CBC Kids News contributor Isabelle MacNeil explains what happens to your body when you breathe in wildfire smoke.

Wildfire smoke contains a mix of gases and particles, with its composition depending on what is burning. One of the main health concerns is PM2.5, a type of fine particulate matter that is small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. Exposure to wildfire smoke can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, and may worsen conditions such as asthma.

Most health effects from wildfire smoke are short-term and typically resolve once the smoke clears. However, there are concerns about potential long-term impacts, especially for children who are exposed repeatedly, although there is not enough research to confirm these effects. Experts recommend taking precautions to reduce exposure during periods of heavy smoke.

How wildfire smoke can affect the body

If you've been affected by wildfire smoke, this might seem familiar. You walk inside, it looks smoggy and yellow, and you hear things like... Is breathing in this smoke bad for me? Should I even be out here right now? It can be kind of scary. So let's break it down together. This is Can Explains What Happens When You Breathe in Wildfire Smoke. First, we have to find out what's in wildfire smoke. Well, that depends on what's burning. For example, a fire in a town where there are cars and buildings burning would create more toxic smoke than if it was a fire in a forest where there are plants and trees. In general, wildfire smoke is made up of gases and particles. Some of these elements can be really toxic. Experts we spoke to pointed out one danger that is practically invisible. It's called PM2.5. The PM stands for particulate matter. These are small particles in the air. Low levels of PM2.5 are okay. But when wildfire smoke gets bad, that could mean more potential health risks. And these particles are tiny. The 2.5 means they measure at 2.5 microns or less. To put it in perspective, that's about 24 times smaller than a single human hair. PM2.5 is dangerous because it's small enough to travel deep into the body. The smaller the particle, the deeper it can go. I'll show you what I mean. When you go outside, your eyes might already feel itchy or irritated from the gases and particles in the smoke. When you breathe in, the smoke goes through your nose. Your nose filters out some of the bigger particles. But when you breathe in through your mouth, like during exercise or sports, it doesn't filter anything at all. This is why a lot of games and activities get cancelled when there's a lot of wildfire smoke. Even if you breathe through your nose, smaller particles can still reach the base of your throat, which can cause the scratchy feeling. Smaller particles can also travel further into your airways and to the lungs. This can cause coughing and inflammation. People with asthma already have inflammation in their lungs. So the smoke can make things worse, causing a risk of asthma attacks. Remember those tiny particles I mentioned before, PM2.5? They're small enough to travel to the very, very bottom of your lungs. The tiniest particles can go through the lungs, into a red blood cell, and into the bloodstream. This travels all around your body, even to your brain and heart. Okay, this all sounds pretty intense. But one good thing is that the effects are only short-term. Experts told us that when the smoke goes away, for most people, the effects will too. But can wildfire smoke affect us in the long-term? There are concerns that kids who are constantly breathing in wildfire smoke could have problems with how their lungs grow as they get older. But there haven't been enough studies on kids to prove any long-term effects for sure. There are ways to protect yourself so you can avoid the effects of wildfire smoke. We have those tips on our website. Search up wildfire smoke on cbckidsnews.ca. For CBC Kids News, I'm Isabel McNeil. ♪

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