Lung health and lifestyle are related
Does diet affect lung health?
Absolutely! The phenomenon connecting respiratory health and food consumption has been under intense investigation for years. When we neglect to eat healthy foods, our organs suffer as they are forced to work hard without the proper amount of organic energy and nutrients, including lungs and muscles needed for the breathing function.
The first step to improving your diet to help lung health is eating a variety of foods. Different foods offer different nutrients, making variety in your diet pertinent to a healthier set of lungs. As everyone knows, eating greasy food is not good for any part of your body. However, what most people do not realize is the domino effect greasy food has on an individual. Eating greasy foods easily leads to obesity which can cause several complications in lung health. Doctors highly suggest a diet in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein.
What does exercise do for lung health?
Exercise has a multi-purpose use when increasing lung health. Your body, the lungs especially, need oxygen, and exercising helps increase the amount of oxygen in your body by increasing blood circulation. The lung’s primary function is to get oxygen to the other parts of the body through your blood while exchanging the carbon dioxide with oxygen. Exercise helps move the blood along much faster and helps remove carbon dioxide more efficiently.
What kinds of exercises improve lung health?
Before strenuously exercising, make sure your lungs are properly warmed. This includes small steps such as walking, jogging in place or stretching. Patients with chronic lung diseases should see their doctor before exercising.
For patients who want something more slow-paced but still want to exercise daily, yoga is a good place to start. Yoga allows you to strengthen your muscles while focusing on breathing techniques. Patients who want something a little more fast-paced might want to try interval training. Interval training includes working out at a high intensity, followed by a short low intense period. As with any aerobic training, it helps increase lung strength.
What are other less commonly known ways lifestyle affect lung health?
Much of maintaining lung health is being able to control what’s in the air you breathe. The first step in doing this is making sure there is a proper level of moisture in the air. Too much moisture can lead to mold and mildew, both very detrimental to lung health. Too little moisture can lead to the creation of dust, also an irritant for the lungs.
Also, make sure your home and work areas are well ventilated and avoid common pollutants such as air fresheners and hairspray. Although air fresheners smell nice, their effect on overall lung health is poor as you are releasing toxins into your home. Actively cleaning your home is another great step toward improving lung health as it eliminates dust.
Does alcohol affect lung health?
Alcohol has an extremely prominent effect on lung health and susceptibility to lung diseases. Alcohol inhibits proteins in your lungs from doing their basic functions such as bringing air in and keeping fluids out. Alcohol also interrupts the immune system, making it easier for alcohol abusers to catch pneumonia. This is because while they are allowing more fluid in their lungs, they are hurting the white blood cells that could fight the infection.
Small amounts of alcohol are acceptable, but excessive amounts of alcohol causes serious problems in your lung and overall health. Excessive amounts of alcohol simply adds extra stress to the lungs while harming other organs in the body.
Sharon Adams is the manager of the Respiratory Services at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital with more than 20 years of experience. For more information, visit iuhealth.org/ball-memorial.