Health

(NEW YORK) — A Kentucky mother of three says she was forced to travel out of state for an abortion despite her fetus being diagnosed with a fatal condition.

After Heather Maberry, 32, a substitute teacher from Stanton — about 100 miles southeast of Louisville — and her husband, Nick, got married last year, they were excited to try for a baby and expand their family.

Maberry said she first found out she was pregnant in October 2022, only to eventually miscarry, and then discovered she was pregnant again two days before Christmas last year.

“I’ve always wanted another baby,” she told ABC News. “We were super excited, but we were also very nervous because we had just lost a baby. So, we just kept trying to take care of me the best we could.”

It was a difficult pregnancy for Maberry. She was at first diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, which is a severe type of nausea and vomiting that occurs during pregnancy. She was put on several medications before she began to feel better, medical records viewed by ABC News show.

Maberry and her husband found out they were going to have a girl, who they named Willow. Then came the 20-week ultrasound, during which Maberry’s OBGYN told her the fetus had anencephaly, confirmed in medical records viewed by ABC News.

Anencephaly is a serious birth defect, which occurs when the brain and skull do not fully develop. Babies with the condition are either stillborn or die within a few hours or days of being born.

It is estimated that 1 in about 4,600 babies in the United States are born with anencephaly every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It felt like hell,” Maberry said of hearing the diagnosis. “It just felt like somebody was beating me down. I mean, that was just the worst feeling in the world. The worst news any parent could ever get.”

A second opinion at another hospital confirmed the diagnosis. Maberry was aware of Kentucky’s strict abortion laws that went into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. Abortion in Kentucky is almost totally banned with very limited exceptions.

In February 2023, the state’s highest court allowed a separate so-called “heartbeat” law to remain in place, which prevents abortions from occurring after cardiac activity can be detected.

“Generally, the clinical recommendation would be for a patient to decide what they want to do in that scenario, but with the caveat that one outcome is likely going to be a stillbirth or fetal demise,” Dr. Sadia Haider, an OBGYN at Rush University Medical Center who did not treat Maberry, told ABC News. “The patients can choose what they want to do in this scenario, whether they will continue the pregnancy, deliver, and about fetal demise versus choose to terminate…Most places prior to Roe being overturned would have offered those, even in restricted states.”

Haider said it does not matter if there’s a fetal heartbeat or not because the fetus will unfortunately die either during birth or shortly after being born.

“In this scenario, it’s irrelevant whether there’s a heartbeat or not because anencephaly basically means there’s no brain development or no brain, essentially like no neurologic development, which is essential for survival,” she said.

Maberry asked if an abortion could be performed, but her doctor told her he could not perform an abortion for her or induce her because of the law. ABC News reached out to the doctor’s office for a comment on their care for Maberry, but did not hear back.

“The only option I had here was to continue carrying her with the same outcome for another you know, 17, 18 weeks,” she said. “I said, ‘I physically can’t and mentally can’t continue carrying her knowing that she’s never gonna breathe, we’re never going to have a life with her.’ So, we came to the decision that we were going to try to get an abortion.”

Maberry said she called the National Abortion Hotline, which referred her to an abortion clinic in Chicago. Originally, she was quoted $3,300 for the procedure. However, she said the hotline, as well as other abortion funds, helped cover the cost of the procedure.

The funds also helped cover the cost of hotels and food for herself and her husband, Maberry said. Without the help, she estimates they would have needed to pay $6,000 to $7,000 out of pocket.

During the abortion, which was confirmed in medical records viewed by ABC News, Maberry learned that her daughter had other deformities, including missing some of her toes.

Maberry said prior to this experience she didn’t believe in abortion for herself, but didn’t think it meant other people shouldn’t be able to have the procedure.

She said she is not mad at her doctor, but she is angry at the law and the legislators in Kentucky who supported the bill that led to her being required to leave her state to receive care.

“I mean most of them are men,” she said. “They are never going to have to carry a child. They’re never going to have to be in the position, they’re never gonna be the one that was carrying that baby and had to go through hell.”

Kentucky lawmakers who have supported the bans have called abortion “a stain on our country” and have said abortion is against their religious beliefs.

Haider said not offering abortion services in several states is putting a significant burden on patients, especially for those who receive those fatal diagnoses.

“There’s so much involved in choosing to continue with pregnancy, choosing to go through the delivery as far as like physically, emotionally and otherwise,” she said. “And allowing patients to have a choice in how long they have to continue this for — given the negative outcome that they’re gonna face — is really important.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Deaths from suicide among youth and young adults have been increasing over the last two decades in the United States, new federal data showed.

For those between the ages of 10 and 24, the suicide rate remained stable between 2001 and 2007, around 6.9 per 100,000.

