Smokey Skies Are The New Normal. Are They Making Us Sick?
Scientists know that tiny particles from smoke can be inhaled deep into a person's lungs and even enter the bloodstream. But the long-term health effects of this are not fully understood.
Ariel Kinzinger had a headache. Clark Brinkman coughed and wheezed. LaNesha Collins, feeling physically fine, was frustrated by another day mostly trapped inside looking out at a sepia sun, in Portland, Ore.
"I've never been in the thick of smoke like this," said Collins, an Oregonian like the others. "It's insane."
In recent weeks, tens of millions of Americans have lived and breathed through a thick haze of wildfire smoke. In places, it lasted for weeks. The immediate health effects of that are well known to the medical community and anyone who's been exposed: Eyes sting, throats tighten, snot can turn black.
Respiratory problems like asthma and (COPD) can be exacerbated, causing spikes in hospital visits. And recent on the link
