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Mitigating Risks from Smoke and Ash Exposure... and pollution for that matter!

Updated: Jan 29




Protecting Your Health with TCM Insights and Practical Tips

This year is LA’s driest year on record in 118 years of weather record keeping! Here at Artemisia, we are taking the health and environmental impacts of the dry air and the recent fires in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades seriously. Consistent dry air (exacerbated by HVAC systems and purifiers), smoke and ash can have a serious impact on our health, particularly the lungs, immune system, and overall well-being.


Combining modern precautions with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) insights can help us better safeguard our health during this unprecedented moment in our city. As of today, the fires are still burning in Eaton Canyon, Pacific Palisades and Santa Clarita. Our journey toward eventual rain, finally putting these fires out, clean up and rebuilding will be long and winding roads. But our bodies and communities are resilient and with the proper support, we are capable of anything!


We recommend familiarizing yourself with these strategies as a way to protect and nourish your bodies in the face of more "normal" exposure to pollutions and toxins such as PFAS, VOCs, PM2.5, urban dust and mold spores, PCBs, pesticides, herbicides... and so many more molecules, sadly. Your body already does a great job of detoxifying and compartmentalizing these, however in times of increased exposure, stress or underlying illness, you will need extra support. Read on!


Stay Informed: Monitoring Air Quality

The first step is staying informed about the air quality around you. Use reliable tools like:

  • ASCENT: A network offering real-time air quality updates, preliminary data is now available to the public.

  • AirNow.gov: The EPA's tool for tracking local air quality and health advisories.

  • Wind Direction: Over the next few months, it is recommended to be mindful of wind direction from burn sites. Apps like Watch Duty can be configured to show AQI and wind direction.

  • Your sense of smell: if the air outside smells smokey, this is information too. Many of the AQI sensors are hyper local to the areas they are located in. Your neighborhood may be different. 

  • Your sense of sight: if there is visible ash or particulate matter in the air, mask up or stay indoors. 


Depending on your age and health, it may be worth limiting outdoor activities, closing windows, and using a HEPA air purifier indoors. Wirecutter recommends this one: Coway Airmega. This purifier is adaptable to the air quality in your home as it has its own sensors. This will help prevent inhalation of harmful particles. 


Creating a Safe, Calming Home and Work Environment

Your environment plays an important role in supporting your health. Here’s how to create a space conducive to healing:

  • Use a HEPA air purifier indoors: Wirecutter recommends this one: Coway Airmega. Choose an air purifier that uses both HEPA and charcoal to purify your air.

  • Keep your shoes off indoors.

  • Clear your home: remove easy to remove rugs, particularly from high traffic areas. Wipe down and put away clutter, or anything that will trap dust and is hard to clean.

  • Wet Wiping and Mopping: use damp cloths or wet wipes to keep your surfaces clean. Mop surfaces instead of sweeping to trap dust without sending it back into the air.

  • Outside:

    • Spray down all surfaces, plants and walk ways a few times a week following a fire, and again after windy days. Repeat before out door play if you have children or pets.

    • Consider replacing top soil, mulch, pond water and vegetable garden soil.

    • Research best practices for herbs and vegetable gardens, citrus and fruit trees and any plants you may come into contact with.

    • Activated charcoal can be mixed with water to detoxify soil.

  • Indoor Plants: Place plants like peace lilies or spider plants around your home to naturally filter the air.

  • Regular Cleaning: Use damp cloths or mops to remove dust and ash from surfaces.

  • Humidifiers: While these don’t clean the air, they do help to moisturize and protect the mucus membranes in your nose and throat. This in turn makes it easier to trap and expel the mucus that has entrapped particles. With the addition of air purifiers and running HVACS mores often, our bodies can become drier and more vulnerable to irritation.

  • Flush your Water: In areas that were listed as "do not drink" or "do not boil", flush all of your taps and pipes on high pressure for 10 minutes once you have been notified from your water division that your water is safe to use.


Lung Support with TCM Insights

In Eastern Medicine, wildfire smoke is seen as a "dry heat" this means that it can cause dryness and inflammation, sometimes leading to infection if the conditions are right. In order to nourish the lungs and counteract these effects, we must focus on hydrating not only our bodies, but our local tissues. A few ideas include:

  • For Adults:

    • Drink pear and goji berry infusions, which hydrate the lungs and cools heat.

