It is known that forest fires have many negative effects on the environment and the health of the people living there.
Another skin condition is an exacerbation, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). The group shared strategies for reducing the effects of air pollution on human skin at its annual meeting in New Orleans last weekend.
"The effects of air pollution from wildfires have not been well studied, but our recent research shows that short-term exposure to air pollution from wildfires can affect the skin and cause several skin diseases," he said. Professor of Dermatology in San Francisco, California.
"We found that air pollution associated with the California wildfires was associated with increased patient visits to dermatologists for eczema and psoriasis," Wei added in an AAD press release. "These results are consistent with studies showing that air pollution from wildfires can be more toxic than air pollution from traditional industrial and transportation sources."
Psoriasis is when the body reacts to skin cells, causing them to clump together and form plaques on the skin. Eczema is inflamed, itchy, irritated skin.
People with skin conditions are more likely to see a dermatologist during wildfires. People with psoriasis are most likely to seek treatment five to nine weeks after an attack, Wei said.
"This time difference may indicate a difference in the way air pollution triggers eczema versus psoriasis," Wei explained. "We also saw a significant increase in the number of oral and injectable medications being prescribed for eczema during outbreaks, suggesting that the outbreaks are more severe."
Adults and children experience the different effects of fire. Although the number of children with psoriasis seeking treatment has not increased during the epidemic, the number of adult patients has increased.
However, the number of children and adults over the age of 65 seeking treatment for eczema has increased. Researchers asked dermatologists about itchy skin during flare-ups in people who have never had eczema.
"One of the interesting things we found is that air pollution from wildfires can affect communities far from where the fires started," Wei said. "The two wildfires we studied were 50 miles and 175 miles from San Francisco, where the study patients lived.
Wei noted that there are no studies showing how fires can reduce the effects of air pollution on skin diseases like psoriasis and eczema.
"We thought staying indoors and having an indoor air purifier might help on high pollution days," he said. "It's not clear if topical medications or moisturizers will help. Future studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of this strategy.”
Research results presented at meetings should be considered preliminary pending publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
For more information, the US National Library of Medicine has more information on eczema.
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Citation: California Wildfires Increase Skin Diseases, Researcher Says (2023 March 20) Accessed March 20, 2023, from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-03-california-wildfires-uptick-skin-ailments.html.
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