From 2011, the rate rose 60% to 11.0 per 100,000 in 2021, according to a report published early Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

“You don’t want to see rates of suicide go up and so, in that sense, it isn’t surprising, unfortunately, because the trendline has been going up,” Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, a professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center, told ABC News.

Among preteens and teens aged 10 to 14, suicide rates declined in the first half of the aughts and then tripled from 0.9 per 100,000 in 2007 to 2.9 per 100,000 in 2018, with no significant changes through 2021.

“We have begun to see much more concerning data for even preteens,” Trivedi said. “We were all along aware that as soon as 15 is a very high-risk period for teenagers, but I think 10-to-14-year-olds are also now beginning to show signs that we need to pay attention to.”

For teenagers aged 15 to 19, rates did not change significantly from 2001 to 2009 but then rose 57% from 2009 through 2017, from 7.5 deaths per 100,000 to 11.8.

Meanwhile, the suicide rate for adults aged 20 to 24 increased 63% from 2001 through 2021 from 11.9 deaths per 100,000 to 19.4.

The report did not go into reasons behind the increase, but experts who have been studying risk factors for suicide and depression among adolescents and young adults say it’s due to a variety of reasons including stress, social media and the pandemic.

“One of the big societal changes that’s well-written about and discussed, in particular, is that really around 2010-11, smartphones and social media applications took off,” Dr. Ajit Jetmalani, a professor of psychiatry in the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, told ABC News.

He said smartphones are not necessarily all bad, but research has shown a subset of youth have become addicted to checking their smartphones and are seeing their social and emotional skills impaired.

“So kids are just checking and checking and checking with no real emotional value, and they become more and more disconnected from the things that create resilience, which is really relationships,” Jetmalani said. “And so, they’re not experiencing relationships in these addictive behaviors and so the decline in mood and increase in anxiety is really driven by those factors.”

Additionally, the experts said lockdowns and stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic likely created a period of social isolation for young people and that loss of social connectedness may have led to increasing rates of suicide.

To reverse these trends, Trivedi and Jetmalani said it would require a multi-pronged approach, including primary care and pediatric screenings for anxiety, depression and suicide; more attention in schools to kids who are experiencing mental health issues and adults also getting the help they need so they can in turn help kids.

In Oregon, Jetmalani said officials initiated a youth suicide prevention strategy involving every youth who goes to a doctor’s appointment having a suicide and depression screening as well as all schools having programs identifying high-risk youth and initiating suicide prevention.

“So, I think the key factors really are improving screening and then having clear services available for youth who have screened positive,” he said. “In Oregon, we’re seeing fewer attempts and fewer completed suicides in the last three years so that suggests to me that if you screen and identify early, you get to those kids who are thinking about this before they actually attempt to harm themselves.”

The findings come on the heels of other research showing an increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among America’s youngest.

Between 2019 and 2021, the percentage of high school girls who seriously considered attempting suicide rose from 24.1% to 30%, a CDC study from April 2023 found.

Additionally, a March 2020 study found 8% of 9- and 10-year-olds reported suicidal thoughts and 2% reported a suicide attempt.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The unexpected death of U.S. Olympic sprinter Tori Bowie is putting a spotlight on a pregnancy complication that disproportionately impacts Black women.

Bowie, 32, was found dead last month in her home near Orlando, Florida.

At the time of her death, Bowie was around eight months pregnant and was in labor, according to an autopsy report released this week by the office of the medical examiner in Orlando.

The autopsy report, obtained by ABC News, ruled that Bowie’s death was “natural,” noting that possible complications included respiratory distress and eclampsia.

Bowie, whose only medical condition listed on the autopsy is bipolar disorder, had no drugs or alcohol in her system, according to the report.

Eclampsia is a medical emergency that happens when a pregnant woman with preeclampsia develops seizures, which can lead to coma or death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While eclampsia is more rare, preeclampsia, a condition of high blood pressure and kidney damage during pregnancy, is common, affecting as many as 1 in 25 pregnancies in the U.S., according to the CDC.

As a Black woman, Bowie, a three-time Olympic medalist, was among the population most affected by preeclampsia, data shows.

According to the Preeclampsia Foundation a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, the rate of preeclampsia is 60% higher among Black women than white women, and Black women are more likely to develop severe preeclampsia.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also lists being Black as among the “moderate risk” factors for preeclampsia, a condition for which the exact cause is not known.

Bowie’s race also put her in the highest risk category for death due to pregnancy-related complications.

In the U.S., Black women and Native American women are two to three times as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women, according to the CDC. Across all races, the U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with around 700 women dying each year as a result of complications due to pregnancy.

Kimberly Holland, Bowie’s longtime agent, told ABC News that she spoke with Bowie just a few weeks before her death. She said the track star did not mention any difficulties with her pregnancy.

