The effects of smoking on your body are broad and potentially severe. Smoking harms nearly every organ in your body, causing many diseases, and reducing one’s general health. Smoking impacts your cardiovascular system and can cause cancer to many parts of your body. One important impact is to your respiratory system.
Smoking, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), can cause emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, make asthma attacks more frequent and stronger, and the lung disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (commonly called COPD). Smokers are more likely to die from COPD than non-smokers.
Your lungs keep you alive. Because they are constantly working, we normally don’t think of them much but lung health is critical. The American Lung Association listed some of the ways that your lungs can be harmed. Smoking is listed first on their list, followed by indoor pollutants, air pollution, and general sickness.
The American Lung Association suggests working towards healthy lungs through exercise and regular check-ups with your doctor. Acupuncture can support both lung health as well as help you quit smoking.
Acupuncture and Lung Health
What are lung problems caused by in Oriental Medicine?
Lung health is related to breathing. One of the things that worsens the health of the lung is the inability to turn food, drink, and breath into Qi, blood, and fluid, a process called “transformation.” Among people with poor lung health, inhalation and exhalation are not balanced. When the inability to move through transformation occurs, the balance with the bladder, which is the organ that faces the lungs, is broken.
What are some ways acupuncture can help with lung health?
The lungs and bladder both are important organs for lung health. Acupuncture treatment on the meridian of the lungs and bladder in conjunction with herbal medicine can help to prevent health problems. For instance, lung health is deeply linked to our immunity. Treating the lung meridians improves and strengthens our immunity. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are the most natural treatment methods that do not use antibiotics. And it can be as effective as antibiotics.
Acupuncture and Quitting Smoking
Can acupuncture and/or herbal medicine help with people quitting smoking?
Definitely. The process of quitting smoking and quitting drinking in acupuncture are the same. We like to say, when you have 40% of your will then acupuncture can help 60%. If you don’t have your own will, you can’t quit smoking even if your doctor treats you. Acupuncture treatment can reduce the desire to smoke and lose the taste of tobacco. Your desire is lessened by controlling the meridians, as mentioned earlier, with the balance between the lungs and the bladder.
What are some examples of things that Dr. Ko might prescribe for lung health and/ or quitting smoking?
Tian Hua Fen (Radix Trichosanthis), Huáng qín (Scutellaria baicalensis), xìngrén (Armeniacae Semen) will help for the Lung health.
Getting started with acupuncture
If you are ready to explore acupuncture, oriental medicine, and herbal remedies to quit smoking and improve your lung health book your initial consultation with 120 Acupuncture today. In your initial visit, Dr. Ko will work with you to create a custom plan to get you on the road to quitting.
