A lung cleanse, also known as lung detoxification, consists of eliminating toxic and harmful substances from the lungs or bronchial pathway.
Detoxification helps withdraw dangerous bacteria and environmental irritants.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that vulnerability to air pollution results in 4.2 million deaths worldwide per year. Across the United States, tobacco smoking is the cause of death for one in every five men. Thus, it is prudent to be aware of lung cleansing and lung detoxing as an essential remedy. This article covers the question, “How can I clean my lungs?”
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In This Article
How Can I Clean My Lungs — All You Should Know
How Long Does It Take for Lungs to Heal After Quitting Smoking?
Once you quit smoking, it takes two weeks to three months to heal.
Improvement in your health condition will indicate healing – you will recover from the damages such as coughing and other respiratory problems. Since lungs play a crucial role in our general health, we should do all we can to help them function well.
Can I Cleanse My Lungs?
Although you can take active measures to cleanse your lungs, they do cleanse on their own. It is a natural process, provided you follow a healthy routine and stay away from pollutants.
For long-term cigarette smokers, however, the idea of a lung detox or smoke detoxification should sound great.
How Do I Clean My Lungs?
So, on to answer that burning question, “How can I clean my lungs?”
There are many ways to give yourself a lung detox, but you must be wise in your choice of how you go about it.
Recently, there has been a wide variety of new lung cleansing products labeled “natural.” These products have been used by a large percentage of the population craving quick results.
But the truth is that the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has licensed none of these products nor has there been the appropriate clinical evidence to support their daily use for disease prevention. Moreover, even though many of them contain ingredients, such as vitamin D, that play an essential role in improving immune system responses and minimizing inflammation in the airways, quick fixes never really work.
How Do I Purify My Lungs Fast?
While there is no quick fix to detox your lungs, there are ways you can accelerate your lungs cleansing. Here are 15 simple tips that you can apply immediately to optimize your respiratory system functionality:
1. Quit Smoking Now!
You can never have healthy lungs if you continue smoking.
Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, and persistent smoking speeds up the lungs’ aging process and is a direct cause of lung cancer. Consequently, smoking ruins your respiratory health, day by day, little by little.
If you’re looking for even one suitable remedy, giving up smoking is the first and most immediate thing to do.
2. Adjust Your Diet
You might be thinking, “Can I eat or drink something to detox my lungs?”
Eating foods high in vitamin D will boost your lung health. A 2017 study of people with asthma showed that healthy vitamin D levels reduced the number of asthma attacks they had that needed treatment with corticosteroids.
Corticosteroids reduce inflammation, which is a cause of breathing difficulties. Consuming anti-inflammatory foods naturally aids in reducing inflammation, potentially helping ease breathing trouble. Anti-inflammatory foods include:
- turmeric
- leafy greens
- cherries
- blueberries
- olives
- walnuts
- beans
- lentils
3. Drink Water
Water is the key to life and this applies to your lungs as well! But the obvious question is, how can drinking water and lung health be related?
Simple – water speeds up the healing process by flushing toxins from the body and naturally clearing the lungs. It is important for all daily functions in your body and without enough of it, your health will suffer.
4. Exercise
Daily exercise is a necessary part of a balanced lifestyle. The correct amount and various types of activities positively support your lung recovery. Cardio exercise, such as running or any movement that raises your heart rate, benefits your lungs by improving their efficiency over time. Exercise that focuses on breathing, such as yoga, can help you learn how to fully use your lungs’ capacity.
If you have a chronic lung illness, check with your doctor before changing your workout routine.
5. Monitor Indoor Air Quality
Since air is a direct factor impacting your lung health and can have both positive and negative impacts on your lung health, you must be aware of your indoor air quality. Some simple things you can do to enhance air quality at home include investing in a good vacuum cleaner, using that vacuum regularly, and eliminating artificial scents.
6. Use Air Purifiers
Any indoor space benefits from an air purifier to remove indoor air pollutants such as dust, dirt, or certain gases. Particularly people suffering from chronic lung diseases should use it regularly. This will help your entire body to function properly.