“She was filled with so much joy. She was so happy. It was one of our best conversations in a long time,” said Holland, the founder of Icon Management, later adding, “She never complained about any discomfort or that she was having any problems. She was getting prepared to have the baby in a couple of weeks.”

Holland said she wants Bowie to be remembered not just for her success on the track field, but with a call for change when it comes to maternal care in the U.S.

“It’s just unfortunate that someone has to pass before we highlight it. It’s like we’re always working in the rear instead of being proactive,” Holland said. “So, if this can help someone else in some kind of way, by changing some laws or bringing more attention to Black women that experience these types of complications, then I want to do that, because I know if Tori were here and she can help someone in any way, she definitely would.”

What women need to know

Preeclampsia happens when a pregnant woman who previously had normal blood pressure develops high blood pressure with protein in the urine after 20 weeks of pregnancy, according to the CDC.

Women who have underlying high blood pressure before pregnancy, known as chronic hypertension, can also develop this condition.

In more rare instances, preeclampsia can develop in the postpartum period up to six weeks after birth.

Some health conditions can also increase the risk of developing preeclampsia, including some autoimmune disorders, diabetes, obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, sickle cell disease and kidney disorders.

Signs of preeclampsia include new or worsening headaches, vision changes, swelling in the face, hands or feet, sudden weight gain and difficulty breathing, according to the CDC.

In some cases, women have no symptoms of preeclampsia, according to the CDC, which stresses that is why women need to regularly see a health care provider during pregnancy.

Black women are less likely to receive adequate medical care, research shows, which is why increased access to medical care is one step in the right direction toward addressing these disparities.

In addition to getting regular routine prenatal care, it’s important to take all medications prescribed by a doctor during pregnancy, especially medications that treat high blood pressure. A heart-healthy lifestyle that reduces the risks of any cardiovascular condition prior to pregnancy and during pregnancy can also help.

If someone is at higher risk of preeclampsia, the U.S. Preventive Services Task force recommends taking daily low-dose aspirin after 12-weeks gestation during pregnancy to help prevent preeclampsia. Talk to your doctor about whether this might be the right option for you.

Importantly, a woman should talk to her doctor about any risk factors or new or worsening symptoms during pregnancy, and should not start or stop any medications without consulting a doctor first.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Ariana Sutton was a dance instructor and mom of three whom friends describe as “warm” and “upbeat,” and who loved being a mom, according to her husband Tyler Sutton.

On May 22, Ariana Sutton, 36, gave birth to newborn twins Everly Irene and Rowan Stephen, who joined the couple’s older daughter, 4-year-old Melody.

Just nine days later, on May 31, Ariana Sutton died by suicide.

Now Tyler Sutton is speaking out to call for change when it comes to the condition that he said led to his wife’s death, postpartum depression.

“It takes a very strong person to ask for help,” Tyler Sutton told ” Good Morning America.” “If we could just make it the norm asking for help, instead of [women] feeling shame for not being able to do it themselves, because this is a real thing. It is very, very real, very powerful, very dangerous, and shouldn’t be faced [alone].”

Tyler Sutton, a police officer in Massachusetts, said his wife did not experience mental health issues prior to giving birth to their first child.

After delivering Melody in 2018, he said his wife experienced a “very serious case” of postpartum depression, which can be an intense and sometimes longer-lasting depression that occurs after having a baby, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We weren’t that familiar with it, so we were very much in the dark, both of us,” Tyler Sutton said, referring to postpartum depression. “As it got worse, we didn’t have any organizations to reach out to. We didn’t have anything lined up because we didn’t know what we were dealing with.”

Tyler Sutton said he noticed changes in his wife’s personality, but since he didn’t know much about the condition, his first instinct was “just to chalk it up to being a new mom.” Then, he said he saw in his wife a problem that needed professional, medical help.

“I came home [from work] one morning and I just couldn’t recognize the person sitting in front of me,” he said. “So we dropped my daughter off with her grandmother and got her to the hospital where they said it was postpartum depression.”

Tyler Sutton said that after two different hospitalizations, Ariana Sutton began to return to her old self thanks to the right combination of medications and a mental health professional.

“Thinking back on it … we dropped the ball many times and we fumbled a lot and were just lucky enough to pick it back up, when it shouldn’t be that way,” he said. “It shouldn’t have it shouldn’t have taken us that long to get her home the first time.”

When the Suttons decided to grow their family again, Tyler Sutton said it was a decision that was made very thoughtfully, and was the reason they waited four years after Melody’s birth.

“When we finally got pregnant with the twins, we came up with a plan,” he said. “We got a team together — a psychiatrist that we had known for four years and a therapist that she continued to speak with for all those four years, because she was always in fear that it would return.”

After a healthy pregnancy, Ariana Sutton went into labor with the twins around three weeks before a planned induction. While she was discharged from the hospital a few days after giving birth, the twins remained in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.

