Question

disscuss the systematic inflammatory reaction from wild fires, and give examples of local inflammatory reactions

Answer 1

Wildfire smoke is a very complex type of air pollution since it consists of a variety of gases in varying composition depending on what is burning and how hot it is burning. Those small particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, and unlike a virus, it cannot be broken down. This results in systematic and long-lasting inflammation. This inflammation can also affect the kidneys, liver, and even the brain.

When wildfire enters the human body, its tiny particles that are 30 times smaller than human hair, get lodged deep in the lungs thereby injuring its lining. The body then moves into action to dispel this foreign invader thereby triggering spontaneous reactions like cough that helps throw the particles out. But the immune cells cannot break down the particulate matter, thereby making it harder to defeat, resulting in even more inflammation. Additional inflammation can worsen or even cause diseases. Moreover, there is some evidence that the small particles can break the capillary barrier and directly enter the bloodstream. This can severly affect the heart and coronary arteries that can potentially lead to a stroke.

Examples of local inflammatory reactions

-Fever is an example of an inflammatory response where the body raises its temperature to kill the harmful pathogens that infect the body.

-When a specific part of the body faces a small blunt force trauma, the area swells due to the build up of white blood cells that rush to that area to heal the injury.