Lung Detox: Breathing Easy!

In the post-COVID world, we all realize the importance of lung health. With each new cold, flu, and continuous exposure to environmental pollution, our lungs get increasingly impacted. Our lungs are delicate organs that, unlike our digestive tract, cannot stop and “take a break” from breathing or selectively choose what to let inside. Because of this, it is very vulnerable and needs some extra care. 

While in theory, we can decrease these effects, in reality, there is very little you can do to change the quality of the air you get exposed to daily. 

However, lung detox is the maintenance procedure you can offer to your lungs to support them in handling the outer world. This article will provide a detailed overview of lung detox principles and methods. 

Before diving deep into it, let’s first cover some basics of lung anatomy.

How Do the Lungs Function?

As we all know, the lungs’ primary function is respiration, which is bringing oxygen inside your body and exhalation of carbon dioxide.

The gases enter the lungs through a large pipe called the trachea, which is located in the middle of our throat. At the lung level, the trachea splits into two smaller tubes called bronchi, which, in turn, divide into even smaller tubes called bronchioles. The division of bronchioles happens about 25 times until it reaches the smallest bronchioles, called terminal.

The terminal bronchioles are located deep inside the lung. At the end of such bronchioles are clusters of tiny bubbles called alveoli. This is where the gas exchange takes place. In alveoli, there are special “dust” cells which are white blood cells that remove from them dust particles. Alveoli are surrounded by tiny capillaries that bring and remove gases from the alveoli. 

The blood with excess carbon dioxide and other gases collected by capillaries ends up in the superior vena cava (a major vein in your upper body that carries blood from your head, neck, upper chest and arms to the heart). The oxygen-rich blood is carried to the pulmonary (=lung) veins.  

As you see from the above, your lungs are closely connected to the circulatory system, which ensures that the oxygen-rich blood reaches the heart and other organs and that the oxygen-low blood is returned (from the superior vena cava and heart) back to the lungs to get more oxygen. The heart is the pump that makes the blood get to those places, and the blood vessels are transporting the dissolved gases.

Why Should I Consider Lung Detox?

There are many issues with the quality of our air. The list below is not exhaustive. In addition to this, we also need to consider the genetic weakness or strength of these essential organs, which will strongly influence how they will handle various negative factors that may impact them. 

• Inhaling the smoke of cigarettes and marijuana, primary or secondary.
• Lung inflammation due to infections, repetitive colds and flues.
• Inhaling fire smoke for a prolonged period of time.
• Breathing polluted air and environmental toxins.
• Household chemicals used for cleaning.
• Indoor air pollutants at home and in the office. 
• Long-term or one-time major exposure to mould. 
• Accumulation of excess mucus due to mucous-forming foods, such as meats, dairy and processed foods, and lack of movement. 

If you are exposed to multiple sources of air pollution, or even one source on a consistent basis, you may want to consider a lung detox.

How Do the Lungs Cleanses Themselves When They Function Optimally?

Lungs have the ability to cleanse themselves when they are no longer exposed to pollutants. 

There are two ways how your lungs purify themselves:

#1 – Mechanical: through exhalation, sneezing and cough

#2 – “Internal” – due to the interconnection with the circulatory system, healing and cleansing of your lungs largely happens via blood. Issues in the circulatory system, such as poor circulation or high toxicity, will prevent your lungs from quanlity self-cleansing.

If your blood removes toxins from lungs fast and effectively, you may experience minimum to no cough, when detoxifying.

What Symptoms Do You Experience When Your Lungs Do Not Function Optimally?

Lung issues do not start in an instant. It begins with minor symptoms that occur only occasionally, then more frequently, and then switch to its chronic form. It is essential to recognize and deal with them early. 

“Tickle” in the Throat 

The first and most noticeable symptom most people experience is coughing periodically or chronically. Suppose you are experiencing a tickle in the throat that is getting more frequent overtime or a cough that comes and goes from time to time but never resolves. In that case, it means irritation and inflammation may present in your respiratory tract. 

Shortness of Breath

If you feel that you quickly run out of oxygen during everyday activities, such as going up the stairs or have difficulty breathing during moderately-paced exercise, it may be a sign that lungs do not function optimally. Level of fitness and weight play the role here, too.

