How to Care for Your Lungs

On average, a person takes around 6 million breaths annually. Each breath is crucial for delivering oxygen (O2) that sustains cell life in the body. By understanding the harmful substances we inhale daily and learning how to boost lung health, you can start taking care of your lungs right away!

Quit Smoking. The best way to protect your lungs is to quit smoking, and even better if you never start. Cigarette smoke is the leading cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smokers are 20 times more likely to develop lung cancer and COPD than non-smokers.

• Lung cancer occurs when cells grow uncontrollably and form tumors in the lungs. These tumors obstruct the lung's functions, such as breathing. If it metastasizes, cancer can affect other tissues and organs, like the chest.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes excessive mucus production, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness. The condition worsens over time.
• Besides cigarette smoke, other smoke types are also harmful to the lungs. Avoid smoke from cigars, marijuana, and tobacco pipes.

Avoid Indirect Exposure to Cigarette Smoke. Besides refraining from smoking, you should also avoid secondhand smoke exposure in places like bars, casinos, and public spots where smoking is permitted. Non-smokers who regularly inhale secondhand smoke are 20 times more likely to develop lung cancer compared to those who neither smoke nor inhale secondhand smoke.

• While research is still ongoing, many experts believe that we, especially infants and young children, should avoid indirect exposure to cigarette smoke. These harmful toxins and chemicals can linger on clothes, hair, carpets, walls, and more, even after the cigarette is put out. The lingering smell of cigarette smoke, long after the smoke has dissipated, is a sign of residual secondhand smoke.

Avoid Outdoor Air Pollution. While it's nearly impossible to avoid exposure to CO2 and common air pollutants, you can still minimize your exposure. You can check the air quality of your city before planning outdoor activities.

• Ozone (O3) is an air pollutant, and summer weather can trap O3 along with other pollutants in the air. This is why you should be cautious of air quality during late spring and throughout the hot summer months.

Minimize Indoor Air Pollution. Air pollution isn't just a concern outdoors. Stoves, fireplaces, pet dander, and mold are common indoor air pollutants. Removing these triggers, regularly cleaning your home, and changing air filters can significantly reduce indoor air pollution.

• Consider purchasing an air purifier for your home to filter pollutants like tobacco smoke, mold, and pet dander.
• Household cleaning chemicals, paint, and other appliances can irritate the lungs or contribute to conditions like asthma. Therefore, always read and follow the instructions when using these products in well-ventilated areas.
• You can search online for tips on improving indoor air quality.
• Radon is a natural gas present in many homes that can affect air quality. It may increase the risk of lung cancer. You should consider buying a radon detector from home goods stores to monitor radon levels in your home.

Avoid Exposure to Carcinogens and Pollutants at Work. People working in mines, laboratories, or industrial settings are often exposed to large amounts of carcinogenic chemicals and pollutants. Thus, it's important to use protective equipment like gas masks, fume hoods, and other safety devices in the workplace.

• Asbestos, arsenic, nickel, and chromium are some workplace chemicals that can cause lung cancer and other pulmonary complications.
• Exposure to these substances can lead to lung cancer and COPD.

Avoid Inhaling Other Irritants. There are many substances that the lungs are not designed to inhale. Therefore, cover your mouth and nose when working in environments with small particles you could accidentally breathe in. Additionally, do not suppress coughing, as it is the body's natural way of expelling harmful particles. Avoid inhaling:

• Talc or baby powder: These powders contain fine particles that may get trapped in the lungs. Instead, opt for baby powder made from cornstarch.
• Fiberglass: Inhaling fiberglass particles can cause tiny cuts in the lungs.

Engage in Regular Deep Breathing. Deep breathing ensures your body gets enough oxygen. It fully utilizes lung capacity to oxygenate your blood. While normal breathing is healthy, deep breathing maximizes oxygen flow throughout your body.

