Respiratory symptoms such as dry cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing are common to both wildfire smoke exposure and COVID-19. Contact your healthcare provider/doctor if you are experiencing symptoms. If you have a medical emergency from smoke, you should call 911 or go to the hospital emergency room immediately.
Wildfire smoke can cause:
- Watery or dry eyes
- Persistent cough, phlegm, wheeze, scratchy throat or irritated sinuses
- Headaches
- Shortness of breath, asthma attack or lung irritation
- Irregular heartbeat, chest pain or fatigue
- Nonfatal and fatal heart attacks
People with chronic heart disease or lung disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be more likely to have serious health effects from wildfire smoke.
Maintain Healthy Behaviors
- Drink lots of water
- Eat balanced meals
- Exercise indoors
- Don’t smoke
- Listen to your body and contact a healthcare provider if you are experiencing symptoms of smoke irritation
Additional Resources:
Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
- Crisis counseling for people in emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster
- Information on how to recognize distress and its effects on individuals and families
- Tips for healthy coping
