Everyone needs to maintain healthy lungs to avoid breathing difficulties and the risk of lung cancer or other chronic conditions like asthma. Lung Health Awareness Month, a month-long annual event that runs from 1st to 30th November, aims to help people realise the importance of lung health and the benefits of engaging in lung health activities.
This article will cover how to maintain healthy lungs, some ways to improve your lung function, tips on how to avoid lung problems and how you can join the Lung Health Awareness Month 2021.
How to Maintain Healthy Lungs
The lungs are one of the most important organs in our bodies because they work with our diaphragm muscles to allow us to breathe in air so that we can live. In normal diaphragmatic breathing, both your diaphragm and your intercostal muscles (the ones between the ribs) contract, which moves lung tissues in and out. This is called inhalation. Then, when you exhale, they relax to release air that contains carbon dioxide that has been used up by your cells during cellular respiration.
So, how can you maintain lung health? While there are many things you can do to maintain lung health and improve the quality of life, some of them include:
- Avoiding/quitting smoking
- Avoiding secondhand smoke or noxious fumes (including harmful substances like high carbon monoxide levels)
- Avoiding exposure to air pollution
- Wearing N95 mask filters if exposed to high levels of pollution for an extended period of time
- Getting enough sleep every night because sleep deprivation decreases lung capacity and increases inflammation in lung tissues
- Engaging in regular exercise or any physical activity, such as gardening, to improve lung function by increasing lung capacity and strengthening lung muscles
- Eating anti-inflammatory foods like green, leafy vegetables, turmeric, nuts, complex carbs, blueberries, bananas, yoghurt and beans
- Drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, to keep your lungs hydrated
Some activities you can do to help improve lung health include exercise like swimming, jogging, aerobic exercises, cycling or spinning classes, yoga, chest percussion, lung detox and breathing exercises like Ujjayi Pranayama or Sitali Pranayama.
You can also practise deep breathing throughout the day when you feel a lung problem coming on, or if you feel your lung function decreasing. This will also improve the air quality that you breathe in.
Benefits of Participating in Lung Health Awareness Month 2021
Avoiding lung diseases and problems is the primary objective of Lung Health Awareness Month 2021. Some of the most common lung diseases that contribute to mortality rate include:
- Lung cancer
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- COPD with emphysema
- Asthma
- Pneumonia
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP)
- Sarcoidosis
- Acute lupus pneumonitis
- Pulmonary fibrosis
Lung problems include lung infections like cystic fibrosis, which causes mucous to build up in the lungs and go into the digestive tract so that it destroys lung tissue over time. Chest tightness or a low breathing rate can easily be misconstrued as a sign of exhaustion or ageing. What you don't know is that this could be a symptom of a respiratory infection.
Participating in Lung Health Awareness Month 2021 will help you gain lung health education and knowledge of the difficulties of living with various health conditions resulting from lung damage. It's also an opportunity to donate funds to support research that will benefit 7 million Australians suffering from a chronic lung disease. Additionally, you can participate in the Shine a Light Walk to support the millions of people dealing with the symptoms of lung cancer.
How to Treat a Lung Condition
Anyone exhibiting symptoms of a medical condition associated with the lungs, such as chest pain, persistent cough and loss of appetite, is advised to seek medical attention right away. Likewise, people ages 50 to 75 should have an annual lung cancer screening, particularly if they smoke or have just stopped. Take part in the various activities that are planned for Lung Health Awareness Month 2021 to learn more about how you can keep your lungs healthy and strong.
