As the smog from Canadian wildfires begins to dissipate across the United States, experts warn that the pollution doesn’t just impact your lungs but your skin as well. 

Nearly 120 million Americans are exposed to potentially life-shortening air pollution in their life, a report from the American Lung Association said.

Medical researchers have found that exposure to air pollution is a risk factor for skin disorders such as eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis.

The ‘toxic’ smog is also associated with hyperpigmentation spots and wrinkle formation.

Last week, wildfire smoke from Canada caused air quality levels to skyrocket to ‘hazardous’ levels.

Online calculators suggested breathing in the air in New York City for 24 hours was equivalent to smoking 22 cigarettes at the height of the crisis. 

Dr Christine Ko, a professor of dermatology from Yale School of Medicine, told DailyMail.com: ‘Wildfire smoke can contain tiny, particulate matter that can be breathed into the lungs; for skin, the particles are often too big to truly penetrate healthy skin.’

She recommended maintaining skin health by ‘keeping the outermost layer strong (no picking or excessive rubbing) and washing gently but thoroughly.’ 

Dr Ko said: ‘If skin is not healthy, meaning the skin barrier is not completely protective — as in if you have eczema or acne or psoriasis, more care should be taken to protect the skin from pollutants by covering skin, as an example.’

Dr Shari Lipner, dermatologist from Weill Cornell Medicine, told DailyMail.com: ‘The impact of wildfire smoke on the skin needs to be studied more rigorously, but it is likely one of the first place that you can see signs of damage from pollution. 

‘Since one study showed that there was an increase in medical visits for eczema and psoriasis during the California wildfires, wildfire likely causes flares in people who have eczema and psoriasis.’

Dermatologist Dr Doris Day told FOX Weather the wildfire smoke can have a ‘powerful impact on your skin.’

She said: ‘You might see it as dry skin, dull skin, acne, light breakouts, uneven skin tone, and then with continued long-term exposure. We see accelerated skin aging and even skin cancer.’

Protecting skin from pollutants is ‘so important,’ she said, and getting rid of them by washing your face as soon as possible is ‘critical.’

She said: ‘Washing off makeup and washing your face when you get home is really helpful because sleeping with those pollutants and makeup on your skin accelerates that toxicity and increases it over time.’

The smoke filled the air with tiny particles called PM2.5, measuring around 2.5 micrometers. 

In comparison, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, a single human hair is about 70 micrometers, and the human eye can’t see anything smaller than 25 micrometers. 

The health impact of a particle concentration of 22μg/m3 per 24 hours is equivalent to about one cigarette. 

Inhaling these particles can cause inflammation in the heart and lungs, leading to chronic illnesses such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). 

The particle matter can also penetrate the skin and, when it does so, leads to an immune reaction causing inflammation.

This can, in turn, damage skin cells and cause them to lose their structure, raising the risk of wrinkles.

It can also lead to other skin diseases.  

A 2021 study in JAMA Dermatology, for example, found that short-term exposure to this smoke can cause flare-ups of skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema. These could even show up weeks later.

Additionally, a study published last year linked short-term exposure to pollution from California wildfires to an increase in eczema and itchy skin in adults over age 65.  

Both Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz pledged to support their party’s aging favorites for the presidential nomination in their debate Tuesday night.

Fetterman – who often struggled to get through his hour-long debate while still recovering from a stroke in May – said he will be on President Joe Biden‘s side in 2024 … if he wants to run.

The lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania said: ‘It’s up to his choice, whether he runs and if he does choose to run, I would absolutely support him. But ultimately, that’s only his choice.’

Biden has campaigned with Fetterman occasionally during the hotly contested race which may decide control of the US Senate.  

Oz, the former TV doctor, had the question framed in the context of Trump endorsing him in the primary but seemingly not committing to endorsing the former president in 2024. 

The Republican clarified: ‘I would support Donald Trump if he decided to run for president. But this is bigger than one candidate. This is a much bigger story about how we are going to build a bigger tent to let more Americans feel safe.’

He was then asked by one of the debate moderators if he was concerned about the investigations into President Trump’s alleged attempts to subvert the results of the 2020 election. 

Oz didn’t necessarily give a clear answer: ‘I haven’t followed them very carefully, I’ve been campaigning pretty aggressively! They’ll work themselves out. I have tremendous confidence in the American legal system and I believe law and order will reign supreme.’ 

