U S News & World Report How Wildfire Smoke Affects Your Lungs Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 12 October 2020 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles U S News & World Report How Wildfire Smoke Affects Your Lungs Lung specialist Zab Mosenifar, MD, is medical director of the Women's Guild Lung Institute at Cedars-Sinai. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. Zab Mosenifar MD In a recent interview with U.S. News & World Report, Cedars-Sinai lung specialist Zab Mosenifar, MD, medical director of the Women's Guild Lung Institute, offered advice for people living in areas of the West Coast where wildfires continue to rage. As the fires subside and the air becomes clearer, residents may still be able to smell smoke in places such as mountain trails, Mosenifar said. That means patients with congestive heart failure and those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) still need to be careful. "The No. 1 advice to people who have underlying lung disease: It's really imperative that they take their medications that their physicians have prescribed," Mosenifar told U.S. News & World Report. He explained that children are also susceptible to smoke because their young lungs are still developing, and should likewise avoid the outdoors. If not, they risk developing lung disease as an adult that may be related to exposure to certain fumes and irritants during early childhood. "Lungs grow to age 18," Mosenifar told U.S. News & World Report. "Keep children away from outside activities and any place that you smell smoke." Even pets are not spared, Mosenifar added. Dogs, cats and birds are sensitive to smoke and also should stay inside as much as possible. If residents must go outside, they should do so carefully. Mosenifar, who has run 100 marathons, runs early in the morning when the smoke is less intense during wildfire season in Southern California, covering his nose and mouth with an N95 mask and a wet cloth. But in general, he advises those who live near still-smoldering fires to stay indoors and minimize outdoor exercise. Click here to read the complete story from U.S. News & World Report. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Contact Laura Coverson laura.coverson@cshs.org Share this release U S News & World Report How Wildfire Smoke Affects Your Lungs Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home