How to Clean Lungs from Smoking Naturally? 5 Lifestyle Changes to Get Cleaner Lungs Faster
We all know that smoking is a nasty habit. As someone who is battling with quitting smoking, I know how good the first puff of a smoke can feel after a long day. But we can’t always close our eyes to the many health issues that regular smoking can create. From different types of cancer to heart disease, what might sometimes seem like a fast way to get rid of build-up stress, can be potentially lethal for you. If you have already made the choice of quitting, for which I applaud you, you may be looking for ways to clean your lungs from smoking. Here’s how to do it.
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How to clean our lungs from smoking?
After you have taken the decision of quitting smoking, it is normal for you to want to clean your lungs as fast as you can. With years of smoking, a lot of toxins can build up and be the cause of certain damage. The condition of your lungs depends on how long have you been smoking. The sooner you decide to quit, the better. Your lungs do self-clean, but there are lifestyle changes you can make to speed up the process. Interested to know which they are? But let’s first mention how long can it take to clean your lungs.
How long does it take to clean your lungs from smoke?
The first 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and heart rate will return to normal. After 12 hours, so do your carbon monoxide levels. 2 days from then, you will notice how your sense of smell and taste have improved. Then between 2 weeks to 3 months, the function of your lungs will improve. You won’t experience shortness of breath so often. A year from your last puff, your breathing will be better, and you will have a greater tolerance for exercise.
Cleaner lungs by drinking more water
When you drink more water, you help your body flush out toxins faster. These include those produced by heavy smoking. Look up on an online calculator to see how much water you should drink depending on your age, weight, and lifestyle. Drinking warm beverages will also be beneficial for trying to clean your lungs from smoking faster. Green tea has been said to help with lung inflammation, thanks to the many antioxidants it possesses.
Focus on a diet rich in antioxidants
As a lot of toxins have built up in your body due to smoking, you can help your lungs clean faster with a diet rich in antioxidant foods. Such, like many fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish have many health-beneficial properties for your body. Especially foods recognized as being anti-inflammatory. These include: leafy greens like spinach and kale, beans and lentils, fruits like blueberries and cherries, almonds, walnuts, etc. Incorporate these in your diet to get cleaner lungs faster!
Practice cautious coughing for cleaner lungs
You will notice in the following weeks after you have quit smoking that you tend to cough quite often. This is a completely normal occurrence, and it’s the body’s way of cleaning out the excess amount of mucus that has developed in your lungs. Don’t be started by it, but cough freely to help out your lungs. Some doctors even offer their patients who have quit smoking exercises on controlled coughing. You can ask yours for such as well.
Frequently clean your living space
You might be surprised by this one, but let me assure you it is quite important. My father is a heavy smoker, and he also happens to be allergic to mould. When it happened to develop in a room in our house, he couldn’t breathe normally. Dust, mould and pollen can irritate our lungs greatly, so it’s crucial that we take care of them in time. Make sure you dust and vacuum your home as often as you can to aid your lungs in their cleaning process. Also, don’t forget about those air vents and fans.
Exercise regularly for clean lungs
We all know that we can benefit greatly from regular exercise in a number of ways. Whether it’s to lose weight or even to reduce stress, exercising for at least 30 min a day, 4 times a week can do wonders for your health. When you exercise, this increases the amount of oxygen that gets through your body. Jogging, swimming, cycling or even just taking a walk can help with clearing out your lungs after smoking. Start easy with a regular walk in the park and move up as you build tolerance.
And if you are looking for more natural ways to help clean your lungs, read our article about 5 herbal teas that can help you out as well.
