Ask The Acupuncturist:
Forest Fire Smoke and Health
Hey Everyone! It’s your friendly Portland neighborhood Acupuncturists. Forest fires are everywhere on the west coast. The smoke is having a huge impact on people’s health. Here in Portland, we can’t see farther than a football field. Today we want to talk about how to stay healthy when there is a lot of air pollution or smoke.
Acupuncture and Respiratory Health
You know I’m always going to say: “Acupuncture and herbal medicine are one of the best choices for respiratory health.” But I’m here to give you more so you are empowered to help yourself and your loved ones. Check these respiratory health tips out.
Here are 10 ways to stay healthy in the smoke.
- Wear a mask when you go out! You probably have a few around at this point of the CoVid era.
- Change the Air Filter in your heating/cooling and run the fan. Click here to see a video about indoor air pollution.
- Humidify your house. If you don’t have a humidifier, then boil a pot of water.
- Essential oils. Add peppermint or eucalyptus to a diffuser or the boiling pot of water. This will help open up respiratory pathways.
- Eat your veggies! Kale, Broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables increase glutathione production in the body. Glutathione helps improve detoxification.
- Drink more water. I’m talking about 80 oz of water/day. This is always improves body functions. Contact us for our electrolyte recipe to boost your energy and stay hydrated.
- Drink Herbal Teas. There are a couple nice teas at the store. Our family likes “Breath Easy” or one of the other respiratory blends. Also, the good old: Honey, Ginger, and Lemon mix is always a winner. These help you increase protective mucus production, increase expectoration, and sooth irritated sinuses and throat.
- Take NAC (N-Acetyl-Cystine). Available at the clinic. NAC helps break up thick and sticky mucous, and improve glutathione production.
- Methylated B Vitamins. Available at the clinic. These improve liver detoxification. Our livers work so hard, give it a helping hand….That’s how we get all the junk out.
- Vitamin C & E. These improve glutathione circulation and lower inflammation in the lungs caused by free radicals.
- Schedule an acupuncture treatment and herbal consultation. Acupuncture helps balance muscle contractions. That way that cough goes away, asthma and allergies get better and your stress melts away. Acupuncture also helps boost immune function and lowers inflammation and stress hormones. Herbal medicine is nature’s pharmacy. Its more gentle and very effective. Don’t worry, chemistry applies to plants also. There’s good medicine in there.
We hope you all stay safe and healthy through these terrible fires. We are sending our heartfelt prayers.
John Rybak, LAc. MSAOM
The WellBridge Clinic
The WellBridge Clinic is a Functional Medical Clinic that specializes in Acupuncture, Herbal and Nutritional Medicine. Our mission has always been to EMPOWER more people to live healthy vibrant lives. Every person we work with gets that extra mile. We are located in Portland, Oregon and serve patients locally and around the world.
Click here so you can schedule an appointment or a free consultation to see how our team can help you.