• Focus on your diaphragm as you breathe in and out deeply. Feel the diaphragm lower as you inhale, and rise as you exhale, tightening your abdominal muscles as you go.

Laugh More. Similar to deep breathing, laughter helps expel air from your lungs, allowing you to inhale fresh air and bring in more oxygen. Laughter also helps strengthen your abdominal muscles and increases lung capacity.

Practice Cardio Regularly (Heart-Healthy Exercises). Simply doing aerobic exercises won't make your lungs stronger. However, cardio-respiratory exercises help your lungs efficiently supply oxygen to your heart and muscles. These exercises also put less strain on your lungs, allowing them to function effectively without overworking.

• The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise 5 days a week or more to maintain heart health.

Modify Your Diet. Research indicates that a diet rich in fresh fruits and fish is beneficial for lung health. This is particularly important for individuals with asthma, COPD, and other lung conditions.

• A 2010 study showed that a diet high in cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and bok choy) may reduce the risk of lung cancer.

Breathe Through Your Nose. Nasal hairs act as a filter, only allowing particles so small they can't even be seen to pass through. Your nose can filter particles as tiny as pollen with an efficiency of up to 100%. Therefore, nasal breathing is much better than mouth breathing.

Keep Your Nasal Passages Clear. Illnesses, allergies, and various other conditions can cause nasal congestion. Blocked nostrils mean you're directly inhaling germs and pollutants into your lungs since you’re forced to breathe through your mouth. Mouth breathing can worsen asthma or other lung conditions, and may even cause asthma or other lung complications.

• Common treatments for allergies like antihistamines or decongestant medications can help keep your nose clean.
• Conversely, excessively dry nasal passages from illness can reduce the efficiency of your nasal filters. Therefore, consider using a humidifier or over-the-counter nasal sprays to hydrate your nose, helping improve the filtration of the air you breathe in.

Drink Plenty of Water. Along with its many other benefits, drinking water is great for your lungs. Hydrating keeps the mucus lining your lungs thin, which helps the lungs function more effectively.

Take Medication if You Have Lung Conditions. If you suffer from asthma or any respiratory condition, it is crucial to visit your doctor regularly to manage your condition. For example, Albuterol, a prescription drug that helps open the airways, is highly beneficial in reducing asthma symptoms.

Get Vaccinated. Annual flu vaccines and pneumococcal vaccines can help reduce the risk of respiratory infections. This lowers your chances of developing complications like pneumonia.

• Smokers aged 19-65 should get the pneumococcal vaccine. Also, those with chronic heart disease, chronic lung conditions, alcohol dependence, chronic liver disease, or those over 65 should consider this vaccination.

Purchase Indoor Plants. Indoor plants are one of the best ways to improve air quality within your home. Besides converting CO2 into O2, studies have shown that certain plants can also help reduce concentrations of O3 (a harmful pollutant) inside the house.

• Three types of plants that have been proven beneficial include Snake Plant, Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Sansevieria), and Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum).

Use an Air Purifier. Placing an air purifier inside your home can help remove dust, tobacco smoke, and other pollutants. Air purifiers, electric particle filters, and ionizers are just a few devices that can purify the air inside your home.

• Be cautious of brands that generate O3 to purify the air. O3 is a leading air pollutant, especially in the summer months. Therefore, avoid purchasing products that might generate harmful O3 levels while filtering particles from the air.

Avoid Traffic Congestion Areas. For people living in large cities, walking or cycling in heavily congested areas is often seen as a form of exercise. However, vehicle exhaust and other pollutants can be harmful to the lungs, particularly when you breathe through your mouth during intense physical activities, preventing natural filtration through the nostrils.

• Check local air quality forecasts to assess the pollution levels in your area before heading outdoors.

• You can use a spirometer to exercise your lungs and measure lung capacity. To do this, you will breathe into a tube that raises a piston inside a plastic cylinder. Spirometers can be purchased at most pharmacies or medical supply stores.