Harmful Effects of Smoke Exposure

The smoke that is released by a fire is often more dangerous than the fire itself. You have no idea what exposure to soot and various chemicals such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, acid gases, aldehydes, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, styrene, toluene, dioxins, and metals can do to your system.

Any type of fire, whether small or big, can cause smoke, be it fire from burning of forest, crops, tires, waste, wood, or structures. The kind of particles and chemicals you would be exposed to, will depend on the things that are burning, the burn temperature, and oxygen availability. You may not even be able to see most of these particles and chemicals.

Inhaling smoke, even if it is for a short time, can have acute effects on your health. It can have an impact on your:

Eyes

Red eyes and eye irritation are classic symptoms of smoke inhalation. Prolonged exposure to heavy smoke can even burn the corneas in your eyes, causing unbearable pain.

Throat

Smoke inhalation can block your upper airways by leading to fluid collection. Inhaling irritant chemicals of smoke can lead to vocal cord spasm or swelling, causing hoarseness or throat pain.

Lungs

Shortness of breath and continuous coughs are things you might experience when exposed to smoke. This happens because of the irritation in the mucous membranes of your respiratory tract. As a result they start secreting more mucus, causing bronchospasm and reflex coughing. Left untreated, this can even injure your respiratory tract, decreasing the amount of oxygen that is delivered to the blood and leading to rapid breathing, noisy breathing, or shortness of breath.

Nose

Your nostrils and nasal passages can get swollen if you accidentally inhale soot while exposed to smoke.

Skin

When exposed to smoke for a long time, you may experience changes in your skin color which might range from pale blue to cherry red.

Head

Even if you don’t experience respiratory issues, there might be some amount of carbon monoxide poisoning that can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. In the worst case scenario, reduction of oxygen levels in the body can even cause fainting, seizures or coma.

As far as possible avoid exposure to smoke by evacuating the place that is on fire. Infants, young children, elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions should avoid smoke at all costs as they are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of such smoke exposure.

In case you are trapped and don’t find an exit to get out of the structure, try your best to limit your physical exertion. Lie low on the floor. Open the windows to let out the smoke. Stop panicking and stay calm until the fire services arrive to save you.

Installing a smoke alarm system like abv anlæg can help you detect the presence of smoke before it gets too toxic or causes any kind of damage to you or your property. Some of these can even inform the fire authorities upon detection of the tiniest of the fire particles.