Struggling with sinus issues has always been a challenge for me—constant congestion, headaches, and discomfort. But with the rise in pollution, it feels like an added burden I can’t escape. The air quality worsens every day, triggering my symptoms even more. It's frustrating to deal with sinus problems, and the pollution just makes everything worse, leaving me feeling helpless and constantly seeking relief.With the ever-increasing levels of air pollution across the globe, especially in urban areas, protecting your respiratory health has become more crucial than ever. Polluted air filled with harmful chemicals and toxins can cause a variety of health problems, including respiratory distress, sinusitis, asthma, and dry cough. Dr Sudha Asokan, Founder of Dr Sudha's Ayurveda Kendra shares, "Air pollution is harmful to your lungs. The chemicals present in smog [smoke+fog]accumulates in the respiratory system causing symptoms such as shortness of breath, sinusitis, asthma, dry cough, suffocation and a sense of chest heaviness."Ayurveda, with its holistic approach, offers several remedies to prevent and manage the adverse effects of pollution on the body, especially for your nasal passage and respiratory system.Effects of Air Pollution on the BodyAir pollution is detrimental to your lungs, as the harmful chemicals in smog—essentially a combination of smoke and fog—accumulate in the respiratory system. This can cause shortness of breath, sinus congestion, chronic cough, chest heaviness, and other discomforting symptoms."According to ayurveda, all tridosha aggravation causes accumulation in the respiratory channels due to these air pollutants and it leads to formation of various respiratory diseases. Tobacco smoking, use of coal, indoor pollutants like radon gas, exposure to gases like carbon dioxide etc. are all causes of bronchitis, breathing difficulties in addition to the air pollutants," explains Dr Sudha."Ayurveda employs herbs and natural chemicals to address imbalances, strengthen the immune system. Before one month of the onset of winter season, people should start practicing preventive care against air pollutants and dust. If people are prone to get ill due to these factors, they can take some oral ayurvedic medicine which acts as immune boosters along with Kerala ayurvedic massages like pizhichil, kizhi, head massage , steam , abyangam, herbal enemas helps n melting all the toxins in the body, then they are expelled out of body through panchakarma."Must-Do Steps for Cleansing Your Nasal Passage after Coming from OutdoorsAs pollution levels rise, here are essential Ayurveda practices shared by Dr Sudha that should be incorporated into your routine to cleanse and protect your respiratory system:1. Nasyam and Facial AbhyangamIt is an effective therapy in treating ailments of the respiratory systems such as sinusitis, chronic cold, dust, congestion etc.It cleanses the different nasal and respiratory cavities, which in turn increase oxygen supply thus pacifying the effects of pollution.2. Kerala Ayurvedic Massage and PanchakarmaIt is an integral part of daily routine recommended in ayurveda. It detoxifies and rejuvenates the body. It is best to flush out all the toxins, stress, strain and various other ailments out of the body. It can also be followed by a steam therapy which reduces the body heaviness. Through Kerala massage all the toxins get melted. They are expelled out from the body by Kerala panchakarma therapy.3. Herbs to Boost ImmunityIn addition to therapies, intake of some medicinal herbs will help in improving immunity:Some herbs like tulsi, turmeric, honey, garlic, ghee, lemon, and pomegranate should be included in the diet. They help to strengthen your body and fight the effects of air pollution.Also include neem in your diet as it detoxifies the body.4. Breathing Exercises and YogaPractice breathing exercises like pranayama, bhastrika pranayama, yogasanas like pavanamuktasana, trikonasana etc.Additionally, regular pranayama and breathing exercises are essential to cleanse the lungs and improve overall respiratory health. Bhastrika pranayama, known for its deep breathing technique, and Kapala Bhati help to remove toxins from the respiratory system, strengthen the lungs, and increase oxygen intake.Yoga asanas like Pavanamuktasana (wind-relieving pose) and Trikonasana (triangle pose) promote flexibility, improve lung function, and aid in the removal of pollutants from the body.