People who smoke regularly, have regular exposure to air pollution, or those who suffer from chronic respiratory health conditions like asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should take care of their lungs. If you can move out of these circumstances, then the lungs have the capacity of cleaning on their own. But if you aren’t able to do so, then the methods mentioned below are the best way to purify lungs. Read on to know more.
Why cleaning lungs is important?
Lung health determines a person’s overall health. There is no doubt about it. Healthy breathing is essential for a healthy long-living. Moreover, the Lungs are self-healing organs like the Liver. Once you quit smoking or avoid too much air-contaminated environment, then your lungs can turn normal. As we live in a COVID-19 period, we have to be extra careful to avoid lung damage. Chest congestion and other symptoms like inflammation can be avoided if you follow the methods below.
Effective natural ways for cleansing your lungs
Steam therapy
People with lung conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experience their symptoms worsening with cold or dry air. Such climate drowns out mucus membranes and restricts blood flow. Lung mucus catches microbes easily and causes various respiratory health issues.
Steam inhalation helps loosen mucus in the airways and lungs. This creates immediate relief and helps for easy breathing. It is the best way to purify the lungs.
Controlled Coughing
People with COPD follow this exercise to purify their lungs. Coughing is considered the natural way of expelling toxins trapped in mucus.
How to do exercise step-by-step?
- Sit on a chair, keep your shoulders relaxed, keep both feet flat on the floor
- Fold your arms over the stomach
- Slowly breathe in through your nose
- Slowly breathe out by pushing arms over the stomach while leaning forward
- Try coughing 2 or 3 times with your mouth open
- Slowly breathe in through your nose
- Repeat the exercise whenever necessary
This method is recommended by many doctors to loosen excess mucus formation in the lungs. This procedure is found useful in patients with COPD. Still, this is a temporary solution for instant relief.
Green tea
Green tea is an effective home remedy for cleansing the lungs. The antioxidants present in green tea help reduce inflammation in the lungs. Chain smokers who want to protect their lung tissue can drink at least 2 cups of green tea every day to reduce the harmful effects of smoking.
In this COVID situation, everybody can also follow the same for a better lung function.
Anti-inflammatory foods
When your airways are swollen, it makes chest congestion and difficult to breathe. Following foods are the natural way of cleansing the lungs at home.
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Leafy greens
- Turmeric
- Olives
- Lentils
- Beans
These are rich in anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, adding to your regular diet help improve the symptoms to a great extent.
Exercise
Exercising regularly decreases the risk of many health conditions like heart disease and stroke. A simple 30 minutes exercise can help improve overall physical and mental health conditions. Exercising regulates blood circulation resulting in a high oxygen supply to the muscles and removing excess carbon dioxide easily.
When your muscles work hard, they will learn to use more oxygen and produce less carbon dioxide. This improves the overall health of your body.
However, patients with COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis should consult with their doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
Remove mucus from the lungs
The postural drainage technique is the popular method used with gravity to drain lung secretions. The 1:2 breathing pattern, in which, the breathing out should be twice as long as breathing in; is used for improving breathing and avoiding lung infections. Learn more about postural drainage here.
Chest Percussion is the best way to purify lungs
It is another effective way used by medical professionals to clear the airways. In this physical therapy, a therapist will tap on your chest or back to loosen the thick mucus formed inside the lungs. This method produces coughing that helps us spit out the thick mucus. Read here to understand the procedure and its benefits better.
Final thoughts
Cleansing lungs is necessary these days. Good respiratory health is the foundation for the overall health of your body. Therefore, detoxing your lungs now and then or when you feel chest congestion helps improve breathing. Patients with chronic conditions should consult with their doctor before starting any exercise regimen. Otherwise, these suggested methods will help improve your lungs’ breathing capacity.