How to Clean Lungs After Quitting Smoking

It is not easy to start cleansing your lungs. It may seem somewhat confusing to you or even impossible to get started. Take it easy and move step by step. Here you will find five main steps how to start cleansing your lungs after giving up smoking. Performing at least one of the following advice per week will help you create a good habit, and you will feel much better.

1. FRESH AIR

First of all, you have to keep in mind that clean breathing air is essential. Try to stay away from places with smoke and air pollution.

Ventilation

You can also use some equipment that helps to clean the air from allergens and dust. There are quite a lot of good filters for you to choose. For example, HEPA or Ozone.

The primary goal is to breathe fresh air as much time as possible. When at home, open the windows so that you can fill your room with fresh air. By doing that you will help your lungs to cleanse as well as you will sleep better. In case you cannot rest when the windows are open, try to ventilate the room by opening the door.

Cleaning

Once per each couple of days remove dust from the shelves and clean the carpets with a vacuum cleaner. In case you have a fireplace in your house better do not use it for some time. As it was said before, you need to avoid smoke and toxins.

Pollen and plants

Though lots of plans are handy some of them may be harmful to your health. It is a well-known fact that the plants keep the air clean and fresh by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. But only during the daytime, at night the process is reversed. One more point you should pay attention to is that there are plants that contain pollen and spores. They can be bad for your lungs or, what is worse, allergic.

Visit a flower shop to get more detailed information about this stuff. Besides, such flowers as Aloe Vera Peace Lily, Palm Tree, etc. are very good to buy.

Non-toxic household products

Nowadays almost all the cosmetic products we use contain toxic chemicals. It is not a secret that they all are harmful to your health and, in particular, for your lungs. For instance, ammonia is one of the chemicals that can cause coughing and is irritating to your respiratory tract. So look for the stuff that contains only natural ingredients.

On the contrary, you have to be very careful when choosing the products that are described as natural. Very often it can be a trick. A product may consist of natural ingredients, but still, the producer doesn`t point out that there are no toxic ingredients. Apart from that, not all the natural ingredients are harmless for your lungs. Anyway, check the list of ingredients before buying a product.

2. DIET

Bad food

Processed meat, frozen convenience food, fast food and some of the milk products like cheese or yogurt may trigger coughing. The explanation is simple; they cause mucus production in your lungs. Moreover, this food often contains acid which can cause other problems for your health. If the acidosis is too high, you are risking to get kidney stones or some other diseases that are even worse.

Good food

First of all, you should know that alkaline food is good to balance if you have already eaten food that contains acid.

In general, almost all the vegetables and fruit have a good influence on your body. Here you will find a list of useful food. For example, you can eat leafy greens and root vegetables. Among fruit, there are apples, bananas, lemons, berries, oranges and watermelons that will help your body gain vitamins and minerals. What is more, almonds and chestnuts will help your body with proteins. Also, you can add some spices to your food, such as ginger, cinnamon or curry.

In addition to this, there are plenty of fruit and vegetables that help reduce toxins. For example, blueberries, cranberries, grapes, blackberries, artichokes, broccoli, spinach and sweet potatoes. Also green tea, fish, and pecans contain antioxidants that serve as excellent cleansers for your lungs and body in general.

It is also important to mention that chlorophyll is a substance that can be used to cleanse food and increase oxygen uptake. As a result, add juiced wheatgrass, spirulina and sprouted seeds to your dishes.

3. EXERCISE

You need to realize how important sport is in your life. It helps to stay fit as well as feel better psychologically. It is a well-known fact that going in for sport releases endorphins, which are often described as the feel-good hormones. Endorphins make you feel happier and even relieve pain.

But what is more critical, sport makes your body and lungs cleanse faster. There is a variety of activities you can do whether at home or outside. It is just for you to choose. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 150 minutes (30 minutes 5 times a week) of moderate aerobic activity per week will be enough to make you closer to your aim.

It can be walking, gardening or swimming. 75 minutes per week (25 minutes 3 times per week) of vigorous aerobic activity OR strength training. That can be jogging, biking, dancing, or playing soccer. Among outdoors activities you can choose football, jogging in a park or even swimming if you live near a sea or a lake.

