Healing and Restoring the Lungs.

[MatthewD]

I have been meaning to make a thread about this for a while now. I used to smoke heavily for a few years, mostly marijuana, with Tobacco as an additive (if you're not aware of this combo, I can explain). Now, my lungs didn't really worsen too much, but they have never been too good to begin with. Since I was born, allergies have riddled me with what used to be called "Asthma", and my nasal passages are almost always blocked. For these reasons, I am personally interested in what can be done to heal, regenerate and restore my lungs to the best state possible. Plenty of my friends and family could benefit from some helpful info too.

An example of what I am looking for is, Milk Thistle, which regenerates and protects the Liver (from my research). Except, we're talking lungs.


Thanks.

 

[DaddyPhatSax]

From what I remember from smoking cessation classes that I have been forced to take is that there Isnt much you can do to restore ling function once it has been compromised.

I think it has something to do with the small air sacs in the lungs. The lungs only have a certain amount of these sacs, and once they are damaged by smoke/carcinogens they are permanently damaged, they don't regenerate.

Maybe someone has better info though?

 

[MatthewD]

From what I remember from smoking cessation classes that I have been forced to take is that there Isnt much you can do to restore ling function once it has been compromised.

I think it has something to do with the small air sacs in the lungs. The lungs only have a certain amount of these sacs, and once they are damaged by smoke/carcinogens they are permanently damaged, they don't regenerate.

Maybe someone has better info though?

I had a feeling this was the case. But we'll see what other people know. I hope it's not a "1 cigarette a year for 70 years vs 70 cigarettes in 1 year" type situation, because that basically will force me into cutting down smoking as the ONLY positive thing I can do to my lungs. Fuck stopping, I like being high.

 

[effie]

From a medical perspective, as far as I know, the only thing you can do is cut down/stop smoking.

Doctors (in the UK at least) calculate your risk from smoking cigarette in pack-years:
1 pack-year is 1 pack of 20 cigarettes a day for a year, 30 pack-years is 1 pack a day for 30 years or 2 packs a day for 15 years or half a pack a day for 60 years..

Obviously it gets confusing when you start thinking about rolling tobacco/spliffs/whatever but the general principle behind it is that smoking a little for a long time causes the similar harm as smoking a lot for a shorter while. The damage is cumulative. However this probably isn't hard-and-fast - smoking a HUGE amount for a very short time might cause disproportionate damage as your lungs don't have a chance to even begin to repair themselves. Also, everyone is different. For some people smoking one cigarette a day, or a few at weekends, is enough to do a lot of damage where as others smoke more but don't seem to get the same amount of damage.

I feel your pain about not wanting to cut down (I smoke cigarettes and used to smoke a lot of spliffs, and I find cutting down really hard despite knowing about the damage I am doing to myself) but it is the only way really. Be careful of supplements/herbal remedies - a lot are complete rubbish - check for proper scientific research on them if you want evidence, and don't use them as a substitute for quitting/seeing a doctor if you are concerned about your lungs

Also, it depends what damage you are talking about. Tobacco cause various types -

1. Emphysema, which is damaging the tiny sacs (alveoli) in your lungs where O2 is taken in and CO2 removed from the blood, and is permanent

2. Bronchitis, which is inflammation of the airways, causing increased phlegm production ("smokers cough") and narrowing of the airways - it is reversible but can progress to irreversible airway obstruction (COPD or chronic obsrtuctive pulmonary disease is a term used for the combination of emphysema and irreversible airway obstruction often found in long term smokers)

3. Smoking paralyses the cilia lining your airways - little hairs on the cells in your airways which beat upwards, carrying all the crap you inhale up and out of your lungs. This is temporary, but the damage the crap sitting in your lungs does may not be.

4. Lung cancer - huge topic, may be protective things you can do but it is debatable, also caused by things other than smoking, and there are several different types - but is predominantly seen in smokers

5. Damage to the heart, blood vessels, brain etc - but you are asking about lungs so won't go into this!

Essentially, as far as I know, the only thing you can do is limit or stop smoking, and the sooner you do it the better.
Quick guide do damage caused by smoking, but there are loads of sites about this. There are loads of medical texts and research papers too going into it in a lot more detail but I haven't got time to do a search right now...

