Wildfire smoke can harm your brain, experts warn

Wildfire smoke poses a threat to brain health, extending beyond respiratory and cardiovascular concerns. Tiny particles, known as PM2.5, can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream or travel directly to the brain via the nose, according to Dr. Bhavini Gohel of the University of Calgary's O’Brien Institute for Public Health.

“

When toxins reach the brain, they can cause inflammation, resulting in fogginess, lack of focus and headache.

Once toxins reach the brain, they can trigger inflammation, leading to symptoms like fogginess, lack of focus, and headaches. Dr. Gohel, who is also the medical lead for the Climate Health System Alliance, warns that prolonged exposure can cause lasting damage to brain cells, potentially resulting in cognitive decline and even dementia.

“

Increasing exposure to these harmful particles can also cause long-term damage to brain cells leading to cognitive decline.

Recent research supports these concerns. A study involving nearly 7,000 middle-aged adults across Canada found that individuals residing in areas with higher air pollution levels performed worse on memory tests. Dr. Abo Akintan, medical director at several long-term care facilities in Toronto, explains that the disruption caused by these particles can impair the brain's information transfer capabilities, contributing to observed cognitive changes. She emphasizes that long-term exposure over weeks, months, or years can indeed lead to dementia and other cognitive impairments.

“

Before we were very focused on the lungs, but now we’re starting to understand more and more the effects that we’re seeing on the actual brain, and it really is sort of mainly cognitive.

To mitigate these risks, Dr. Akintan advises her patients to remain indoors and keep windows closed. The long-term care homes where she works have also implemented measures such as opening cooling areas and installing air purifiers. The effects of smoke exposure are often cumulative, disproportionately affecting populations in lower socio-economic areas who may experience chronic smoke exposure.

“

Thus, we see some of the cognitive changes that we see. And we know that long-term exposure over several weeks, months, years definitely does lead to dementia as well as other cognitive changes.