The condition of your organs determines your health and your lifespan. There are many factors that can affect your lungs like genetics, air quality, smoking, and sleeping disorders. However, taking care of your lungs can help you breathe easy for a long time to come.
Just like your other body parts, your lungs decline with age which can make breathing difficult. Apart from age, factors like genetics, smoking, obesity, and air pollutants are some of the key factors that can cause respiratory diseases.
However, by adopting certain lifestyle changes and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you can keep your lungs healthy and strong. In this article, you’ll find a few ways to keep your lungs healthy and prevent the development of serious respiratory illnesses.
- Stop Smoking
Smoking increases your risk of lung cancer. It is also linked to several lung diseases like COPD, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis. When you smoke, several harmful chemicals like nicotine, carbon monoxide, and tar are released in the lungs. These toxins increase the mucus in your lungs and cause inflammation in the tissues, thereby, slowly damaging your lungs. Over time, the airways of your lungs get narrow, making breathing a lot more difficult.
Not only is smoking considered as the primary cause of respiratory illnesses, but studies also suggest that passive smoking can cause as much harm as direct smoking. Children, in particular, are more susceptible to passive smoking and can develop asthma or COPD later.
It’s never too late to quit smoking for your health. If you have difficulties giving up cigarettes, you can try counseling and medication.
- Improve Your Home’s Air Quality
The quality of the air you breathe impacts your lungs considerably. Poor air quality can damage your lungs and can make you more susceptible to diseases. Indoor pollutants like mold, dust, pet dander, synthetic air fresheners, and cleaning supplies can impact the quality of your home’s air quality. Mold and dust in your home can also get into the lungs and cause irritation.
In order to improve the indoor air quality of your house, keep your house clean and well-ventilated. Make sure you have enough exhaust fans in areas like your kitchen and bathroom as these spaces are more susceptible to mold, dust, and smoke. Regularly replace your air filters to ensure that the air you breathe is fresh and clean. Replace your synthetic air fresheners with aromatherapy air diffusers using natural essential oils. To enhance the indoor air quality of your home, add indoor plants like the snake plant or Chrysanthemums that are natural air purifiers.
- Exercise Regularly
When you exercise, your body needs more oxygen to fuel your muscles. This makes your lungs work harder to pump the oxygen while expelling carbon dioxide. Exercises like aerobics that get you to breathe faster are the best for your lungs as they make your lungs work faster to exchange the carbon dioxide for oxygen, making your lungs work efficiently. Strong lungs can prevent respiratory diseases.
- Take Preventive Measures
Lung allergies and infections can weaken your lungs. Since many people are susceptible to allergies or lung infections, even a healthy person can be infected by an illness like pneumonia that can seriously damage the lungs. The best way to avoid such infections is to take preventive steps like washing your hands regularly, or covering your mouth when you cough, to avoid the spread of germs.
Workers who are regularly exposed to dust, smoke, or dangerous chemical fumes in their workplace, should wear masks while working to prevent lung damage.
- Breathe Deeply
Most people take shallow breaths from their chests. This means that they are not breathing correctly and are using only a small portion of their lungs. Taking full deep breaths ensures that the oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange happens fully.
Studies suggest that deep breathing exercises even for a few minutes can be beneficial for your lungs. Deep breathing happens from the belly. When you deep breathe your diaphragm sits, causing your belly to rise as you inhale and flatten as you exhale. To ensure that you’re breathing correctly, watch the rising and falling of your belly.
For a healthy respiratory system, making simple lifestyle changes like exercising regularly, not smoking, and taking relevant preventive measures will go a long way. Taking care of your lungs with regular exercise and deep breathing can help keep your lungs healthy.
To avoid respiratory diseases, make sure to get regular check-ups by your doctor. Regular doctor visits will ensure that preventive measures are taken to avoid respiratory diseases from developing and that a potential illness is detected early before it can cause any serious damage.