Wildfires are more than just a blazing menace that devour forests and homes. They also release smoke that can harm our health, especially our lungs. When a wildfire burns, it sends tiny particles and gases into the air that can be dangerous when we breathe them in — even when we don’t see or feel it.
What’s in Wildfire Smoke?
Wildfire smoke is full of small particles that can get deep into your lungs and even into your bloodstream. It has chemicals like carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and substances called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These can cause all sorts of health problems, from burning eyes and a runny nose to more serious issues like breathing troubles, worsened heart and lung diseases, and increased risk of death.
Who’s at Risk?
Everyone can be affected by wildfire smoke, but some people are at higher risk. This includes kids, older adults, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions like asthma or heart disease. Even healthy adults can feel the effects if they spend a lot of time outside or do heavy outdoor exercise during smoky conditions.
Natural Ways to Support Your Lungs and Health
When the air is smoky, there are natural ways to help protect your lungs and health:
- Stay Indoors: Keep windows and doors closed. Use an air purifier with a HEPA filter to clean the air inside your home. Change your filters often.
- Wear a Mask: If you have to go outside, wear a mask designed to filter out fine particles (like an N95 respirator).
- Dietary Antioxidants: Eat foods rich in antioxidants. These can include fruits and vegetables like cherries, berries, apples, carrots, and leafy greens. They help protect your cells from damage.
- Herbal Remedies: Some herbs, like turmeric and ginger, may help reduce inflammation in your lungs caused by inhaling smoke. Talk to a functional medicine provider to help with sourcing and dosing.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to help your kidneys flush out any toxins that can build up when you breathe in smoke.
- Breathing Exercises: Practice breathing exercises to strengthen your lungs. This can help them work better when they’re under stress from smoky air.
- Limit Outdoor Exercise: Avoid intense outdoor activities that make you breathe hard when the air quality is poor.
- Nebulize antioxidants: Glutathione and N-acetylcysteine can be nebulized in-office under functional medicine supervision to help deliver direct antioxidants to the lung tissue.
- IV Glutathione: this powerful antioxidant can be used to help the liver and lungs detoxify the smoke particulate chemicals; an IV glutathione push is the most potent option as oral absorption of this nutrient is poor.
Talk to your functional medical doctor about any concerns, especially if you have a lung condition like asthma. They might suggest specific steps and treatments to stay safe. Remember, the smoke can travel far and affect air quality even if you’re miles away from the actual fire.
So, keep an eye on local air quality reports and take steps to protect yourself and your family when wildfire smoke fills the air. Get scheduled for an IV glutathione push and consult to best support your body in times of smoke oxidative stress. By following these tips, you can help keep your lungs and body healthier during wildfire season.
Looking for natural options for whole-body wellness? Our licensed functional medicine doctor provides preservative-free IV therapy and vitamin injections as well as other wellness treatments.