Tyler Sutton said the twins’ premature birth was a “big trigger” for Ariana Sutton, whom he said began to suffer from postpartum depression much sooner than she had after the birth of their first child.

“What happened to her over the span of a few weeks happened this time around within a couple of days,” Tyler Sutton said. “And even though we had a plan in place, there was no way for us to predict that this would happen so quickly and so suddenly. It just came out of nowhere and we weren’t ready.”

Raising awareness of postpartum depression

Tyler Sutton said that, following his wife’s death, he now plans to spend the rest of his life raising awareness about postpartum depression, a condition that affects as many as 1 in 8 women who give birth, according to the CDC.

He said he wants to create change as a legacy to Ariana Sutton and their children, noting, “Hopefully by the time they’re old enough to have children, there’ll be a better system put in place for them.”

Describing how he wants their kids to remember their mother, he added, “Postpartum depression was not really something that defined her, it was something that happened to her that can be avoided, that we just couldn’t get a hold of in time.”

Symptoms of postpartum depression include withdrawing from loved ones, crying more than usual, feeling worried or overly anxious, feeling anger, doubting your ability to take care of your baby and thinking about harming yourself or your baby, according to the CDC. The symptoms may last for weeks or months after giving birth, and are more intense and longer lasting than the “baby blues” that women may experience after giving birth.

Although a history of depression may increase the risk of postpartum depression, there is no single test that can diagnose postpartum depression, or predict whether or not a woman will suffer from it. It’s often up to women or their partners and family members to seek seek professional medical help if they are struggling after giving birth.

Part of the change Tyler Sutton said he wants to see is in how health care providers talk to expectant people about postpartum depression.

“If there was something that I could start right now, [it would be to] ask the medical community just to make a small change to their routine, and add one more line to their checklist of things to do when they meet with people,” he said. “When a pregnant person comes into their office for the first time and they’re very excited and they start to talk to them about the future and appointments and ways to prepare and things to look out for, at the very end, they should say, ‘We are going to be talking periodically about postpartum depression and the severity and different things you can do about it to prepare for the possibility.'”

He continued, “And every time they come in for an appointment, every time they go to see someone, every time they go in for an ultrasound, someone should be sitting there saying, ‘How are you feeling? Have you been feeling anxious or anything like that? We ask because we need you to be aware of the possibility of postpartum depression. You may not think it can happen to you, but you may not know until it’s too late, so let’s talk about it.'”

Tyler Sutton said he would also recommend that pregnant people be given the name and number of a social worker that they can save in their phone, and be encouraged to meet with a therapist during pregnancy so they have an established relationship to turn to in an emergency.

“When it was happening to us, we had no numbers. We had no names. We had no one to reach out to,” he said. “We just continuously had to rush to the hospital, sit in a waiting room and then sit in another room until finally someone came and said, ‘Yeah, you need to get her a therapist,’ and then I would have to take my phone out and start searching.”

According to the CDC, around 1 in 5 women surveyed in the U.S. were not asked about depression during a prenatal visit, and 1 in 8 were not asked during a postpartum visit. In addition, over half of pregnant women with depression do not receive treatment.

The CDC notes that the type of mental health care pregnant and postpartum women receive can depend on where they live. The agency says states should utilize programs that can help screen and treat women for depression, and calls on healthcare providers to “ask every pregnant and postpartum woman about symptoms of depression,” and know local resources for help.

Tyler Sutton said that as he mourns his wife, he is comforted by the fact that her story may end up helping other families, saying, “It gives me hope that that somewhere, someone will get the help that they need that they wouldn’t have a few days ago.”

He said that by speaking out himself, he also hopes it encourages more women to describe their own experiences with postpartum depression so more people know the signs.

He recalled that Ariana Sutton once described her experience with postpartum depression to him as if a “tiny person had taken up refuge in her head and would drown out all the positive things that people were trying to get through to her.”

“At the end of the day, I witnessed it from a viewer’s perspective, even though I was there firsthand. It can only take the conversation so far,” Tyler Sutton said. “If [Ariana] was here, she’d do a much better job describing what she what she was feeling. She was very articulate about everything, but unfortunately she’s not here to do that.”

For families coping with postpartum depression, Postpartum Support International offers a free and confidential helpline via call and text at 1-800-944-4PPD (4773). If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are not on your own.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Draquine Floyd Jr. was visiting a family member in April when the 7-year-old found a loaded handgun. While handling it, the gun accidentally discharged, killing him, according to police.

Floyd’s grandmother, Dorothy Parks, said what her family is going through doesn’t seem real.

“I will never ever see his little smile again. We will never see you again, not in person. I will never hear his little voice say ‘grandma’ again,” Parks told Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ABC affiliate WPDE after the shooting.