    • Mullein and marshmallow leaf tea is also great for soothing respiratory distress.

    • Gargle with warm salt water (as salty as the sea) whenever you feel irritation or dryness.

    • 1/4 teaspoon of Manuka honey placed at the back of the throat after eating (or gargling) and before bed will help to soothe and repopulate your microbiome.

    • Neti pot regularly with warm water (every day during colds, congestion or allergies).

  • For Kids:

    • Turn soothing herbal teas like marshmallow leaf and/or chrysanthemum into fun popsicles.

    • 1/4 teaspoon of Manuka honey placed at the back of the throat after eating and before bed will help to soothe and repopulate your microbiome - only for children over 1 year old.

    • Use saline sprays to encourage deeper seated mucus to exit the sinuses.


Dietary Support and Detoxification

Smoke and ash exposure can stress out and clog up the body's detoxification systems. A diet rich in hydrating, detoxifying foods helps support the lungs, liver, intestines, skin and kidneys, just a few of our detoxification pathways: Incorporate these foods into your meals:

  • Hydrating Fruits: Pears, watermelon, and Asian pears are great for moistening and nourishing the lungs.

  • Leafy Greens: Spinach, bok choy, and mustard greens help clear heat and detoxify the body.

  • Congee: This simple rice porridge can be made with lung-nourishing ingredients like lily bulbs or jujube dates for extra support.

  • Fiber: steel cut oats, flaxseed, apples and other dietary fibers will help to brush toxins out of the gut.

  • Avoid: Greasy, spicy, and fried foods, which can worsen internal heat and dryness.

  • Steam: Inhaling steam infused with ginger or eucalyptus can help open airways and expel toxins. Just a few drops of essential oil in your shower, or in a bowl filled with hot water (careful!) can be extremely soothing.

  • Sauna: Take yourself to the sauna, or invest in an at-home kit. Don’t overdo it. Less time, more frequently, is a more gentle and effective approach. 


Detox and Grounding Practices

Eastern Medicine emphasizes detoxifying through the lungs, skin, and digestive system. Support these pathways with simple, accessible practices that you can do at home, or we can help with at Artemisia!

  • Steam Therapy: Boil water with ginger or eucalyptus leaves, or add a few drops of each essential oil, inhale the steam to clear congestion and soothe the lungs.

  • Cupping and Gua Sha: Unrivaled in their ability to break up and release stagnation over the lungs, improve circulation, and support respiratory health. Book Here

  • Epsom Salt Baths: Add ginger powder to your bath to support circulation and detoxification.

  • Deep Tissue and Lymphatic Massage: manual therapies support your body in doing what it does best while addressing added stress and tension at the same time. Book Here.


Supplementation + Herbal Medicine 

When diet and lifestyle change aren’t enough, we can depend on our botanical allies and targeted molecules to further support the body. It is important to discuss herbal and supplemental additions with your health care provider. Check Availability Here.


  • Herbal Medicine: A herbal consult is the best way to find the formula that is just right for you. If you are battling a cold or flu, cough, post nasal drip, sore throat, asthma or any kind of respiratory distress, give us a call to schedule your appointment, or book here. We are offering free and reduced cost treatments to those directly impacted by the recent fires. 

  • Supplementation: Supplementation may be right for you, particularly if you are dealing with acute or chronic exposure near the burn sites. Here are some supplements you may consider in conversation with your health practitioner. Ask us!

    • NAC, Carboxy, Quercetin, Selenium, Vitamin C, Increased Omegas. 


Movement and Adjunct Therapies:

  • For Kids: Encourage gentle stretching or playful yoga to promote qi circulation and relieve stress.

  • For Adults: Practice qigong breathing exercises to strengthen Lung Qi and promote relaxation.

    • Ted Moreno is a local hypnotherapist and has generously recorded a free episode on managing grief and processing the aftermath of this disaster in our community. 

  • For everyone:

    • Consider working with a board certified therapist trained in trauma counseling and skilled in processing grief and shock. We love the local team at Rezak Therapy.


We wish you all the best as you take these important steps to protect your health and rebuild your communities. We are here!







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