Our lungs play one of the most pivotal roles in our body. However, it is also prone to the risk of getting infected through various means, which in turn would disrupt the respiratory function that we often fail to realize the importance of. Whether it happens intentionally or not, most of us are exposed to substances and circumstances that could prove to be detrimental for these lungs of ours.
Tips To Avoid the Risk of Lung Infections
In a time where pollution is rising, maintaining healthy a healthy respiratory system should be our primary concern. If not, it could lead to a variety of disorders such as severe pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, and even fungal infections. So, what can you do to cut down on the risk of lung infections in your body? Let’s take a look.
1. Cut out smoking from your life:
You must have seen the advertisements on tv and in newspapers, warning you against the deadly side effects of smoking. A lot of people turn a blind eye to these cautions, as the disastrous effects can often feel seemingly harmless. Since most of the symptoms don’t even start to show in the beginning, people may choose to ignore them and continue smoking. The truth is, if you continue to smoke despite these warnings, then you are putting yourself at risk of developing a range of lung disorders. Each time that you smoke, you consume large amounts of carbon monoxide and nicotine, which have terrible consequences on your breathing system. Smoking eventually always leads to some irreparable diseases, if done continuously. These include lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, and even asthma. So, if you want to protect your lungs, then try quitting today, and kudos to you if you do not smoke.
2. Decrease your exposure to harmful pollutants:
With the rising level of pollution in our environment, almost every place contains substances that could slowly be degrading your respiratory organs. However, avoiding such things can be seemingly impossible. What we can do, is try and mitigate our exposure to harmful environments that are under our control. Some ways to do that can include staying away from smokers, as passive smoking can weaken your lungs too, staying indoors during peak pollution levels, keeping a safe distance from construction sites, avoiding working out near areas with heavy traffic, and wearing a mask in case you are forced to be outside during peak business hours when the air is most contaminated.
3. Exercise consistently:
Just like the rest of your body, your lungs need a good workout in order to get stronger. You see, when you exercise, your breathing goes up from 15 times a minute to almost 40-60 times a minute. When you exercise, your lungs are forced to step up their game, by delivering more oxygen to the body and exhaling an increased amount of carbon dioxide. The muscles that lie between your ribs, contract and expand at a faster rate, and the sacs at the end of your lungs work more quickly and efficiently to exchange the necessary gases. All of this activity builds up strength within your lungs, making them healthier and thus minimizing the chances of them being infected in the near future. So, make it a point to find at least 30 minutes every day out of your busy schedule, and sweat it out in a gym, a park, or wherever you feel most comfortable.
4. Wash your hands regularly:
This might seem very rudimentary, but now more than ever, we are starting to realize the importance of disinfecting our hands regularly. Throughout the day, our hands come in contact with various surfaces, containing a plethora of germs that are invisible to the naked eye. If overlooked, these potentially dangerous germs could enter our body while we eat or rub our nose, and thereby wreak havoc on our lungs. Studies reveal that regular handwashing can cut down the risk of various lung infections, from around 6% to 44%.
Conclusion:
We all realize how important our lungs are, and during the covid-19 pandemic, we have learned to be even more cautious and grateful for these healthy organs. Maintaining them is not an uphill task. As long as we incorporate a healthy, hygienic lifestyle and avoid coming in contact with people who put us at risk of lung infections, we could cut down on respiratory trouble by a huge margin. So, make sure to follow the above steps, and enjoy a healthy respiratory system.