“Although it’s an accident, you have to be careful. I’m a gun owner myself, but there is no way on God’s green earth that I would want to put anyone’s family through this. You all have got to secure your weapons. Have them, but secure them. Protect our babies. It’s too many of our children dying here,” Parks said.

Floyd’s great uncle has been charged with failure to secure a firearm to protect a minor, according to WPDE.

Floyd is one of 54 children who has died in an accidental shooting by a child this year in the U.S., according to data from nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety.

There have been at least 122 unintentional shootings by children across the country from January to mid-May, according data from Everytown. They have resulted in 54 deaths and 77 injuries. The numbers account both for children who accidentally shoot themselves, or others.

The number of such shootings has decreased each of the past three years. There were 131 such shootings from January to mid-May in 2022. There were 141 in 2021, according to Everytown data.

One in three of these accidents is caused by children ages 1 to 5, according to the data.

The highest number of accidental shootings by children — since the group started tracking these incidents in 2015 — happened in 2021.

“But 2020 was also very high. When you start doing an analysis of the data, you can see that these incidents are much more likely to happen on weekends, over the summer, times when kids are home,” Sarah Burd-Sharps, the senior director of research at Everytown for Gun Safety, told ABC News in an interview.

“That helps you understand a little bit about what’s going on, which is kids getting access to loaded guns that are not securely stored,” Burd-Sharps said.

And even though the number has been trending down, the numbers are not yet at the lows of 2018 and 2019.

Burd-Sharps said the drop in the number of these incidents in the past year and a half is likely due to children spending more time at school and less time at home with the COVID-19 pandemic easing.

How safe storage laws affect child shootings

Many states are introducing legislation aimed at decreasing accidental shootings, such as a safe storage law passed in Michigan in April.

“Several states have recently passed secure-storage laws, which research shows make a huge difference in saving children’s lives,” Burd-Sharps said. “And the hope is that as these laws are passed, these unintentional shootings by children will continue to go down.”

Child access prevention and safe storage laws are “incredibly effective” in curbing gun deaths in children and teens, according to the Giffords Law Center, an anti-gun violence nonprofit started by former Rep. Gabby Giffords after she was shot in January 2011.

“The general idea is that it is the legal responsibility of gun owners to secure their gun so that they’re inaccessible to underage youth,” Daniel Webster, the director of the Gun Policy and Research Center at Johns Hopkins University, told ABC News.

Child access prevention laws impose a penalty on gun owners who fail to secure an unattended firearm and leave it accessible to an unsupervised minor. In Michigan, for example, gun owners could face misdemeanor charges punishable by up to 93 days in prison, a fine of up to $500 or both, if they fail to safety secure their firearm and a minor obtains it and possesses it in a public place or possesses it in the presence of another person in a careless, reckless or threatening manner, according to the new law.

“These laws lead to fewer unintentional shootings of children. They lead to fewer teen suicides, and they also lead to fewer homicides committed by people under age 18,” Webster said.

“The laws are structured to keep guns from people who legally aren’t supposed to have them. Usually that has been in the context of underage youth, but some laws apply more broadly to keep guns from someone who the law says is too dangerous to have them,” Webster said.

Webster said it is not common for parents to be charged in incidents of children using an unsecured gun and the laws are used “sparingly.”

Safe storage laws require unattended firearms to be stored in a certain way, according to the Giffords Law Center.

“States with no laws that hold gun owners accountable have double to triple the rate of these unintentional shootings,” Burd-Sharps said.

Safe storage laws are generally very popular. A 2019 survey from the American Public Media Research Lab found 78% of Americans either strongly support or somewhat support mandating locked gun storage.

How gun users can protect children

To keep accidental shootings from happening at home, gun owners should store guns securely, unloaded and locked, separate from ammunition, Burd-Sharps said. Keys or passcodes to the locks should also be kept separately.

Last week, a child was killed by another child in Illinois after accessing a gun that the gun owner said was on a high shelf, according to police.

“We recommend that they store their guns unloaded and locked up in gun safes. Gun safes these days you can actually get them small, very affordable ones,” Webster said.

Before sending their children to other homes, parents should consider asking if there is a gun in that home and if it is securely stored, Burd-Sharps said.

“We all can play a role. Doctors can ask that question and help families keep their children safe, law enforcement can help to publicize the importance of secure storage, gun shops are also actively involved in this in some places, making sure that when they sell guns, they talk about secure storage [and] they have signs up about it,” Burd-Sharps said.

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(NEW YORK) — Wildfire smoke from Canada has clouded much of the Northeast, leaving millions of Americans exposed to unhealthy levels of particulate matter.

Here’s what you need to know on the dangers of wildfire smoke and why it is so toxic to your health.

What is considered a dangerous air quality level?