Yoga

There are plenty of benefits of practicing yoga. Yoga therapy is one of the best ways to improve your health. It helps to recover from any disease as well as to avoid getting a new one. At the same time, it builds your muscles and makes you physically stronger. If you practiced yoga for a long time, you would notice that your posture is getting better. And as a result, you will not have any problems with your back. And mainly it is perfect for those who gave up smoking.

Yoga only makes you feel better. It improves your strength and increased flexibility. It keeps your immune system healthy. Yoga helps your body to lower the level of cholesterol, cortisol, and adrenaline in your blood what will have a significant effect on your body in general. But what is of extreme importance is that by practicing yoga you will learn how to breathe efficiently as good as you will improve your posture.

It does not matter if you have never tried it. You can quickly start doing it. Visit a school when yoga is practiced, and with the help of qualified teachers you will begin with simple exercises and go on step by step.

4. HOMEMADE DETOX

Honey

You can be surprised to know how many good qualities raw honey has. It can decrease coughing even in a week. Its minerals and the antibacterial effect will make you feel much better. What you have to do is to eat a spoon of raw honey every day. The best part of a day is morning. As soon as you wake up before breakfast, try to eat a spoon of raw honey. Or what is better dissolve it in a glass of water and drink.

Menthol

Menthol is an excellent product that is often used to soothe the respiratory muscles. It is derived from pennyroyal, peppermint, and eucalyptus. It is an essential function that relaxes the intestinal muscles and inhibits the occurrence of spasms. It has always been used to treat respiratory conditions such as colds, bronchitis, and even asthma.

There are some ways to use menthol. Use peppermint leaves to chew or peppermint balm as a cream for your chest and back too. You can also buy a skin patch and cover your chest with it for a while. After this remove it and clean your skin.

You may also find some menthol candies, but be careful because usually, they contain a lot of sugar that can negatively affect your health. Choose ones that hold as less sugar as possible. And also do not swallow pure menthol. It can be dangerous.

Inhalations

To remove congestion and mucus add Eucalyptus drops to steam inhalations. But before using it consult your doctor.

Herbs

Only 2 or 3 drops of oregano can stop bacterias like staphylococcus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For this add oregano oil to water or juice every day. Moreover, if you need to relieve a sore throat or coughing add cayenne pepper to your food.

5. Relax

It is normal if you feel stressed after giving up smoking. It happens to many people. You need to learn how to deal with it. It is necessary to admit that stress causes many other diseases. For example, high blood pressure, headaches, muscle tension, ulcer. It also weakens your immune system. If you learn how to control yourself, you will feel much better, and your mind will be clear, you will be more productive at work. And the last but not the least you will think that you can overcome any difficulties on your way and it will be easier for you to follow your purpose. You need to take a breath and relax.

Try out massage

There quite a lot of benefits of massage. First of all, massage is a good solution if you want to relax and improve respiration. It increases the lymph circulation and helps your immunity system to fight toxins. It is an excellent remedy if you suffer from insomnia. Massage promotes relaxation and improves your sleep. It also eases pain and even encourages flexibility. During the massage, you have to be relaxed and breathe slow and deep to get all the benefits of it.

If you cannot attend a special place for it, try to do some exercises at home. Place a ball between the wall and your back and move slowly up and down and from the one side to the other. Massage your arms, legs, and feet. One more piece of advice for you how to reduce stress. If you feel nervous and you cannot control yourself take a small object to play with. It can be a ring or a bracelet as a substitution.

Meditation

Emotional health is not less important than physical one. Meditation is similar to yoga but not less useful. A lot of people try it out for concentrating, relaxing and dealing with stress.

Meditation is one of the types of training your mind. One of its most substantial benefits is that it helps fight addictions. It teaches you how to focus and direct your thoughts to the right way. Many people practice meditation with the purpose of learning how to control and relax. Meditation helps to reduce the amount of the stress hormone cortisol.

Practicing mindfulness meditation, you will see how beautiful the world around you is. You will notice the beauty in details and harmony will surround you. You have to aim to grow into your best self only in this case you will be able to achieve anything in your life.

Notice that you do not need specialized equipment or place to practice meditation. You can quickly do it at home. Take a few minutes per day and devote them to your emotional health. Sit down, calm down, take a deep breathe and concentrate on thought, on an object or a sound, focus on breathing and enjoy.

ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND WHAT YOU AIMED FOR

If you want to achieve your goals, it is of extreme importance to exclude any negativity from your thoughts. You have to tell yourself that you can do it, you can overcome any obstacles, you have to believe in yourself. You need to be very specific when putting down your aims. Specify that things that depend only on you. Do not accept failure, do not let yourself doubt that you cannot achieve anything. You have to be firmly motivated.