Your lungs can repair themselves from a certain amount of damage but things like emphysema are permanent. Think of it as how the liver can repair the damage done by drinking if you've only got to the fatty or enlaged liver stage, but once you get to cirrhosis it is irrepairable - but the lungs aren't as good at it as the liver..

Sorry for the information-overload! Hope it makes sense and is helpful and good luck!

Despite writing a mini essay I'm going to move this over to Healthy Living as I think you'll get a better response from the posters in there, but pm me if you're not happy about this decision..

BDD > HL

 

[MyDoorsAreOpen]

The lungs are lined with highly elastic epithelial tissue, which is the same cell type your skin and the lining of your digestive organs are made of. Epithelial tissue has the greatest ability to regenerate of any tissue in your body.

Basically, if you stop putting things in your lungs that kill the cells, they will ultimately return to near normal function, over a period of years. You're only beyond the point of no return if you've developed lung cancer, or have developed a lung infection that's hard to eradicate and has reconfigured the organs, such as tuberculosis or bronchiectasis.

In the meantime, avoid jobs and living situations in which you're breathing in a lot of pollutants, and if you find yourself wheezing or tolerating exercise poorly, have a doctor test your pulmonary function and prescribe you albuterol, which is a bronchodilator.

 

[Perpetual Indulgence]

so you are looking for suggestions other than stop smoking to regenerate/repair lung damaged tissue?

I would suggest a vaporizer if you are going to continue using marijuana. You don't add tobacco and no product wasted.

 

[kaywholed]

so you are looking for suggestions other than stop smoking to regenerate/repair lung damaged tissue?

I would suggest a vaporizer if you are going to continue using marijuana. You don't add tobacco and no product wasted.

yeah, or eat edibles.

 

[Bricheta_albastra]

I remember reading broccoli helps with lung damage among all the other miracles it performs, let me see if I can find the link.
Didn't bother reading the whole thread, hope I'm not mentioning stuff already posted.

Here you go: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20378-broccoli-helps-clear-damaged-lungs.html

 

[MyDoorsAreOpen]

^ Broccoli is good for cancer prevention overall.

Bottom line, smoking anything is fundamentally incompatible with pulmonary health. If you want your lungs in top shape, put nothing but clean air in them.

 

[MatthewD]

Moral of the story: Smoke = Damage. I'm not sure if I feel like munging Broccoli to prevent possible Cancer, although I do want my lungs to be as healthy as they can be, without dramatic lifestyle change.

I love smoking, but not just for the feeling. It's a reliable social activity, and the art of using a bong is well... Fun. Maybe I'll swap to straight green for a while, as that's less smoke overall, and arguably better for me.

I've had my own theory for a while now. I have a feeling that residual tar and byproducts mixed in with mucus/flem would add to bad breath, as well as increase the damage from each cigarette. For this reason, I use my Asthma puffer regularly, which is just a standard Salbutamol inhaler. I find after a puff or two, I can 'cough my lungs up' in a controlled, much more pleasant manner. Theoretically, I'm reducing the damage per 'x' amount of smoke by prematurely removing impurities. Could this mean that Salbutamol etc. may be beneficial for smokers and quitting smokers who don't require it for the usual reasons?

 

[Daikomyo]

Hi there... I just joined. (I'll do a proper introduction soon!)

I'm a student of holistic medicine, a big portion of which is eastern medicine. I would like to offer some things for consideration in response to the OP.

Most smokers have long-term lung dryness, sometimes with chronic cough and bleeding. They have accumulated phlegm and stagnant fluids. It's akin to having a chalky environment where things aren't all that mobile, and circulation is lowered.

The first thing you can do is consume licorice decoction (root portion boiled for 20 minutes, strained, then drank). Mix it with peppermint, which helps you to expectorate. Eucalyptus oil in a diffuser is also great for expectoration. If you happen to live in an area that has Asian markets, look into Chinese Ginseng (radix ginseng) as well. The licorice moistens the lungs by encouraging local tissue to retain fluid. (Don't use licorice long-term because it might cause too much water retention.) If you want to increase the moistening effect, add honey and fresh ginger to the warm decoction at the end. (If you find you're sensitive to the heat of the ginger, then just leave it out. Heat can promote further dryness sometimes.) This loosens things up. The peppermint will help you bring it up. Keep in mind that I'm not talking about peppermint tea bags, but finding some herbal quality peppermint and making a strong diffusion.

