Hazy skies got you concerned and wondering how you can support your health in smoke filled air? Thankfully there is a lot you can do to support yourself, even some great herbs for smoke filled air.
As Canada is ablaze with devastating fires the smoke filled air that forms doesn’t just linger in the immediate area. As I write this there is a large portion of Canada and the US inundated with heavy smoke filling the air with not just the scent of an old bonfire, but also leaving a deep orange haze wherever the eyes can see. It’s an apocalyptic site and one that has brought quite a few messages from clients in recent days as their health has begun to be impacted in various ways. Below is an image next to the Magical Plants gardens, with a hazy pinkish orange sky (the picture doesn’t do the orange any justice).
Especially if you live in the northeastern US you probably have been heavily impacted by the waves of smoke inundating the skies, but other parts of the Earth have sadly seen these skies in times past.
So today I’m sharing with you some easy supportive measures you can do to help support not just your lungs, but your whole body as well during these smoky times. It’s a good list to bookmark even if you’re one of the lucky ones at the moment able to breathe in some nice fresh air.
First, let’s touch on the impact of smoke on not just the lungs, but also on stress
We often think of the lungs being heavily impacted when we’re around smoke of any kind, or dealing with particulates in the air.
The nervous system however is another organ system that greatly takes a hit during these times. Not just from the stress of worrying about our health, but also the impact of being afraid to breathe. This is similar to part of the stress during the pandemic in the beginning when many would hesitate before taking a deep breath in for fear of what they would inhale. The same happens when you’re around smoke.
Instead of breathing freely when the air isn’t clean, there can be tension within the body due to fear of breathing, a second by second task essential for life. This can be linked to simple fear around not having clean air, but sometimes it can reach back to trauma from one’s earlier days or even past lives. This fear of course brings up heightened stress which is never pleasant, especially on top of a stressful event.
So how can you support yourself, both your lungs and your stress, when there is smoke filled air?
1. Stay inside.
This isn’t completely possible, especially with work obligations, but try to spend some extra time indoors if you can right now. Keep all windows and doors shut and treat it as a mini indoor vacation for a few days.
2. Wear a mask, preferably N95.
I know, I know. We’re all so tired of masks. But the whole point of masks is to filter out particulates in the air… the exact thing you need right now. So pull out any masks you may have stored away over the next few days to use anytime you need to step outside, especially for extended periods of time.
3. Use an air filter
If you are lucky enough to already have an air filter this is a great time to use it, but make sure to replace the HEPA filters due to the extra use.
4. Take some slow and deep breaths
When you feel you are in a safe space in your home or in a building try to take some extra slow deep breaths in and out. This will help ease some of the tension you may be holding from the stress of feeling afraid to breathe outside. You can also do this when you have a mask on to remind yourself that you are okay, even if your surroundings are not what you prefer.
5. Drink extra water!
Impurities in the air can easily irritate the throat and lungs, drying them out. So getting extra water in can help soothe your tender insides and help dilute some of the irritants while also helping to boost a little detoxification in your body as well.
6. Work with herbs
There are many amazing herbs that can be used for support with smoke in the air. Before I list off some of my favorites, you should first understand that all things have different aspects to them that relate them to the elements. Smoke of course comes from the element of fire, so like fire, it makes things hot and dry (remember above why water is so important).
In herbal medicine, you want to use plants that have the opposite effect in order to bring balance back to the body, so you want to work with plants that are cooling and moistening, plants that contain the water element. Anything that tends to be watery in nature can help a little, but here are some of my favorite herbs for smoke and lung support:
- Mullein, Verbascum thapsus
Mullein is an amazing plant that is not only cooling and moistening to the body, but it is also a specific plant for the lungs. Many plants key into certain parts of the body where they excel, well for Mullein, it’s definitely the lungs.
Mullein helps soothe irritated lungs really well, but it goes to a whole other level than just soothing. It also helps clear out the lungs from any kind of congestion or irritants. I often work with Mullein in formulas for former smokers helping to clear out their lungs and it’s not unsurprising for them to notice some coughing occur when they start working with Mullein as deep irritants from prior years can be stirred up to be released.
The leaf is the part used for this purpose and it’s best taken as a tea. One important thing to be aware of with Mullein is the leaves have tiny little hairs on them that can actually be irritating to the lungs if they get into your tea (this is the irony of how plants tend to work in herbal medicine 🙂 ) So to avoid this, don’t use a cheesecloth or metal strainer to strain Mullein tea. Instead, use a piece of fabric or coffee filter as it will remove the hairs so all you get is yummy tea.
- Marshmallow, Althaea officinalis
Marshmallow is a plant that is prized mainly for its ability to soothe all of your insides. It has what are known as demulcent properties which means in simple terms, it has a slimy aspect to it that coats whatever it touches. Think of the sliminess of chia seeds or okra if you’ve ever had any. That slimy aspect is the demulcent quality. Marshmallow is amazing for soothing irritated throat tissue due to that demulcent quality.
When it comes to Marshmallow the root is primarily used in tea form, and there are no irritating hairs with this one!
- Licorice, Glycyrrhiza glabra
Licorice is another plant we use for its root and it’s one you may have heard of as there’s a common candy out there by the same name. Now you can have licorice candy made from actual licorice root, but the common form of candy out there definitely doesn’t contain any real licorice. The reason it’s linked to candy is it has a very sweet flavor by nature, one that is sometimes considered way too sweet by some people.
Licorice is another plant that is very good for soothing sensitive tissue as well as supporting the lungs. One nice thing about licorice is it can be taken in quite a few different forms that can be easily accessible, including tea, lozenges, and tincture. You often can find Licorice in the tea aisle of grocery stores in any kind of tea blend for sore throats. You can also buy lozenges in natural health food stores as well.
One caution with Licorice is to be cautious with it if you have hypertension (high blood pressure) as it can elevate your blood pressure, especially if taken in larger or more frequent doses.
7. Cool compresses
One last tip if you don’t have any herbs on hand you can simply apply a cool compress to your chest using a washcloth wet with cool water. That coolness can help relax the underlying tissue providing it with some soothing effect, especially if your chest feels hot or raw.
I hope this provides you with a little inspiration to help support yourself in these smoky times. Take it easy, be gentle to yourself, and show yourself some extra love while the fire energy lingers around. Listen to your breath and nourish your water element.