Take a sheet of paper, a pen and write down why you decided to quit smoking. Put all the reasons. Maybe you want to save money, or you aimed to improve your health. If you chose to stop, you definitely had reasons to do it. So write them all down on a paper and put that paper in a visible place so that you can always read through the causes and motivate yourself again and again.

It would be perfect if you had a friend who had the same purpose. It would be easier for both of you to struggle together and to improve yourselves.

What to do if mucus won’t come up?

To begin with, it should be mentioned that mucus is not something hazardous for your life. But it is not a mild symptom. Of course, you would better visit a doctor. However, there are a few ways to get rid of the symptoms before going to the doctor. Here you have a list of ways how to deal with this problem.

Home remedies

First of all, drink a lot of liquids. You might have heard this piece of advice before. And it works. They help to clear mucus in the chest and nose. Don`t make big swallows a once. Drink a bit but often. Water is the best liquid that helps to cleanse your body. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other drinks that are not less effective. For instance, chicken noodle soup, green tea or apple juice. Apart from this, a is a useful gadget for you.

Have you ever happened to hear that steam helps loosen mucus? The truth is that it is beneficial in clearing up congestion. You can find a humidifier at a local store, or if you want to save money, you can create necessary conditions at your home by yourself. If you decided to create the conditions yourself so use following pieces of advice.

Make your sauna at home. Go to your bathroom, close the door and open hot water. But be careful, do not water yourself with hot water because you can burn your skin. Wait until the bathroom is filled with steam. Then close the water. You can also wet a towel with warm water and put it on your front. Stay relaxed and breathe this air as much time as you want. To finish the séance drink a glass of water to rehydrate.

Natural remedies

If you prefer to use natural remedies you can try out following things.

Honey

Since a long time honey was used in medicine and beauty industry. It is already proved that it contains a lot of ingredients that are very important for your body. In traditional medicine, honey has often been used to treat coughing. All the types of honey are good, but mainly buckwheat honey is a perfect treatment for revealing symptoms of coughing.

What is more, you should know that only raw honey is useful. Do not put it into hot water because it will lose all its good qualities. You can buy it at any shop that sells healthy food.

Essential oils

A lot of studies have shown that essential oils can help loosen mucus in your chest. You might have noticed that menthol is one of the ingredients of cough drops and other medicines. So use peppermint oil as a natural treatment.

Use essential oils in different ways: diffuse it or apply on your skin. Use a diffuser to spread the oil into the air or add a few drops of it into the water and take a bath.But if you want to spread it over your chest do a test before. It is essential to check if you are not allergic to it. Spread a bit on your forearm and wait one day. If no irritation has appeared, it is safe for you. After it, mix this oil with coconut or jojoba oil and apply on your chest. But keep in mind, if you have an irritation on your skin or a wound better don’t apply the oil there.

OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICINE

There is one more way to clear chest mucus. These are Over-the-counter remedies often called like OTC. Use this type of medicine if you see that natural remedies won`t help you. Look through the examples of some standard OTC. These may be oxymetazoline, phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine. These decongestants are produced in forms of tablets or sprays, and you can buy them at a pharmacy. Before using some, check the instruction. They are recommended to take during the day because they make your heart beat faster so that it is hard to fall asleep.

Slather a vapor rub

A vapor rub usually is used to relieve coughing and congestion because it contains some decongestant ingredients. Follow the instructions and apply it to your chest. Follow this procedure every day before going to bed until you feel better. Some studies were carried out, and it was proved that vapor rubs are very effective against coughing. You can find them at any pharmacy.

In what cases you should see a doctor?

Have you tried all possible ways and you still have the terrible symptoms? If you see you are getting worse, you have chest pain, cannot breathe well, the congestion worsens and lasts longer than three or four days, the texture or color of the substance changes you have to visit a doctor immediately. Usually, mucus clears up within nine days.

A doctor will determine the cause of your mucus and cough and then recommend you prescription-strength medication. In case you suffer from congestion in your nose your doctor will prescribe a nasal spray to help open up your nasal passageway. It may be a stronger version of OTC decongestants or some other medicine. And also your doctor will explain to you how to take this or that medicine and give you essential pieces of advice.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]