Strengthening Lung Health and the Immune System
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Strengthening Lung Health and the Immune System
Supporting lung health is a big focus as of late, but we are also getting close to allergy season starting here in New England so strengthening your lung health will help us navigate allergies as well.
Why? Because the lungs, in traditional Chinese medicine, control the important "first responders" when it comes to our immune system.
Let’s explore these and how you can support your lung health from home.
1). The Skin
The skin is one of your first responders in your immune system.
It is not only a protective barrier to your muscles and internal organs, but is considered an active immune organ.*
For example, whenever the skin barrier is breached, cytokines are released, signaling to the body’s immune system to respond to the breach and act accordingly to protect the body from any potential invasion of a pathogen.
In traditional Chinese medicine, our Wei Qi, flows just below the surface of the skin, between the skin and muscle.
Wei Qi is the energy of our body’s defense system and when strong has the ability to “kick out” any invading pathogen that could potentially make us sick.
If our Wei Qi is weak, however, the pathogen can invade and begin to cause signs and symptoms of illness.
So, the saying that the strength of the host is most important versus the strength of the pathogen is very true and why we want to keep our immune systems as strong as possible to stay healthy in light of illness causing viruses.
2) The Nose
The lung system in traditional Chinese medicine opens to and controls the nose.
Our nose is an important first responder in our immune system because it can “catch” invading pathogens before they have a chance to fully invade and make us sick.
When you breathe through your nose, the hairs, mucus and cilia lining your nasal passages catch and remove infectious bacteria and viruses as well as debris, pollen and dust when we breathe through our nose.
This is why breathing through your nose versus your mouth is so vital.
Mouth breathers should take notice of a second vital function of the nose.
Nasal sinuses produce nitric oxide, which plays a key role in our immunity by killing bacteria and preventing pathogenic growth as well as stimulating cilia in the nose to catch more illness causing bacteria!
Breathing through our mouths does not produce nitric oxide and gives direct access to invading germs to our lungs.
The lung system, in addition to supporting Wei Qi, skin health and nose functioning, also controls our respiratory function and breathing as well as the dispersing and descending energy.
The following symptoms may suggest a weak lung system:
Weak or shallow breathing
Wheezing or shortness of breath
Heaviness in the chest
Fatigue and lack of energy
Skin problems
Frequent colds and a weak immune system
Sadness and grief
Support Your Lung Health with Acupressure
One way you can support your lung health easily at home is with acupressure.
Acupressure is a technique that utilizes a finger or thumb to apply pressure on an acupuncture point on the body, thus stimulating the healing properties of that point.
A great point to start with to strengthen lung health is Lung 1.
The lung energy channel begins at the acupuncture point Lung 1 at the top of the chest, just inside from the shoulder joint, about an inch below the clavicle.
Once you locate the acupuncture point, simply apply pressure on that area with your finger or thumb for approximately 30 seconds. Pressure should be firm but not painful.
Repeat this process on the same point on the opposite side of the body for another 30 seconds.
Apply acupressure at least once a day on these points or as many times as needed throughout the day whenever you need relief and to strengthen the lungs.
Picture from A Manual of Acupuncture by by Peter Deadman & Mazin Al- Khafaji with Kevin Baker.
Cold & Flu Acupressure Guide
Looking to support your immune system to prevent illness as well as have support at the ready should you feel signs and symptoms of a cold, flu or respiratory illness?
Download the Cold & Flu Acupressure Guide, which provides the location and description of use of 5 acupuncture points that are extremely effective during cold and flu season.
