Ways to keep your lungs healthy

The lungs are one of the most important organs in the body and play a vital role in our health. Just like any other organ, the lungs need daily care.

Here are several ways to improve the health of your lungs.

● Stop smoking

Smoking is known to be harmful to the lungs. Smoking constantly irritates the lungs, destroys the lung tissue, narrows and inflames the airways, which reduces the body’s oxygen supply, and damages the cellular tissue of the airways over time.

Many lung diseases are linked to smoking, and the nicotine in cigarettes is a major contributor to lung diseases. Smoking is now recognized as the no. 1 cause of lung cancer and a major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Therefore, it is important to stop smoking and avoid second-hand smoke.

● Exercise

Exercise helps to strengthen the lungs and increase lung capacity. Because exercise increases the body’s need for oxygen, the lungs become more active, efficient, and healthy.

In addition, during exercise, breathing is accelerated, providing more oxygen to the muscles. Exercise, therefore, strengthens the body and improves the immune system of the lungs and the whole body.

It is recommended that exercise, such as brisk walking, running, swimming and ball games, be performed at least 3-4 hours a week.

● Breathe fresh air and avoid pollutants

Try to inhale circulating clean and fresh air and try not to inhale dirty or smelly air. Avoid exposure to any pollutants. Wearing a mask is still recommended when the daily air environment is poor. If the working environment is poor, protect against occupational diseases such as pneumoconiosis and have your lungs checked regularly.

Keep your home clean and often open windows and doors to keep the air inside fresh.

Protect against indoor pollution, such as indoor radon pollution, which is the second most common cause of lung cancer, after smoking.

● Avoid lung infections

Preventing colds is one of the effective ways.

Cold seasons or sudden changes in temperature make you most susceptible to colds, which can trigger diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. Therefore, it is important to keep warm and add or remove clothes as the temperature changes.

You can also do cold-tolerance exercises such as washing your face with cold water, air baths, and nose care to strengthen your immune function and prevent colds.

● Practice deep breathing

Maintaining a straight sitting posture, a straight back, and deep breathing techniques can help to promote lung breathing.

Daily practice of deep breathing can significantly increase lung capacity and also activate the muscles around the rib cage and chest. Abdominal breathing can also be used to reduce stress and relax the mind.

● Healthy eating

Our body needs to consume antioxidants in food to prevent damages from oxidative stress caused by irritants and lung diseases. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, vegetable oils, and wine contain high levels of antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, flavonoids, and carotenoids, which can benefit lung health through their antioxidant effects.

In addition, water is very important for lung health, so it is recommended to drink enough water on a daily basis.