So many forest fires have been raging in the West this year that the air quality has wavered between hazardous and very unhealthy for over eleven days. We were cautioned to not go outside or let pets outside. Many businesses closed, like drive-through coffee places or anything drive-through, as well as some big box stores. Even at the malls some of the larger stores were closed so that their workers were not exposed to the hazardous air.

Symptoms of smoke inhalation include shortness of breath, coughing, sinus issues, headaches, general tiredness and irritability, as well as all the mental and emotional issues that come up for being forced to stay inside and having to breathe terrible air. With the whole West Coast under the air hazard warnings,  there was no way to get out of the smoke. A 2-3 hour drive might take you to the coast, but the coast has just as poor of air quality. Going north or south doesn’t help either, because the wildfires leave smoke that covers most of the states from Washington to Oregon to California.

What to do about smoke inhalation? One common homeopathic remedy for smoke or particulate inhalation is Carbo vegetabillis. This remedy is good for carbon monoxide and oxygen starvation where there is breathlessness and deep spaciness. Ignatia will help with any mental or emotional distress, and Carbo veg will relieve the smoke intake.