New Oregon Health Authority (OHA) data show that when air quality worsens in Oregon, more people visit emergency departments and urgent care clinics for breathing-related illnesses and mental health conditions.
The findings come from OHA’s newly updated Air Quality & Health Outcomes data dashboard, which tracks near-real-time health trends across the state. The data reveal clear connections between days with high levels of smoke or pollution and spikes in visits for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), anxiety and other respiratory or stress-related symptoms.
“Oregon’s near-real-time data show us what we’ve long suspected—that poor air quality affects not just our lungs, but also our mental well-being,” said Jen Seamans, Data and Epidemiology Unit manager. “This insight helps local health partners and hospitals prepare for the health impacts of smoke and other air pollution events as they happen.”
Emergency visits rise during smoke events
- During the 2020 wildfire in Oregon, the statewide increase in asthma-like illness visits was about 25% compared to the preceding four-week period.
- For the tri-county (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington) region, emergency department visits for air quality-related respiratory illness in 2022 were 44% greater in Washington County compared with the 2016-2019 average, 35% greater in Clackamas County and 7 % greater in Multnomah County.
Some groups are more affected
- Hispanic/Latino communities experienced about a 30% increase in asthma-related visits during major smoke events—higher than other groups (about 22%).
Mental health effects also increase
- On days with poor air quality, visits related to anxiety and stress are higher statewide.
- Data finds associations between exposure to wildfire smoke and increased self-reported symptoms affecting mental health among adults.
Data for the dashboard come from Oregon’s Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE) and the National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP), which summarize emergency department and urgent care data across the state. Data are refreshed weekly, offering a timely picture of how environmental conditions affect health.
Supporting stronger public health responses
OHA and local health departments are using this information to:
- Plan for resource surges during wildfire smoke and other pollution events.
- Target public health messages to people most at risk from poor air quality.
- Integrate air quality data into climate resilience and emergency preparedness planning.
- Advance health equity by identifying communities disproportionately affected by air pollution.
OHA officials note that while the data show strong correlations between poor air quality and increased health care visits, they do not establish direct cause and effect. Patterns may also reflect factors such as care-seeking behavior or reporting delays.
Next steps
OHA will continue expanding its air quality and health monitoring efforts. Future updates will include additional years of data, new health measures (such as hospitalizations and mortality data), and expanded analysis of pollutants.
Visit the Oregon Environmental Public Health Tracking website for downloadable datasets, maps and guidance materials.
Source: Oregon Health Authority