People always look after themselves and want to be in the best health possible. They eat clean, exercise regularly, take supplements, etc. But have you ever thought about protecting and maintaining healthy lungs so that you are healthy from within as well? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic lower respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema are the sixth most common reason for death in the United States.
These conditions (excluding lung cancer) have caused 142,342 deaths in 2021. You should be aware that your lungs also age with time like your heart, joints, and other body parts. Lungs may become less flexible and lose their strength thus making it difficult to breathe.
Thus below are a few tips that you can adopt in your daily lifestyle to maintain the health of your lungs and keep them working optimally.
Avoid Smoking- Everyone knows that smoking is harmful to the lungs and it also increases the risk of lung cancer but it also causes other diseases including COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and asthma. Smoking makes the existing symptoms of these diseases severe. According to US NIH, smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to die from COPD than nonsmokers. Moreover, smoking causes about 90% of all lung cancer deaths. Women are at a higher risk of dying from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.
Breathe Harder While Exercising- Regular exercise can help maintain the health of your lungs. Exercise not only keeps your body in shape but also keeps your lungs in its best shape. Exercise makes the heart beat faster thus making your lungs work harder because the body needs more oxygen to fuel the muscles. Your lungs step up their functionality to deliver the required oxygen while expelling additional carbon dioxide. Research proves that exercise increases breathing from 15 times a minute to 40 to 60 times a minute. The more you exercise, the more efficient your lungs become.
Avoid Exposure to Pollutants- The air quality can be really poor at times and the pollutants in the air can damage the lungs and accelerate aging. As you age, the lungs lose some of that resistance and become more vulnerable to infections and disease thus you can avoid second-hand smoke, avoid exercise near traffic, and minimize exposure to airborne pollutants at work (construction, mining, and waste management sites) to protect your lungs from infections.
Protect Yourself From Infections- Infections can be more dangerous for your lungs, especially in old age. People with lung diseases like COPD are particularly at higher risk of an infection called pneumonia. Thus, make sure to wash your hands, avoid touching your face, and drink plenty of water to reduce the risk of infection. You can also eat fruits and vegetables, to boost your immune system.
Breathe Deeply- People often take shallow breaths thus breathing from their chest area, using only a small portion of your lungs. It is important that you breathe from your belly where the diaphragm sits. Deep breathing makes you feel less stressed and more relaxed. It also helps clear the lungs and creates a full oxygen exchange. Research shows that breathing exercises can make your lungs more efficient.
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