Researchers say the impacts may be more harmful than those caused by industrial air pollutants.
As wildfires increase in frequency and impact on air quality, they may also cause or exacerbate skin conditions, according to a press release1 from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting. RFBSIP/AdobeStock "The health impact of air pollution from wildfires has not been well studied, but the evidence from our recent studies suggest that short-term wildfire air pollution can affect the skin and causes flares of certain skin disorders," said Maria Wei, MD, PhD, FAAD, in the press release. According to Wei, recent studies have shown that California wildfires, and the air pollution resulting from them, led a significant number of Californians to seek dermatologic treatment. Inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis were among the most common. Researchers found that patients with these conditions sought treatment at different times and at different rates. In…