Soothing The Soot With Herbs

For the past one month now, the atmosphere within Port Harcourt and the adjoining communities has become hazy, heavy and full soot. The result has been frequent cough, sneezing and fever.
Environmental experts and activists have been on the air and other mediums over the situation, as they blame artisanal refineries dotted deep in the creeks for this health hazards.
The worrisome part of the situation is that the harmattan has set in and the dry weather helps to spread the dusts and the soot farther into town.
Last week, a medical expert had warned that we may be having a health epidemic if the situation is not checked. Those hard hit with the current problem include those with respiratory challenges like asthma, bronchitis.
As said earlier, one common symptom of the current situation is cough, catarrh and sneezing. And this can come with fever, nasal congestion, watery eyes and runny nose.
As a naturopath,  I have always been on the alert knowing full well that respiratory problems can easily break one down, if something urgent is not done to check the malaise.
One thing about such ailments(respiratory) is that they break the immune system down, since frequent coughing and sneezing can lead to dizziness and weakness.
To help you out this period,  I have checked on those herbs that can strengthen the body and open the nasal canals. One of such is thyme.
Thyme has a menthol feeling in the body. It calms the body and reduces nasal congestion. So also is ginger, a cousin of turmeric and much hotter.
For you to have the best results, it is advised you join these herbs with scent leaves and lemon boiled together.
Drinking this herbal mix, will not only clear the nasal passages, it will help cleanse the liver and kidney to remove toxins inhaled into the body.

By: Kevin Nengia