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What are normal symptoms of wildfire smoke exposure, and what are the warning signs?

Dr. Colin Little

Dr. Colin Little

MD, FAWM, Chief Medical Officer, GOES Health

The short answer

Most wildfire-smoke symptoms are minor: coughing, a scratchy throat, stinging eyes, a runny nose, or a headache, and they ease in cleaner air. But there are warning signs that mean you should act. See a doctor for shortness of breath or a cough that won't stop, and call 911 for severe trouble breathing, chest pain, or signs of a heart attack or stroke.

Most of what wildfire smoke does to you is uncomfortable, not dangerous. It irritates the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, headaches, stinging eyes, and a runny nose.1 For a healthy person, these usually ease once you get to cleaner air.

Some symptoms are a signal to get help, though. Contact a doctor if you have trouble breathing, shortness of breath, a cough that won't stop, or symptoms that don't go away.2

Others are an emergency. Call 911 or go straight to an emergency room for severe trouble breathing, chest pain, or signs of a heart attack or stroke.2 If you have a heart condition, treat heart palpitations, unusual fatigue, or shortness of breath as possible warning signs of a heart attack, and contact your provider.2

Ultimately, listen to your body. Minor irritation means get out of the smoke and rest in cleaner air. With a heart or lung condition, make that call early. And anything that makes breathing hard, hurts your chest, or will not let up means get help now.

Sources

  1. [1] How Smoke from Fires Can Affect Your Health. Accessed August 7, 2026. https://www.airnow.gov/sites/default/files/2021-08/how-smoke-from-fire-can-affect-your-health-2021-v1-d1.pdf
  2. [2] Wildfire Smoke and People with Chronic Conditions (CDC). Accessed August 7, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/wildfires/risk-factors/wildfire-smoke-and-people-with-chronic-conditions.html

About the author

Dr. Colin Little

Dr. Colin Little

MD, FAWM, Chief Medical Officer, GOES Health

  • Board Certified Emergency Physician
  • Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM)
  • Wilderness Medicine Fellowship, University of Utah
  • Emergency Medicine Residency and Chief Resident, Stanford / Kaiser
  • Doctor of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
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