Fetterman at points struggled to get through his hour-long debate with Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, as the after-effects of his May stroke were on full display. 

Right out of the gate, the candidates went after each other – with Fetterman’s delivery often halting and choppy, while Oz turned on the TV charm he honed over 13 seasons of TV, smacking Fetterman for being ‘extreme.’ 

In advance of the debate – the only one for the Pennsylvania Senate race – Fetterman’s campaign had tempered expectations, saying there would be ‘awkward pauses’ and ‘delays and errors,’ because the Democrat would be reading closed captioning – due to his auditory processing issue. 

The pauses and stumbles happened throughout the debate. 

At one point Fetterman was asked to clarify his position on fracking, as moderators pointed to a 2018 interview, where the lieutenant governor expressed broad opposition to the practice, but not a ban. 

‘I do support fracking – I don’t, I don’t – I support fracking, and I do support fracking,’ he answered.

Both candidate opened the debate in attack mode. 

‘I’m running to serve Pennsylvania, he’s running to use Pennsylvania,’ Fetterman said of Oz. ‘Here’s a man who spent more than $20 million of his own money to try and buy that seat.’ 

Fetterman also labeled Oz a ‘liar’ and chided the TV doctor for having 10 houses, pushing that he couldn’t understand the struggles of everyday Pennsylvanians. Fetterman blasted Oz for having products with his name on them made in China.

Right away Oz went after Fetterman on crime.

‘John Fetterman, during this crime wave, has been trying to get as many murderers – convicted and sentenced to life in prison – out of jail as possible,’ the TV doctor said. 

Oz also hit Fetterman for not paying taxes.

‘It was helping students 17 years ago to help them buy their own homes. They didn’t pay the bills … It has never been an issue in any of the campaign before. It was all about non-profit,’ Fetterman responded to the charge. 

Reports on tax liens against Fetterman and a community group he headed called Braddock Redux were in the local Pittsburgh news when he ran for Senate in 2016, and were attached to properties he and the group purchased in the steel town suburb where he served as mayor. 

A Fetterman campaign memo released before the debate had called out the Oz campaign for attacks on Fetterman’s health, which have mostly been made via the Republican’s campaign staff. 

‘Oz will try to play the nice doctor on Tuesday night, but his campaign’s attacks on John’s health have consistently been mean-spirited and cruel,’ the memo said. ‘We won’t forget this is the same “doctor” whose campaign has mocked John’s use of closed-captioning technology, about him needing bathroom breaks and medical staff nearby, and he wouldn’t have had a stroke if he ate vegetables.’ 

Oz’s staff made the comments as a September debate was being negotiated, but never happened, as Fetterman pulled out, saying the Republican’s team was mocking a stroke victim. 

The Harrisburg stage will be the only time the two candidates meet – as mail-in ballots have already been sent out to Pennsylvania voters. 

Fetterman has consistently had a small edge in polls, which continues, though several recent surveys show it’s close. 

On Tuesday, a CBS News survey put the distance between the two candidates at two points.  

According to the survey, 51 percent of likely Keystone State voters back Fetterman, compared to 49 percent who back Oz.

The Democratic populist’s lead falls well within the 4.4-percent margin of error.     

Pennsylvania voters are eager to see how the match-up will play out, CBS News’ poll suggests. 

More than 60 percent of respondents said they were at least ‘somewhat’ like to tune in. 

The poll was taken October 21 to 24, right up until the night before the debate.

In addition to his auditory processing disorder, the stroke also has left Fetterman occasionally stumbling over his words and taking more pauses while speaking. 

But according to the poll, voters are not interested in hearing about it tonight.

Nor are they interested in more attacks on Oz’s residency in Pennsylvania versus his family home in New Jersey, which have been a cornerstone of Fetterman’s campaign. 

Fifty-four percent of registered voters told CBS they aren’t looking for discussions about Fetterman’s health. 

Likewise, 57 percent said they don’t need to hear more about where Oz lives.

But more than nine out of every 10 Pennsylvanians polled said they want the candidates to talk about the economy, as well as their views on crime and policing.

That could be an edge for Oz tonight – Americans’ concerns about the economy and soaring inflation have been a big campaign issue for Republicans across the country, as mounting public opinion polls show voters trust Republicans slightly more than Democrats both on the economy and crime.

Scientists discover bat protein that can slow aging and even fight Covid, heart disease and arthritis

By Caitlin Tilley, Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 11:07 EDT, 12 May 2023