Support Your Respiratory System in Spring

Springtime is rough for your respiratory system. Whether you have seasonal allergies or not, your body is coming into contact with airborne particles from the new growth of plants. These airborne particles are little irritants that your body is dealing with. For some people, these irritants result in a full array of seasonal allergy symptoms like coughing, sneezing, sore throat, etc. But for the majority of people, there are not any obvious symptoms of the mini-battle your body is fighting on the inside. 

Supporting your respiratory system will boost your overall wellness in the spring, as your body deals with new seasonal irritants.

What is your Respiratory System?

The respiratory system allows us to breath. It brings oxygen into our body (called inhalation) and sends carbon dioxide out (called exhalation). The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the respiratory system is called respiration. 

Your respiratory system is made of two regions, the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The upper respiratory tract includes your nasal cavity (nose), larynx and pharynx (back of mouth/upper throat). The lower respiratory tract includes your trachea(tube between throat and lungs), bronchi (branches of connection tubes between the trachea and lung), and lungs. Both regions are vital in the process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide in respirations. 

How the Respiratory System Affects your Overall Health

So, breathing is pretty important, right?! Without the proper exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, serious troubles start happening. Keeping our respiratory system healthy and strong is vital for overall wellness, as every other system in our bodies relies on oxygen to function. And in spring, our body is carrying the extra weight of dealing with irritants while trying to gather oxygen with each breath. 

What are these “irritants”?

Spring is a time of sprouting leaves, new growth and therefore, lots of pollen. The main contributors to the pollen in the air are trees, grass, and weeds. While pollen is totally necessary for our ecosystems, it does act as a surface irritant when we breathe it in with the air in the great outdoors. 

 

I don’t have allergies, why should I care?

Regardless of whether you have seasonal allergies or not, your body is still fighting these irritants. Seasonal allergy symptoms are a heightened immune response to irritants, like pollen, that result in sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, etc. If you do not have these symptoms, it means that your immune system isn’t heightened, but it is still active. For this reason, respiratory system support is helpful to everyone’s overall health in the spring.

Poor functioning respiratory systems lead to decreased or insufficient oxygenation throughout the body. This can result in decreased strength, stamina, energy, and cognitive function. While a strong respiratory system equips you to have optimal physical performance, higher energy, and better cognitive function. Regardless of whether you have seasonal allergies or not, keeping your respiratory system strong and healthy should be a priority. 

Ways to support a healthy respiratory system

• Integrating breathing techniques
• Cultivating proper posture
• Staying active and hydrated
• Reinforcing your immunity

Integrate Breathing Techniques

Breathing seems like something very basic, however, the skill to utilize proper breathing techniques is not something many people have cultivated. One breathing technique that is often utilized as a way to enhance oxygenation and increase lung capacity is diaphragmatic breathing. 

To do diaphragmatic breathing: lay on your back and breathe in through your nose with your mouth shut, pulling the air down, allowing your lungs to completely fill with air as your belly moves outwards. Slowly exhale through pursed lips, while tightening your abdominal muscles. Keep your chest still throughout. Repeat 3 times, breathing normally for a few seconds between. Do this technique daily.  

 

Cultivate Proper Posture

Your lung’s ability to bring in a full breath is highly dependent on the quality of your posture. Your breathing will naturally be more shallow when you are slouching and slumping. Sitting and standing upright will increase your lung capacity and improve the quality of your breaths. 

 

Stay Active and Hydrated

Like all muscles, your lungs need to be challenged to grow. Lung capacity is naturally increased as your body demands more systemic oxygenation. To put your body in a state of using up more oxygen, you need to exercise.

Your respiratory system is primed with mucus throughout it. Although that sounds gross, it is a vital part of your body preventing inflammation and illness. To create enough mucus, your body needs to be properly hydrated. So like everyone says, you need to drink enough water! This keeps your respiratory system primed and ready to defend against irritants. 

 

Reinforcing Your Immunity

Helping your immune system as a whole will greatly support your body’s ability to fight against irritants, including within the respiratory system. Using super plants through aromatherapy is an easy way to do this. As the benefits of many plants can reinforce your body’s overall wellness. For example, super plants like clove, lemon, eucalyptus, and peppermint are known to enhance immunity, supporting your whole body’s health.

Respiratory health is of high importance for everyone, regardless of whether they have allergies or not. Taking action to naturally support and build respiratory strength can be easily done in everyday life, and isn’t very complicated. 

We created Lemon Berry Bliss Cores specifically to reinforce your body’s ability to fight against pollen irritants, effectively supporting your body’s natural respiratory function. Use the power of these super plants to enhance your wellness

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References

Rush University Medical Center (2021). 8 Tips for Healthy Lungs. Retrieved from https://www.rush.edu/news/8-tips-healthy-lungs

Wilson, R.(2020).  What to know about Diaphragmatic Breathing. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/diaphragmatic-breathing 

Iwasaki, A., Foxmen, E., Molony, R. (2016). Early local immune defense in the respiratory tract. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5480291/

Dezube, R. (2021). Defense Mechanisms of the Respiratory System. Retrieved from https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/home/lung-and-airway-disorders/biology-of-the-lungs-and-airways/defense-mechanisms-of-the-respiratory-system 

Biggers, A. (2019) Seasonal Allergies: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/seasonal-allergies

American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. (2017) Common Seasonal Allergy Triggers. Retrieved from https://acaai.org/allergies/seasonal-allergies

 Mayo Clinic Staff (2020). Seasonal Allergies: Nip them in the bud. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hay-fever/in-depth/seasonal-allergies/art-20048343