Your Fireplace May Trigger A-Fib!
The tiny particles generated when you burn wood can inflame and damage blood vessels and may trigger arrhythmias, according to Dr. Robert A. Kloner writing in Bottom Line Health. If you have A-Fib you may want to avoid wood-burning fireplaces and stoves, but also avoid campfires, bonfires, trash or leaf burning, etc.
If you live in communities with a lot of wood-burning stoves, you may want to use a HEPA air purifier in your home. If you are a guest and can’t avoid a wood-burning fireplace, sit as far away as possible or wear a face mask like your dentist wears (mine gave me a bunch for free). If you have a fireplace, consider installing an electric or other non-wood burning insert.
Reference: Kloner, Robert A. ‘Tis the Season…For Heart Attacks. Bottom Line Health, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2014.