Lungs in good shape and a functional respiratory system are both essential for good health. If you have poor respiratory health, the quality of your life may deteriorate. It’s challenging to enjoy life when you’re coughing up phlegm, wheezing, or running out of breath when ascending a flight of stairs. The good news is that there are important steps you can take to protect your lung health.

Quit Smoking

Tobacco use is the most common cause of lung cancer, accounting for around 90% of all cases. It is also a major factor in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you are a smoker who has not yet stopped, quitting is the best thing you can do for the health of your lungs. Quitting smoking not only saves your health but also the health of others around you, since secondhand smoke puts people at risk of getting lung cancer.

Exercise to Breathe Harder

Aside from avoiding tobacco products, the single most important thing you can do for the health of your lungs is to participate in regular physical exercise. Exercise keeps your lungs healthy in the same way that it keeps your body healthy.

When you exercise, your heart rate increases, and the muscles in your lungs contract. Your muscles need more oxygen for your body to consume as fuel. As a result of this increased activity, your lungs will work harder to produce that oxygen while also emitting more carbon dioxide.

Regular physical exercise strengthens your lungs, making you more resistant to the effects of aging and sickness. Even if you do acquire lung disease in the future, regular exercise may help slow the progression of the condition and keep you active for a longer period.

Avoid Indoor Pollution

Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that forms naturally in soil, which is the second-most common cause of lung cancer.It arises from the earth and enters buildings via cracks and fractures of varied sizes. Secondhand smoke and pollutants in the home and workplace may further aggravate lung disease. If you are worried that anything at your home, school, or workplace is causing you to get ill, you should speak with a healthcare practitioner as soon as possible.

Most importantly, by keeping a regular cleaning plan, you may prevent dust, mold, and other allergens that may affect your lungs from entering your home. Allergens such as pet dander, dust mites, insect droppings, and other particles may trigger asthma or allergy symptoms. Cleaning surfaces by dusting, vacuuming, and disinfecting them will help reduce the triggers that cause allergy and asthma symptoms and keep your lungs healthy.

Mask Up

If you plan to visit a city with a high pollen count or an air-quality index in the orange range or above after the epidemic, bring reusable N95 masks to avoid breathing allergens or pollutants like smog and traffic fumes.

When you work in the yard or on dusty home repair tasks, you should wear a mask since dust may irritate the lining of the airways, leading to chronic lung disease. Don’t use sprays, polishes, or cleansers that include a lot of bleach, ammonia, or other volatile organic compounds as they may jeopardize your health.

Have Enough Sleep

Studies have shown that not receiving enough of sleep might harm our immune system as a whole. Even though we don’t completely understand how it works, we do know that getting enough sleep is crucial for a variety of health aspects, including muscle maintenance and repair. When our immune systems are weakened, we are more likely to get respiratory infections.

Preserve Your Overall Health

Even though influenza is no longer as dangerous as it once was, the illness may still cause serious health problems, especially in terms of how effectively the lungs function. Because exposure to cold and dry air may strain the airways, avoiding illness is an important part of maintaining overall lung health. Immunization is a good approach for combating the virus that causes the flu and preventing potential problems before they affect the lungs.

Watch Your Posture

Since the lungs are such sensitive organs, they can only occupy the space that you make for them in your body.

You should sometimes assume an upright posture and extend towards the ceiling to make more room in your lungs. If you want to offer your lungs even more room, try sitting on a firm chair, leaning back slightly, elevating your chest, and opening the front of your body while taking deep breaths.