Air quality is measured by the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality index (AQI), which ranges from 0 to 500. A higher level indicates a greater level of pollution and health concern.

Levels under 100 are generally considered safe. Unhealthy levels range from 101 to 300, where more sensitive groups may experience symptoms at lower levels. The EPA provides an interactive map to track air quality in your specific area.

In New York City, levels hit over 400 in some parts this week. A value over 300 is considered hazardous, where everyone is likely to be affected from the poor breathing conditions.

Some hospitals have already seen patients suffering from the poor air.

“We’ve seen a mild increase in the number of patients presenting specifically with what we suspect is related to the environment, which include things like coughs, wheezing, shortness of breath and even headaches,” Dr. Frederick Davis, vice chair of emergency medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, told ABC News.

What are the dangers of inhaling wildfire smoke?

Particulate matter (PM) is made up of tiny pieces of solid or liquid in the air including dust, dirt, soot and smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Inhaled particles are typically categorized into two groups: PM10 and PM2.5 – the number representing the size across the particle in micrometers.

These particles are invisible to the human eye. The diameter of a human hair is almost 30 times larger than one of these smaller particles.

While larger particles may irritate your eyes, nose and throat, smaller particles pose an even greater threat. They can seep deep into your lungs or even your blood and cause long-term damage.

“The smaller particles are the dangerous ones. They can cause asthma. They can cause you to have not as good immune responses. You can get more colds, for example, you get more asthma,” Dr. Kari Nadeau, a professor at Harvard in the School of Public Health and chair of the Environmental Health Department, told ABC News.

“If you’re elderly, you can get more strokes and heart attacks. Over time, it can lead to increased cancer,” she added.

In fact, Nadeau estimates an AQI of 150 is equivalent to smoking an estimated seven cigarettes a day for someone spending the majority of their time outdoors.

“We try to do the cigarette equivalent, but most likely the wildfire smoke is much more toxic than a cigarette,” Nadeau said.

Who is most at risk?

Those who have lung diseases like COPD or asthma as well as those suffering from heart disease are at highest risk from wildfire smoke.

Children and older adults are also more likely to be affected.

“Those that are most at risk are those that have underlying chronic pulmonary issues … others include those of the extremes of age so those who are very old, very young, particularly because of underdeveloped lungs or lungs that are older that maybe can’t handle as much of the debris as we’re seeing in the air,” Davis said.

Exposure to wildfire smoke may lead to physical changes during pregnancy and expectant mothers may be at risk of preterm birth or babies with a low-birth weight.

What are the symptoms to look out for?

While those who are more sensitive may be at-risk for severe symptoms, anyone can get sick from wildfire smoke.

Some of the immediate effects include coughing, trouble breathing, a scratchy throat and chest pain, according to the CDC.

Officials are warning residents to stay indoors as much as possible, use a well-fitting N-95 mask when heading outside and try using an air filter at home if available.

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(NEW YORK) — An increasing number of cases are being reported of a mysterious, rare condition possibly linked to cannabis use that has caused some people to become severely ill, according to an ABC News investigation.

While many people don’t think of cannabis as a substance that could make you violently ill, experts say some people develop this condition after consuming high concentrations of cannabinoids over long periods of time.

This rare illness is being reported more often around the same time as the rising legalization of marijuana and higher potency of cannabis products, from vaping to edibles.

Erica Hagler was an otherwise healthy 33-year-old who was struck down with a severe mystery illness when she says she was using cannabis multiple times a day.

“I felt like I was going to die,” she told ABC News, adding that her symptoms included “the shakes, elevated heart rate, completely dehydrated and the vomiting was back to back to back.”

After two weeks in the hospital with no diagnosis, Hagler said she was told by doctors she was suffering from a neurological or psychological disorder.

“They tested me for everything else underneath the sun,” Hagler recalled. “I actually had the doctor walk into my room and say, ‘we’re sending you home because — we can’t find anything wrong with you.'”

Soon after, Hagler learned about CHS, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which affects people who use high doses of marijuana daily over an extended period of time.

“I diagnosed myself. Then I went back to my doctor and I said, ‘this is what I think I have.’ And then he said, ‘oh, you know what? That sounds right. I’ve heard of this,'” she said.

CHS is a rare condition that causes bouts of vomiting and abdominal pain. One Canadian study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that CHS-related emergency room visits increased 13-fold from 2014 to 2021.

“Given the prevalence of cannabis use worldwide, the very recent recognition of CH, and the paucity of CH literature, it is likely that this disease is underrecognized and underdiagnosed,” the Mayo Clinic published in a case series.

“One challenge we have is that patients sometimes believe that their use of marijuana is helping them,” Dr. Sam Torbati, co-chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, told ABC News.

He continued, “We know that in patients with cancer marijuana actually reduces nausea and vomiting — so for many patients, understanding that for them this is a poison — is a tough pill to swallow.”