7. Avoid Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke contains dangerous chemicals like benzene, chromium, carbon monoxide, arsenic, polonium, formaldehyde, and cyanide, all of which pose significant dangers to health. As a result, even if you’re not a smoker, breathing in secondhand smoke increases the chance of contracting lung cancer.
8. Practice Breathing
Breathing is a natural lifelong process. It’s the way that your cells get enough oxygen all throughout your body, which is, of course, essential for the proper functioning of the body. So practice breathing better today for more vigorous lung health tomorrow.
9. Maintenance of Air Filters
Change your air filters following the device’s instructions to keep them functioning at full effectiveness. Do not take long to change filters as they are of no use after a certain period; on the contrary, these filters may harm or produce harmful effects on your health.
10. Chest Percussion
Chest percussion is a process that drains or dislodges fluid and mucus from your lungs. This is particularly important for people with certain long-term lung problems, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). This technique has a partner tap you on the back rhythmically with a cupped hand as you sit or lie in various positions. For proper instruction on technique, you should talk to your primary care provider.
11. Avoid Using Artificial Perfumes or Scents
Many of us like to fill our homes with sweet fragrances and smells by using sprays, candles, and other artificial scents. These are popular in areas that can get smelly, such as the toilet. While pleasant smelling, these products damage our airways and lung tissues. If you are having trouble with your breathing, try cutting out all artificial scents in your home and reducing unpleasant smells through regular cleaning and air circulation.
12. Take Water Vapor Therapy
Inhalation of steam (in other words, water vapor) is amongst the best therapies for opening up your air passages and draining phlegm from your chest.
Patients having respiratory issues, such as COVID-19 or the common cold, can inhale steam to get comfort. You can fill a bowl with freshly boiled water, lean over it, and place a towel over your head and bowl to trap the steam. Then breathe normally and the warm water vapor will help your air passages relax. You can also try having a warm bath or shower – this will also produce steam that will help cleanse your lungs. Try to use scent-free bathroom products on these occasions.
13. Have Green Tea
Not only is green tea a flavorful source of water, which we discussed the importance above, but green tea is also a vital source of antioxidants. These powerful chemicals may reduce the effects of smoking on lung tissues, as well as other damage to your body’s cells.
14. Vitamins for Lung Health
Make sure your diet includes sources of vitamins that are essential for the respiratory system. Some of the essential vitamins and minerals for lung health include (sorting by richest sources first):
- Vitamin A – This can be found mainly in parsley, carrots, sunflower oil and seeds, basil, and beetroot.
- Vit. C – It can be found in parsley, cabbages, bell pepper, horseradish, kiwi, coriander, lychees, and oranges.
- Vitamin D – You can find it, especially in fish and eggs, and you can produce it by spending time in the sun.
- Vitamin E – This is found in sunflower oil and seeds, almonds, oregano, soya oil, and olive oil.
- Zinc – This mineral is found in oysters, wheat, poppy seeds, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, and pinions.
- Omega 3 fatty acids – It can be found in flaxseed oil, nuts, pinions, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, chia seeds, tahini, and sesame seeds.
- Magnesium – You can find it in basil, wheat, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, tahini, cumin, and sesame seeds.
- Selenium – Brazil nuts, seafood, organ meats, muscle meats, cereals, and other grains, and dairy products are rich food sources of selenium.
15. Decrease the Use of Unsafe Household Products
You likely employ several household products for daily cleaning purposes. However, you probably do not even think of the ingredients that you are expelling out in your house. Yet, many common cleaning products contain lung-injurious substances.
Check the warning labels on the back of your cleaning chemicals to find out which are hazardous to your health. Replace any that you can, such as swapping cleaning spray for a mixture of malt vinegar and water. When you have to use hazardous cleaning chemicals, wear a mask to protect your respiratory system. Well-fitted surgical masks filter the air you breathe in as well as the air you breath out.
Conclusion
A lung cleanse can be done in many ways. Pay attention and take care of your lung health today to maintain excellent overall health. Following all these tips will significantly benefit your overall health and coughing.
