Use spices to avoid respiratory harm

Cooks should protect their face, nose, and mouth; season with just enough spices; and keep the kitchen well-ventilated to limit respiratory irritation.

Vietnamese people use many spices such as pepper, garlic, and turmeric to enrich their daily dishes. However, some spices can affect the respiratory tract, aggravating existing respiratory diseases.

Dr. La Quy Huong, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi , noted that spices in powder form are small in size, floating and spreading in the air, easy to inhale, affecting respiratory function. People with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) choking on spice powder can trigger dangerous acute attacks.

Doctor Huong notes how to use spices when cooking to ensure health safety.

Cooking in an open space

Many families use gas stoves and wood stoves that can generate harmful CO2 and CO gases. The kitchen space should be well-ventilated to limit the risk of exposure to toxic gases.

Powdered spices can irritate the respiratory tract. Photo: Freepik — Powdered spices can irritate the respiratory tract. Photo: *Freepik*

Season to taste

Some spices such as pepper do not dissolve during cooking and can be easily inhaled or swallowed, causing coughing and sneezing. When seasoned with too many spices, the dish will have a strong, sour, or spicy flavor that can irritate the respiratory tract.

Use fresh ingredients

Prioritize using fresh ingredients to limit the risk of exposure to powdered spices. Spices that create color and flavor such as garlic, chili, ginger, and turmeric in fresh form are easy to preserve and process.

Fresh ingredients such as garlic, onions, and shallots contain a lot of essential oils and a strong smell. Housewives can apply some tips such as chilling, burning, soaking in vinegar... to reduce the amount of essential oils released when preparing food.

Protect your eyes, nose, and mouth when cooking

Dr. Huong said the principle of limiting the risk of respiratory irritation is to avoid contact with the agents that cause this condition. Cooks can protect their eyes, nose, and mouth by wearing glasses, masks, and anti-droplet masks.

Coughing and sneezing are natural reflexes of the body when exposed to foreign objects. Doctor Huong recommends that people who choke when exposed to powdered spices should try to cough to expel the foreign object. If the airway is still not clear, drink water to reduce the risk of allergens sticking to the surface of the respiratory tract mucosa.

In case a patient with chronic respiratory disease has airway irritation, family members need to pay close attention to treatment. The patient can use bronchodilators and go to the hospital for examination.

Khue Lam

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