Because of that misperception and a lack of tests for diagnosis, Dr. Torbati told ABC News that CHS is often overlooked or misdiagnosed.

“We give patients IVs to hydrate them. We do basic testing, just to make sure their kidneys aren’t failing, that their electrolytes are not very disturbed,” he said. “But really, to cure them of this condition, they need to stop smoking.”

Hagler, who has been cannabis-free for five years, said she started a Facebook group to help others who say they are dealing with the condition.

“I get lots and lots of support,” she said of the group “CHS recovery,” that has amassed over 20,000 members.

“I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through,” Hagler said. “And if I can stop anyone to maybe consider moderating or just being careful or even knowing that this exists so that if they do get sick, that they can help themselves. That’s really the ultimate goal.”

Experts believe CHS is caused by overstimulated receptors in the body that bind with cannabinoids which can trigger a repetitive cycle of nausea and vomiting.

While some reports indicate temporary symptomatic relief with scalding hot showers or a heating pad, stopping marijuana use is the most successful way to manage the condition, experts say. If you believe that you may be suffering from CHS, talk to a doctor to seek medical attention.

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(NEW YORK) — Tucked away from the main roads in Twentynine Palms, California, is a desert oasis. It’s at The Campbell House that the palm trees and greenery thrive amid the hot, unrelenting sun. It’s also where some 30 men have gathered for a weekend retreat.

The men come from different races, socio-economic backgrounds and age groups. They’ve joined the men’s group Evryman, to do what most of them have never done before: to open up and be vulnerable with themselves, and one another.

The retreat is intense, emotional, peer to peer work that’s aided by the Evryman facilitators. They’re there to help these men in their emotional journey; to tell them that it’s okay to feel anger, to feel shame and to cry.

For most of the day, the men are put into groups, varying in size. They are given prompts to ask each other things like, “When is a time something didn’t go your way?” and “How did it make you feel?”

Each man takes a turn answering the question. The other men in the group then analyze the responder’s emotion as he gives his answer. The purpose of this is to make these men feel seen and heard.

Kyle Somersall of Brooklyn, New York, is a soft-spoken 32-year-old man. He said he joined Evryman because it was an opportunity to better himself and to create stronger bonds with other men.

“I was pretty numb to my loneliness,” he told ABC News.

Somersall said that growing up, he wasn’t given the space to express himself.

“What I learned about what it means to be a man was really neglecting my emotions and feeling shame about crying or feeling shame about having emotions,” he said.

It’s precisely why Evryman co-founder Owen Marcus said he started the group.

“There’s an emotional pandemic of men just giving up and being lonely,” he told ABC News.

He hopes that men’s groups like his will help men realize that they are not alone.

“One of the things that these men get to do at these retreats, is they get to be in an emotionally safe space with other men, and whatever way they want…to allow themselves to feel what they have never felt before,” he said.

Throughout the weekend, guttural cries and screams echoed in the desert oasis.

One of those cries came from Scott Wright of Everett, Washington. He said it was important for him to come to this retreat because of patterns he wanted to change.

“These patterns cost me my first marriage. And my second marriage is nearly done because of that. And I just wanted to learn how to connect with myself better,” he said.

Somersall also had an emotional breakthrough.

“Stop!” he continuously yelled as he was being held by a group of men. His sobs eventually took over. They came from a place of pain.

“I was feeling a lot of emotion in my throat and in my heart. It was feeling neglected emotionally, just feeling really alone,” he said. “There is just a feeling of being broken feeling down and feeling unworthy of love.”

Somersall said the experience changed him.

“I’ve never fully let myself go in front of others in this capacity,” he said. “Being able to be held by a group of men and seen and understood by them and have it resonate for them as well- that felt really, really powerful.”

As the weekend drew to a close, a lot of these men seemed lighter, and more chipper than when we first met them. As the men prepared to leave the retreat, they hugged and expressed their love and gratitude for one another.

“I got even more than I expected. I was really able go deeper than I could have gone on my own and just release a ton of emotion,” Somersall said. “I feel closer to some of these people than I do with people that I’ve known for decades.”

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(NEW YORK) — Heavy blankets of smoke billowing over the U.S. from the wildfires burning in Canada are threatening the health of millions of people — even non-vulnerable populations with no preexisting conditions.

But what about the smoke makes it so hazardous for humans to be around?

Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which are microscopic solid or liquid droplets — often 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair — that can be inhaled and cause serious health problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides — pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles.

But wildfires likely contain PM2.5 that is up to 10 times more harmful than the same type of air pollution coming from combustion activity, according to a 2021 study conducted in California.

“The top offender here is these fine particles,” Dr. Vijay Limaye, a climate and health scientist at the National Resources Defense Council, told ABC News. “That size is really important because it can penetrate really deeply and wreak havoc on the body.”

