Disaster Air Quality Tools
Video: Air Quality Tools for Environmental Disasters