Over the course of a week or two of doing this, more and more garbage will come out of your lungs until finally the mucous runs clear. Congratulations, your lungs have been purged. If you've smoked your whole life, you might not have gotten everything... but this will boost your lung strength and the organ will do the rest over time. Now you'll use that ginseng if you got some. This tonifies the lungs, as well as the heart, digestion, and metabolism in general. You'll take about 10g of ginseng and decoct it for 30-35 minutes or so and then drink. Optionally, while it's decocting, you can toss in some chicken to boil with it, and other light vegetables. Then eat it after, but especially drink the broth. Again, not for long-term use, but for a couple of weeks or so should be okay.

If you happen to have access to eastern agelica root (radix angelicae sinensis, or dang gui 当归) or astralagus root (astragalus membranaceus, or huang qi 黄芪), the effect would be amplified. In fact, any root vegetable you care to add to this soup will increase the strengthening effect.

Western medicine will not be able to help you with lung recovery; it can address disease of the lung but not the strengthening of a non-diseased lung. Your hopes will reside in herbal medicine. If you want something more precise, I strongly recommend visiting an herbalist, naturopath, traditional chinese medicine practitioner - anyone but a western doctor, and someone with a thorough background in medicinal plants.

Hope that helps.

 

[MatthewD]

Hi there... I just joined. (I'll do a proper introduction soon!)

I'm a student of holistic medicine, a big portion of which is eastern medicine. I would like to offer some things for consideration in response to the OP.

Most smokers have long-term lung dryness, sometimes with chronic cough and bleeding. They have accumulated phlegm and stagnant fluids. It's akin to having a chalky environment where things aren't all that mobile, and circulation is lowered.

Thank you for your input, and welcome. I have a feeling I am not included in the group of 'most smokers' who have dry lungs. I do 99% of my smoking through a bong, making me more worried about things such as Pleurisy. However, I can see the importance of keeping your lungs adequately (but not overly) lubricated.

The first thing you can do is consume licorice decoction (root portion boiled for 20 minutes, strained, then drank). Mix it with peppermint, which helps you to expectorate. Eucalyptus oil in a diffuser is also great for expectoration. If you happen to live in an area that has Asian markets, look into Chinese Ginseng (radix ginseng) as well. The licorice moistens the lungs by encouraging local tissue to retain fluid. (Don't use licorice long-term because it might cause too much water retention.) If you want to increase the moistening effect, add honey and fresh ginger to the warm decoction at the end. (If you find you're sensitive to the heat of the ginger, then just leave it out. Heat can promote further dryness sometimes.) This loosens things up. The peppermint will help you bring it up. Keep in mind that I'm not talking about peppermint tea bags, but finding some herbal quality peppermint and making a strong diffusion.

Oddly enough, for reasons such as Asthma, congested sinus' etc., I have used all of the remedies you mention above. Never all at once, though. Would you say pulverizing the material, and then, for example, boiling and inhaling the vapors, would have a similar, but possibly stronger effect compared to menthol based products such as Vicks Vaporub?

Over the course of a week or two of doing this, more and more garbage will come out of your lungs until finally the mucous runs clear. Congratulations, your lungs have been purged. If you've smoked your whole life, you might not have gotten everything... but this will boost your lung strength and the organ will do the rest over time. Now you'll use that ginseng if you got some. This tonifies the lungs, as well as the heart, digestion, and metabolism in general. You'll take about 10g of ginseng and decoct it for 30-35 minutes or so and then drink. Optionally, while it's decocting, you can toss in some chicken to boil with it, and other light vegetables. Then eat it after, but especially drink the broth. Again, not for long-term use, but for a couple of weeks or so should be okay.

Sounds good, but I have a few questions. What exactly do you mean by "tonifies the lungs..", I have a feeling you mean to reinforce and strengthen, but by what means I am unsure. If what you say is correct, this is very useful information for me.

If you happen to have access to eastern agelica root (radix angelicae sinensis, or dang gui 当归) or astralagus root (astragalus membranaceus, or huang qi 黄芪), the effect would be amplified. In fact, any root vegetable you care to add to this soup will increase the strengthening effect.

