If you want to keep your lungs in good condition throughout your life, you must develop healthy habits. Lung capacity mainly revolves around the total amount of air that your lungs can hold at any given point. However, lung function slowly declines at age 30, owing to exposure to unhealthy lifestyle practices and poor air quality.
Some of you might develop more severe ailments, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or the more common asthma. In both cases, the airways become inflamed and produce excess mucus that prevents the air from flowing in and out with ease. The lung is a vital organ that cannot be replaced or transplanted easily, so you must protect it through healthy lifestyle changes and care.
Read about the top ways to keep your lungs healthy.
Stop Smoking
Once you can do this, all else falls into place. This is the primary reason for lung-related ailments and cancer. Tobacco contains tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide, to name a few. Cigars, cigarettes, and pipes are all harmful to humans. Moreover, you will be bewildered to know that tobacco smoke contains at least 70 more ingredients that can cause cancer.
These ingredients spoil the inner lining of the lungs, apart from scarring the heart tissue as well. Most of the substances form when the tobacco leaves are burned. Therefore, quitting smoking to decrease the risks of contracting various lung diseases makes sense. It also increases your life expectancy. With time, your lungs will also recuperate from the effects of carcinogens. Your quality of life will improve overall.
Keep Check on Indoor Pollutants
You have to pay attention to indoor air quality, in the same way as outdoors. The reason is that you are constantly exposed to harmful contaminants at home without you even knowing it. When you are outdoors, you may still be taking some precautions. Therefore, indoor air quality can lead to deterioration of the lungs before you know of it.
COPD, bronchitis, and lung cancer can be avoided if you pay attention to the air indoors. Nose irritation, sneezing, coughing, and burning eyes are signs that point towards contaminants and particles in the air. Therefore, you must keep your home well-ventilated and install proper exhausts in the kitchen. Additionally, you should steer clear of toxic cleaning agents that give off fumes.
A lot of household upholstery and furniture also gather a lot of dust and mites, so you should make it a habit to clean and wash them regularly. Another cost-effective way to keep the indoor air clean is to keep plants. They can absorb toxins and carbon dioxide while injecting a fresh dose of oxygen.
Minimize Air Exposure Outdoors
The air pollution has genuinely led to a very precarious situation outside the house. Factories and workshops also give off toxic fumes and stench, which is unavoidable at times. Motor cars also emit a lot of air contaminants like carbon monoxide and other poisonous gases. These are a result of fuel combustion. Such gases are the leading cause of lung cancer and respiratory ailments.
Most children and seniors are at the receiving end due to the air contaminants. However, you can protect yourself from outdoor pollution with the help of a surgical face mask. It is evident from the name that healthcare workers wear such things. However, you can wear them, too. These can protect your lungs from gaseous and fluid particles.
Moreover, they are hypoallergenic, so they will not harm your skin. Apart from the above, you can also protect yourself from bacteria. Make it a practice to wear them often when outdoors.
Prevent Infections
You should also pay close attention to less severe colds and coughs. They can sometimes be the precursors for more severe diseases, which is why you should always wash your hands when you go back home from work. Many of the infectious particles are carried via our hands. Alcohol-based sanitizers are a good option if you do not have access to water resources. You should also maintain good tooth health. Flu vaccines are highly available, so you should get them for the entire family at the earliest.
The same applies to the very recent Covid-19 vaccination. You should stay up-to-date with all your vaccinations. They will help to strengthen your immune system and get over any illness quickly. When you get sick due to an infection, you should also cover your nose and mouth to remain non-contagious.
Practice Breathing Exercises
You should try out the various breathing techniques under the yogic sciences. They include alternate nostril breathing, pursed-lip breathing, and more. These help you make the air passage more viable to circulate freely. You can also control the number of breaths to increase life expectancy.
These are a few ways you can improve your lung health. Along with a smoke-free lifestyle, you should have a complete and balanced diet for maximum efficacy.