Unless you’re challenged with a lung disease like asthma, you may be tempted to take your lung health for granted. Most everyone knows that the lungs are responsible for exchanging gases — inhalation of oxygen and exhalation of carbon dioxide. However, you might be less familiar with many other vital functions that the lungs perform, such as helping to protect the body from harmful substances by acting as a filtering system, supporting your sense of smell, warming and humidifying the air you breathe, and working with the heart to ensure proper blood flow.
These functions and more highlight the necessity of keeping the lungs healthy. Unhealthy lifestyles and environments are the primary reasons for poor lung health. Adopting healthier habits in these two areas can greatly improve lung health and increase overall vitality. Boost your lung health with the following simple tips.
Habits for a Healthier Lifestyle:
- Quit smoking. Smoking is still the leading cause of lung cancer, responsible for 80-90% of lung cancer deaths in the United States. If you’ve tried to quit, keep trying until you succeed.
- Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity, especially cardio workouts like brisk walking, running, and cycling, strengthens and conditions your lungs. This helps your body increase its ability to use oxygen more efficiently.
- Drink plenty of water. Staying sufficiently hydrated helps to thin the mucous lining of your airways and lungs, making it easier to breathe. This ease of breathing is decreased when your mucous lining is thicker due to dehydration.
- Practice deep breathing exercises. Most adults do not breathe correctly. This is because the focus (whether consciously or unconsciously) is on the chest, which leads to shallow breathing. Conversely, being intentional about doing deep breathing from your diaphragm allows your body’s tissues to become more oxygenated.
- Eat well. Eating a nutrient-rich diet can be beneficial to every organ in the body, including your lungs. While eating pro-inflammatory foods (e.g., dairy products, fried foods, refined sugars, etc.) can be harmful to lung health, research has shown that eating an anti-inflammatory diet can be very beneficial to your lung health. Foods like tomatoes, beets, greens, turmeric, and apples are very helpful.
- Wash your hands often. Reduce your risk of catching colds and infections by washing your hands often. It is especially important to wash your hands before eating or putting your hands in your mouth.
- Try steam inhalation. Warm moist air can loosen mucus in your upper airways. One way to achieve this is to use a diffuser and add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil. This oil is well known for opening airways and relieving congestion. You may alternatively, simply cover your head with a towel and lean over a bowl of boiling water for quick relief when you feel congested.
- Get regular checkups. Getting yearly wellness checkups can go a long way when it comes to achieving better health. Many respiratory conditions might be checked sooner with regular doctor visits and lab work.
Habits for a Healthier Environment:
- Clean living space regularly. Proper cleaning is essential for good lung health. Be sure to keep your space dust-free. Also, be on the alert for any mold or mildew. Wearing a dust mask during cleaning can help prevent irritating your airways.
- Maintain good ventilation. Whether at home or work, many people live in closed-in environments. At home, this can be exacerbated by cooking and pet odors that leave you breathing stale air. Whether it’s winter or summer, leaving a small crack in a few windows allows for an exchange of fresh air. Getting a few houseplants can also help improve air quality.
- Radon test. This invisible and odorless gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer. You can test for it in your home with a simple kit from your local hardware store.
- Avoid air pollution. This may be easier said than done, especially if you live in a city that has poor air quality due to traffic congestion and factories. If that is the case, you simply have to do the best that you can. You may try spending more time at the park and other green spaces which can help to improve lung function.
- Practice good posture. Many people who spend a lot of time sitting at a desk on a computer do not maintain good posture. This poor position constricts the lungs and is not optimal for good respiration. Try taking periodic posture checks.
- Avoid wearing tight clothes. Wearing tight clothing, especially on your upper body can be restrictive, and impede good free respiration. Wearing looser clothes will allow your chest and lungs more freedom to expand during inhalations.
More than 30 million people in the United States are affected by chronic lung conditions. Taking care of your respiratory system will increase your chances of leading a longer and more active life. Adopting these simple tips can help you achieve this goal. Now breathe!
Sources:
- https://www.cdc.gov/lung-cancer/risk-factors/index.html#:~:text=Smoking-,Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung,the risk for lung cancer.
- https://www.lung.org/blog/10-tips-for-healthy-lungs#:~:text=Drinking water can help thin,illness or have worsening allergies.
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