Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1206099
Header goes here This Healthy Living Special Section is produced in its entirety by the Advertising Department of the Marin Independent Journal and did not involve the editing or reporting staff of the Marin IJ's newsroom. The Marin Independent Journal is located at 4000 Civic Center Drive, Suite 301 in San Rafael, California, 94903. Wildfires: Hazardous for health Smoke billows high in the atmosphere from a California fire; Inset: Aerial view of Coffey Park in Santa Rosa after the Tubbs Fire in October 2017. – Photos istock/getty images Wildfire fallout and your health Health y Living W hen wildfires roared through Northern California's Wine Country in October 2017, high winds carried ash from the debris for miles, leaving microscopic particles in their wake that created a health hazard throughout the North Bay counties and beyond. "It's toxic, because it's so fine," says Dr. Vincent Tamariz, who specializes in pediatric emergency medicine at Sutter Health's California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. He explains that a tiny speck of pollen measures 10 micrometers, while wildfire particulate matter is only .4 to .7 micrometers and can go deep into the lungs. "The harder you breathe, the more you're going to inhale," he says, and when it gets that deep, it causes inflammation and mucous production. Smoke and ash put people with pre-existing conditions such as emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, along with young, preadolescent children and those over 65, at particular risk, but exposure can also affect healthy people. President and Publisher | Rob Devincenzi Advertising Manager | Lori Pearce Advertising Operations | Diane Sartarelli By Judith M. Wilson Special to the Marin IJ 4 February 2, 2020 Healthy Living A Marketing Supplement of the Marin Independent Journal | marinij.com