Western medicine will not be able to help you with lung recovery; it can address disease of the lung but not the strengthening of a non-diseased lung. Your hopes will reside in herbal medicine. If you want something more precise, I strongly recommend visiting an herbalist, naturopath, traditional chinese medicine practitioner - anyone but a western doctor, but someone with a thorough background in medicinal plants.

Hope that helps.

I have never heard of those plants you mention, but from first impression it all sounds Chinese or close to it. Maybe these Chinese Chef's I know might have some. Either way, I'm sure there is a reason 'roots' add to the effect, beyond just being located under the ground, if you know what I mean. Western Medicine could adapt from these breakthroughs, could it not?

Anyway, thanks again for your great post. That goes for all of the previous posts as well, as they all contain very useful information.

 

[Daikomyo]

Thank you for your input, and welcome. I have a feeling I am not included in the group of 'most smokers' who have dry lungs. I do 99% of my smoking through a bong, making me more worried about things such as Pleurisy. However, I can see the importance of keeping your lungs adequately (but not overly) lubricated.

Ok, fair enough. I will say though that even if you are doing it through a bong and don't feel aggravated dryness, your lung surfactant levels are likely impaired. This is a more subtle kind of "dryness" that may make the lungs feel less flexible, and somewhat tight. The herbs I mention below help with this, and incidentally the painful friction in pleurisy (if you are afraid of having it).

Oddly enough, for reasons such as Asthma, congested sinus' etc., I have used all of the remedies you mention above. Never all at once, though. Would you say pulverizing the material, and then, for example, boiling and inhaling the vapors, would have a similar, but possibly stronger effect compared to menthol based products such as Vicks Vaporub?

I would say no to pulverizing. That would oxidate the medicinal properties, when we want to save the contents for suspension in a liquid. It would also make the decoction more grainy from fiber and that wouldn't be pleasant. It's more effective to just let the dry herbs sit in the pot for 10-15 minutes so the water can seep in, and then simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Vicks is useful for clearing heat from the chest. I think it would be more effective for clearing the heat of a feverish flu, or chest congestion with sore throat. Peppermint is dynamic because it can be used for chronic or acute heat, plus it has the expectorant quality. Licorice is great for moistening, and it also calms the spasm of chronic cough.

Sounds good, but I have a few questions. What exactly do you mean by "tonifies the lungs..", I have a feeling you mean to reinforce and strengthen, but by what means I am unsure. If what you say is correct, this is very useful information for me.

Tonify just means strengthen. Ginseng is adaptogenic, so it's hard for me to say the precise way in which it will help your individual lungs. It's a pretty dynamic herb. It can moisten the lungs, strengthen the blood going to the lungs (and heart), or even send additional resources from other places in the body to make the lung tissue itself more nutrified and prepared to do work. It also strengthens the immune system, especially macrophages who are responsible for gobbling up dead tissue and waste. (Adding huang qi increases the immune factors more.) I could go on and on. People write entire dissertations on ginseng. My point is that it will be of some benefit for the lungs.

I have never heard of those plants you mention, but from first impression it all sounds Chinese or close to it. Maybe these Chinese Chef's I know might have some. Either way, I'm sure there is a reason 'roots' add to the effect, beyond just being located under the ground, if you know what I mean. Western Medicine could adapt from these breakthroughs, could it not?

The herbs I mention are in Chinese cooking, so you shouldn't have a problem. Ginseng though is not something they use in restaurants because it can be pricey in larger amounts. Luckily though it's famous and you can find it anywhere. Just make sure it's Chinese ginseng and not American because the properties are different.

Alternatively... if you go to the effort of visiting a Chinatown that has an herb shop, just ask them to make you the formula called Si Jun Zi Tang 四君子汤 and ask them to use ginseng. If you can do that after you finish the expectoration side, you will notice big changes.

If this is outlandish or impossible to do, then just stick with the other herbs. They will work just as well. All of this stuff is super cheap to buy, less than $10.

Anyway, thanks again for your great post. That goes for all of the previous posts as well, as they all contain very useful information.

No problemo

 

[MatthewD]

Sorry for the extremely late reply. As of this moment I am delirious with a head cold, but I'd like to elaborate on this further when I get to spend some solid time on the computer. I'd hate to just leave you talking to yourself. A cure for seasickness on land would be quite handy right about now!