The lungs are our first line of defense. We breathe in five litres of air every minute! This means that our lungs are constantly filtering airborne pathogens and pollutants. In busy urban areas like Los Angeles, lung-related physical complaints abound. Exposure to harmful pollutants from coal-fired plants, work-related exposures, travel, and even exercise mean that the lungs are taking a lot of punishment.
Foreign particulate matter that lodges in the lungs will produce an immune response, an inflammatory response. Immune responses that begin in the lung can spread throughout the body, setting up a pattern of systemic inflammation. Just as research has shown that oral hygiene has broad-reaching effects for overall health, the same can be said for any other part of the body. After all, every system of the body coordinates with every other system of the body to work as a whole. The thing is that the lungs are the first line of defense. Hence, clearing the lungs of lingering infection has broad implications for overall health.
In Chinese medicine, the lungs regulate respiration, movement of blood through the circulatory system, and are responsible for the first-stage of immunity. The lung system is related to the skin and the nasal passages. The skin is recognized as the largest organ in the body and the first line of defense. Nasal complications and their relationship to breathing difficulties are obvious. Understanding the relationship of pathogens and pollutants to the natural immune response can provide a helpful framework to approach the systemic problems arising from constant environmental assault.
Chinese medicine most popular modality is acupuncture. It has fabulous immune modulating effects, but Chinese herbalism is much more appropriate for the following reasons. Much has been made recently of “super bugs”, those bacteria and viruses which have grown resistant to the best that modern medicine has to offer by way of drugs. Prescription overuse and abuse have rendered many bugs extremely virulent. The recent scare surrounding H1N1 and bird-flu have not only highlighted the limitations of modern approaches to pathogens, but has also revealed the utility of Chinese herbalism in killing viruses and bacteria.
Many herbs, contrary to single drug prescriptions, have dual function. An herb like reishi, which has been touted for its immune boosting and cancer-fighting properties, also has the ability to down-regulate the immune system. This is extremely important because the worst effects from the flu have not been due to a depleted immune system, rather the opposite, an immune system that elicits such an extreme response that it begins to attack the body. The most common example of such a response is the allergies exhibited by those allergic to shellfish and peanuts, called anaphylaxis. It more generally can be referred to as a cytokine storm, a phenomenon that is a positive feedback loop between the immune response and the markers (cytokines) for immune activity. Chinese herbs therefore not only boost immunity but can directly address the most dangerous aspects of virulent pathogenic invasion: cytokine storm.
It is often the long-term presence of environmental pollutants that elicits a constant inflammatory immune response that paves the way for more serious auto-immune conditions later in life: pulmonary fibrosis, lupus, rhinitis, and arthritis to name a few. Specific Chinese herbs have the ability to leach pollutants from the body, remove immune-exciting cytokines from the bloodstream, and reduce inflammation. This means that it gets at the root of the problem in addition to all of the fallout from the aggravating agents.
Those conscientious about caring for their body temple are becoming more and more wary of standard biomedical prescriptions due to side-effects. It would be foolish to maintain that Chinese herbs do not have side-effects. Any medicine can function as a poison if misused or used by untrained individuals. Fortunately, the side-effects of herbs are usually much less severe because herbs are not concentrated singular molecules, but rather complex molecular compounds comprised of the whole plant. The whole plant is what accounts for the dual function of herbs and is an invaluable approach to a constantly changing picture of health.
Chinese herbalism is an invaluable tool for giving love to your lungs and entire respiratory system. It can not only knock out the bugs that give rise to infection but can also leach out the pollutants often responsible for systemic inflammation. Anyone living in today’s modern world is affected by environmental pollutants. The key is not to simply boost the immune system, but rather to balance immunity in light of one’s presenting condition. Often, it is an overactive immune system that is problem. A Chinese medicine herbalist can help tremendously in getting to bottom of systemic imbalance, offering solutions for those who seek either to complement their standard medical course or those who are seeking a completely natural option.
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