It can be really easy to take our lung health for granted, until something goes wrong. But luckily, there's a few proactive steps you can take to ensure you protect and strengthen your lung health.
Step 1
Cut out smoking and avoid second hand smoking. Smoking is one of the most harmful things a person can do to their lungs. Smoking and breathing in second hand smoke can cause a number of health conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obstructive sleep apnoea (OSP), pneumonia and lung cancer.
If you have smoked in the past, it's never too late to stop. It will massively help your lung health and prevent any further damage. Quitting smoking can be hard. Cigarettes are designed to be highly addictive. However, through getting support from local free stop smoking services such as One You East Sussex who are dedicated to helping you to quit smoking. You can also try nicotine replacement therapy like patches, gum and sprays or try switching to an e-cigarette.
Step 2
Incorporate exercise into your everyday life. Regular movement is good for your lungs because it strengthens the muscles involved in breathing, improves lung capacity and boosts overall oxygen levels around the body.
If you avoid activities that make you breathless it can make your muscles weaker and in turn weaker muscles use more oxygen and are less efficient. Overall making you more breathless in everyday life.
Aerobic activities such as running, cycling, walking or swimming are really good for helping to improve lung function. Aim for thirty minutes per day when possible.
Step 3
Stay hydrated. Drinking water is essential for maintaining optimal lung health due to the lungs having a thin, moist lining of mucus that keeps the system running correctly and prevents the body from infection.
Staying hydrated maintains the moisture of this lining, dehydrated lungs cause this mucus lining to get thick and sticky making it more difficult to breathe.
Step 4
Manage stress and anxiety. If you are already dealing with existing lung conditions, the way stress and anxiety affects your breathing can often make lung conditions feel worse. When feeling anxious and stressed it can make a person feel more emotional and often it can lead to panic attacks. Overall, causing a flare up of a person's pre-existing lung condition or asthma attacks.
There are things you can do to combat your anxiety and stress. For example, breathing exercises, these only take a few minutes and can be done anywhere. Check the NHS- Breathing Exercises for Stress, for a step-by-step guide. Mindfulness and meditation can help to reduce stress and focus on your breathing which can help to reduce symptoms of anxiety related shortness of breath.
Regular Check Ups Are Important
Lung conditions such as asthma, COPD or even early signs of lung cancer can often develop slowly over time and symptoms will be subtle in the beginning. Regular check-ups can help to catch any issues early and keep your lungs in good health.
The lungs are precious organs that need good care. By making simple life changes like quitting smoking, incorporating exercise, staying hydrated, reducing stress and having regular health checks you can safeguard your lung health for years to come. Remember, it's never too late to start taking care of your lungs.