Even though we think of wildfires and floods as being complete polar opposites when it comes to natural disasters, they do have one thing in common, heart disease.
Environmental specialist Douglas Mulhall provides commentary on how wildfires and floods trigger heart disease and what we can do to protect ourselves.
“The USEPA recently added to its guidance on the risks of wildfire smoke and particles when they enter homes and other indoor environments. Toxic dust generated by the combustion of vegetation and products contains heavy metals like cadmium, lead, and nickel, and zinc. Fine, inhalable airborne particles, known as PM2.5, are released and can trigger heart disease when inhaled. Watersheds are also affected by toxic metal runoff from rains after wildfires, as soil from denuded slopes washes into reservoirs. Impacts could persist for years as soil dust continues entering communities,” says Mulhall.
In areas like the American Southwest where wildfires are becoming more and more common, we might start to see a spike in heart disease diagnosis for the residents who have to weather these events.
Mulhall goes on to say that, “A big part of stopping heavy metal contamination is to prevent it from getting into buildings in the first place. A recent study by Honeywell estimated that 97% of particulates in hotels can be captured. Following building standards like WELL and Reset, with strict requirements for filtering outdoor air, is one strategy to reduce toxic particles to create healthier spaces. Installing and regularly maintaining HEPA or MERV-13 or higher filters can greatly reduce the impact of smoke and particulates from outdoors in interior environments.”
Environmental impacts like wildfires and flooding on our health are often overlooked because we’re trained to focus on the immediate loss of life and buildings.
How well-researched is the link between certain natural disasters and heart disease?
Recently quite a bit and the correlation is clear. Heart disease increases after natural disasters. There are many reasons, but basically it’s a deadly combination of lack of medicine, disrupted routines, and added stress. In some cases like fires, smoke contributes a lot.
Why is it so easy to overlook the physical health effects of natural disasters beyond the obvious ones like injury?
The same reason we repeat mistakes when rebuilding from natural disasters. I call it cultural amnesia. Next generations are doomed to repeat lessons of the past. In the rush to rebuild, no one wants to pay attention to past lessons. That’s what happened in Kobe Japan and other earthquake zones.
What can people do to help minimize the effects natural disasters can have on heart health?
First and foremost, look at which natural disasters happen in your area, and prepare for them. It’s easy to see a hurricane coming or know that there are wildfires or earthquakes in your area. As I describe on my website, start preventing and reversing the damage from heart disease so you’re better prepared to deal with these natural disasters and don’t have a heart attack when one happens!.
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