PM2.5 is considered unhealthy for “Code Orange” and sensitive groups once the Air Quality Index surpasses 100, according to AirNow, a website that publishes air quality data. Once the AQI surpasses 150, it is considered “Code Red,” unhealthy for some members of the general public who may experience health effects, with sensitive groups experiencing more severe effects.

The AQI is at “Code Purple” once it surpasses 200, considered “very unhealthy” with increased health risk for all populations. “Code Maroon” is labeled as “hazardous” and a health warning for emergency conditions once the AQI reaches 300 and higher.

At Code Maroon, “everyone is more likely to be affected,” according to AirNow.

A “good” AQI is measured at 50 and below, and a “moderate” air quality index ranks between 51 and 100.

New York City shattered its record for the highest AQI since records began in 1999, measuring in at 413 on Wednesday afternoon.

Philadelphia ranked at 233 on Wednesday afternoon, while Washington, D.C., measured at 168 and Baltimore at 153, according to AirNow.

Because the particles are microscopic, they can easily enter the nose and throat and can travel to the lungs, with some of the smallest particles even circulating in the bloodstream, according to the EPA.

Inhaling toxic smoke and ash from wildfires could weaken the immune system and cause damage to the body, including the lungs and heart, for anyone regardless of their health status.

Exposure to concentrated amounts of PM2.5 can cause short-term effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat; coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath, and long-term effects such as worsening of conditions including asthma and heart disease, according to the EPA.

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(NEW YORK) — It’s not just sensitive populations who are at risk in the current poor air quality conditions covering a large swath of the U.S. due to the wildfires burning in Canada.

Inhaling toxic smoke and ash from wildfires could weaken the immune system and cause damage to the body, including the lungs and heart, for anyone regardless of their health status.

Fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, is 30 times smaller in diameter than a human hair and cannot be seen by the naked eye. Exposure to concentrated amounts of PM2.5 can cause both short-term effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat; coughing, sneezing; and shortness of breath, and long-term effects such as worsening of conditions such as asthma and heart disease, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Fine particles are able to enter the body through the eyes and lungs. Not everyone feels the same symptoms, and the pollution can exacerbate existing health issues, such as asthma and allergies, Peter DeCarlo, associate professor of environmental health and engineering, told ABC News.

Prolonged length of time and amount of exposure could lead to lung inflammation and impaired lung function that lasts long after the wildfire has ended. Studies have also shown a link between poor air quality and cardiovascular disease, including strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

The smoke — and fine particulate matter within it — has billowed south from more than 100 fires burning in Quebec, bringing hazy skies and dangerous conditions that could affect the health of millions of residents in much of the Northeast, Midwest and even as far south as Georgia and Alabama.

PM2.5 particles found in wildfires are 10 times more harmful than the same type of air pollution coming from combustion activity, a 2021 study conducted in California found.

Typically when air quality is poor, alerts are issued for sensitive groups, including very young children, the elderly, pregnant women and those who are immunocompromised or have pre-existing conditions. But there is currently so much particulate matter in the air that the air quality is deemed unhealthy for the entire population in affected areas.

“Breathing high levels of air pollution affects everyone but it affects some groups disproportionately,” DeCarlo said. “Like children with growing bodies and developing lungs, you definitely want to avoid their exposure — and elderly people, whose bodies are in decline.”

All populations should limit their time outdoors and limit exercise — even indoors, because the fine particulate matter is able to filter inside as well. If it is necessary to venture outside, everyone — especially vulnerable populations — should wear a mask, ideally an N95, health experts advise.

“Minimize exercise and any activity that makes you breathe harder,” DeCarlo said. “Obviously, the harder you breed the more air you’re you’re taking into your body with wildfire smoke to get in.”

Residents currently under air quality advisories should also run their air conditioner or air filters, if they have them, to filter out as many particles as possible, DeCarlo said. Make sure to keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent bringing additional smoke inside.

Leaving the area may also be advisable for vulnerable populations to avoid heavy smoke for a prolonged period of time, health experts say.

Those who have asthma or other lung diseases should follow their doctor’s directions about taking their medication and their management plans. Patients are also instructed to call their doctor should their symptoms worsen.

Lower socioeconomic neighborhoods are at a higher risk as well because they often do not have ability to get away from the smoke — for both financial and social reasons, Kimberly Humphrey, a climate change and human health fellow at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told ABC News.

Climate change and the role warming temperatures is playing in lengthening the annual fire season will likely make wildfire smoke a more prominent public health concern in the near future, Dr. Vijay Limaye, a climate and health scientist at the National Resources Defense Council, told ABC News.

ABC News’ Mary Kekatos and Sony Salzman contributed to this report.

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