The lungs are an essential respiratory organ located on either side of the heart. Their main function is to transport oxygen from the atmosphere into the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The body’s cells need oxygen to work and grow. So we must keep our lungs healthy.
The body has a natural defense system designed to protect the lungs. This works very well most of the time, keeping out dirt and fighting off germs.
However, several harmful substances can damage the airways and threaten the lungs’ ability to work properly, leading to lung disease.
We dealt with some of these in my previous post.COPD, bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, and there are several things we can do to keep your lungs functioning
Simple lifestyle changes, dietary changes, and healthy habits can be highly beneficial for our lungs. one lifestyle change we can make is to stop smoking if it is something that we do.
Cigarette smoke contains thousands of harmful chemicals, some of which can cause health problems. In fact, smoking is the major cause of serious lung diseases like lung cancer and COPD.as we discussed earlier, Avoid second-hand smoke is almost just as dangerous.
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Avoid outdoor pollutants
If possible, we should minimize our contact with outdoor pollutants like industrial air pollutants, vehicle exhaust fumes, or inhaling toxic fumes from certain cleaners, etc.
Just as there are outdoor pollutants, there are indoor pollutants there as pet dander and fur; there can be mold or harsh chemicals for cleaning, but certain indoor plants could aid in cleaning the air.
Get indoor plants such as a fern, spider plant, peace lily, bamboo palm, aloe vera, English Ivy, dracaena, and others. Make sure to keep the foliage dust-free. Also, do not overwater the plants as it may lead to mold growth.
Another way to keep our lungs healthy is by doing a breathing exercise. This is very simple and very beneficial to our lungs.
- Sit down in a relaxing and quiet place.
- Close our eyes, and breathe in deeply through our nose.
- Count to five, slowly inhaling the entire time.
- Hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly.
- Repeat this breathing exercise 6 to 8 times.
- Perform this deep breathing exercise daily to help cleanse our lungs and keep us stress-free.
Adding the right mix of nutrients to our diet can help with healthy lung functions and cleanse our lungs of harmful toxins.
We need to include detoxifying and antioxidant-rich foods and herbs like garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, ginger, oregano, turmeric, pomegranates, apples, grapefruit, green tea, peppermint, lungwort, chaparral, and lobelia in our diet.
Exercise for stronger lungs.
Try aerobic exercises, such as walking, dancing, or biking, a few days a week. Due to the short bursts of intense training during aerobic exercises, our lung capacity will develop significantly, or we could go swimming for about 30 minutes.
Using proper hygiene
Remember to always wash your hands after doing any chore or coming in from outdoors.
- We can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when you do not have access to soap and water.
. Cover our nose and mouth with a tissue or handkerchief while coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid crowded places during the cold and flu season.
And remember to have regular check-ups from your Doctor; this is very important, especially to us boomers. Regular health checkups can help keep our lungs healthy and functioning properly. Remember, when it is about our health, prevention is always better than the cure.
Conclusion
As a CNA, I had the sad experience of seeing people with various lung diseases; I saw patients struggling to breathe even with a steady supply of oxygen; it was heart-wrenching
The best way to not have to go through the horrors of lung disease, I think, is prevention some things we cannot avoid, but the ones that we can. I think we should; smoking is one of these things that definitely should be avoided.
there has been so much research done on the effects of smoking, and it has been proven that smoking is the leading cause of lung disease,
There are so much pain and suffering associated with COPD and lung cancer which should be a strong deterrent to anyone who smokes or is thinking of smoking.
Let us take care of our bodies with a conscious effort to live a healthier lifestyle with a good balanced diet and exercise.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I do hope you found it to be informative as it was meant to be. I have left a post on some straightforward exercises from Silver Sneakers. I do hope you will like them and find them helpful in maintaining good health.
https://www.facebook.com/silversneakers/videos/10156762336992432/