Increased Mucus Production

Your body naturally produces mucus every day. However, excess mucus may clog your respiratory tract, resulting in difficulty inhaling through the sinuses and coughing up phlegm in the morning. Often increased mucous production may be associated with inflammation in the respiratory tract. Excess mucous is often a contributing factor to snoring. 

How Do You Cleanse Your Lungs Naturally?

Air Out Your Room Every Two Hours

In most average size offices, the oxygen you breathe in, depletes in an hour. If you are in a larger room, it may last for up to two hours. Opening a window or a door for 10-15 min every two hours will ensure you replenish the oxygen available for your brain and lung function. 

Walk in the Pine Forest

If you have coniferous trees close by, it will be very beneficial to walk among them regularly. The coniferous trees contain the substances called phytoncides that have antibacterial and antifungal properties. When you inhale phytoncides, they enhance the production of NK – natural killer cells. 

Set up Air Filtration System

What if you do not have access to the pine forest, or if you live in LA, where the air outdoors has less oxygen than indoors?

The solution is expensive but effective. When the air from outside does not help or is of poor quality, look into the air filtration systems. 

Steam Bath

Steam baths, done every 2-4 weeks in the cold season, provided you do not have contraindications, will greatly boost your immunity and will minimize issues with colds and flues. In addition, a steam bath deeply hydrates your lungs and enhances circulation, both of which greatly assist in toxins removal from the lungs. 

Deep Breathing Exercises

Pranayama, or breathing practices, may benefit your lungs’ health. Particularly if you can do them outdoors. 

Additionally, playing woodwind or brass instruments may strengthen your lungs over time. It has been proven that young children with respiratory issues who played for several years on these instruments were able to improve or even overcome their respiratory issues completely significantly.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

As the name suggests, incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into your diet can drastically reduce inflammation and substantially amplify the health of your lungs. Some anti-inflammatory foods are green leafy vegetables, berries and cherries, like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

Is Lung Cleansing Safe for Everyone? – Precautions When Getting a Lung Detox

Now that we discussed the importance of the lung detox is, it is crucial to understand the precautions to take when getting one. You might be thinking, if a lung detox is good for you, then why should we have to take precautions? 

The answer is simple. You need to consider your current health condition, state of your lungs and speed of the lung detox you choose.

Avoid home cleanses if you have advanced respiratory conditions (ex., COPD, lung cancer) and if you smoke. If your overall health is in bad shape, consult your Naturopathic Physician or another qualified professional. If you have severe symptoms when you do any cleanses, discontinue.

Holistic Methods Used for Lung Cleansing

Home Lung Cleanse #1: Salt Inhalations

Boil a kettle with water, and pour the water into a metal bowl. Add 1 Tbs. water. Inhale the saline solution for 2 min. Breathe in through the nose and breathe out through the mouth.

Frequency: repeat the procedure every 2nd day for 2 weeks.

Home Lung Cleanse #2: Citrus Cleanse

Fresh Citrus Juice

½ Grapefruit

½ Orange

¼ -1/2 Lemon

Remove ½ of the zest of the fruit and leave the rest on. Juice the citrus

with the peels.

Frequency: Juice 1 cup and drink daily for 10 days.

Purpose of the Drink: Citrus acids and zest help to emulsify fats, tars and other toxins that may be present in the lungs.

Caution: If you are on medications which cannot be taken with grapefruit, replace it with other types of citrus. If you have diabetes, replace orange with grapefruit, or if you cannot do juicing at all, consume some whole grapefruit.

Home Lung Cleanse #3: Aromatherapy Inhalations

Though essential (=aromatherapy) oils can be used in the same way as salt inhalation or even added to your tea; it is best to use them in a cold form. Put a few drops on a cotton cloth or handkerchief and deeply inhale for several minutes.Do not exceed the therapeutic doses recommended on the bottle.

Oils Blends Suggested:

-Lemon and Black Spruce –is especially beneficial if you suffer from cough that does not go away.

-Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Oil –is especially beneficial if you have difficulty breathing due to a cold (eucalyptus widens the respiratory pathways, and tea tree oil disinfects them).

-Frankincense – has strong anti-inflammatory properties. 

Frequency: When relief is needed.

Contraindication: allergies and sensitivities to scents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are You Thinking Of Getting a Lung Detox?

If you are looking for more ways to get a lung detox in a retreat setting, feel free to visit our website https://www.healthretreat.ca/ or call us at Fresh Start at 1-888-658-3324 to learn more.