Associations between wildfire air pollution and online search interest for skin diseases and symptoms

Abstract

To the Editor: Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe, causing increased air pollution exposure.1 Wildfire smoke has been associated with increased rates of clinic visits for atopic dermatitis (AD) and itch.1 We hypothesized that exposure to local wildfire air pollution would increase interest in skin-related topics, as detected by online search trends. They reflect shifts in population-level information-seeking behaviors related to short-term events that could indicate environmental impacts on skin health.