New Delhi, October 22 (IANS). With the arrival of winter, complaints of colds and coughs become common, but do you know that a big reason for this is not only cold, but also the increasing smoke in the environment? Whether it’s smoke from stubble burning, vehicle pollution, kitchen smoke, sparks from crackers or cigarette smoke, everything confuses our body’s immune system. When the carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, dust and toxic particles present in the smoke affect the sensitive membranes of our nose and throat, the body begins to react by considering it as an allergen, causing symptoms such as colds, sneezing, sore throat, blocked nose and irritation in the eyes to emerge even without the virus. We call this condition ‘smoke allergy’. When our immune system overreacts to smoke as a harmful substance, a condition such as allergic rhinitis or smoke-induced cold occurs. Its main symptoms are persistent sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, burning eyes, headache and tightness in the chest. The microscopic particles found in the smoke damage the cilia (hair-like protective fibers) found in our nose, allowing viruses and allergens to easily enter the body. In these situations, some simple home remedies can be very effective, such as basil-ginger tea, turmeric milk, lemon-honey mixture and consumption of garlic. Taking steam, especially with eucalyptus or peppermint oil, helps open the nose and kill bacteria. Ayurveda also has many remedies available for smoke allergy, such as Trikatu Churna, Singhanad Guggulu and Nasya Karma (injection of medicated oil into the nose). Putting 2 drops of Anu oil in the nose every day keeps the nasal passages safe. It is worth noting that more than 40 percent of cold and cough cases in India are due to allergies. If this condition persists, it can also take the form of serious diseases such as asthma or sinusitis. Therefore, the best protection is to avoid smoking, use natural remedies and strengthen the immune system. –IANS PIM/ABM
Understandthe difference between smoke allergy and cold, treatment will be easy
