Improve Lung Health

Improving your lung health is promoted annually on World Lung Day. This is an awareness day, organised by FIRS (Forum of International Respiratory Societies), for promoting better lung health, globally. The reason this is so important is because having healthy lungs will make your body work more effectively. And now, in these days of living with covid, it is more important than ever to care for your lungs and keep them healthy.

Your lung health

To ensure you keep your body ticking over nicely, keeping your lungs healthy is critical. However, the burden of lung disease was often not recognised or prioritised in previous years within health systems. At least, not as much as it needed to be. Now, since the covid pandemic and the resulting number of people with long-covid, lung health has come more to the fore. This includes keeping your breathing muscles in tip top condition, because if you do become ill they will fatigue very quickly. In fact, breathing training such as POWERbreathe Respiratory Muscle Training Is Valuable in COVID-19 Patient Recovery.

What affects lung health?

The lung is an internal organ. It is most vulnerable to infection and injury from the external environment because you breathe in oxygen from the air, directly into your lungs. This is why your lungs are affected so drastically by COVID. Your lungs really are a very important cog in the wheel that keeps your body ticking over. They draw oxygen in when you inhale, and release carbon dioxide out when you exhale.

This gas exchange is an important process, because carbon dioxide is a waste gas which the cells of the body produce. Obviously, this breathing in and out is a vital function of life. In fact, it’s your respiratory system that helps make breathing possible. Furthermore, if you have problems breathing, you may experience an impairment in gas exchange which will increase your risk of serious health problems. Find out more about What Happens When You Breathe.

10 ways to improve your lung health

There are several things you can do that will help to improve the health of your lungs. You could:

1. Introduce breathing training to improve your respiratory muscle strength
2. Quit smoking
3. Introduce a healthier diet
4. Become more physically active
5. Limit your exposure to air pollution, indoor and out
6. Have the vaccine for seasonal flu, pneumonia and covid
7. Get rid of phlegm in throat and lungs naturally after colds and flu
8. Use protective gear if your occupation involves exposure to dust, allergens or pollution etc
9. Improve your posture and make more room for your lungs
10. Laugh or sing for lung health

Breathing Trainers – IMT and EMT

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The most common diseases affecting the lungs

Some of the most common chronic respiratory diseases affecting the airways and other structures of the lungs are: 

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – the third leading cause of death worldwide
• Asthma – affected 262 million people in 2019 and is the most common chronic disease among children
• Occupational lung diseases
• Pulmonary hypertension

In the following video, Poppy describes her diagnosis of severe and brittle asthma; how it has affected her, including being ventilated four times; and her experience of training with her POWERbreathe Medic Plus IMT device.

In his own words, NHS Paramedic Gary Thornton shares his experience of using the POWERbreathe Medic Plus Inspiratory Muscle Training device as part of his recovery from COVID-19.

Clearing your throat and lungs naturally

Getting rid of phlegm and mucus will help to keep your lungs healthy. This is because your lungs are an internal organ and therefore highly vulnerable to bacteria and infection. When bacteria or a virus gets past your body’s natural defence system, the more phlegm it produces. This usually clears when you cough. If you prefer not to take cough medicine, you can help to achieve a productive cough by using one of the Shaker drug-free mucus-clearing devices. They literally ‘shake’ and break-up the phlegm in your chest, making it easier to cough it up.

Mucus Clearance

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More about how to keep your lungs healthy

Finally, if you would like to find out more about how breathing affects your lung health, then have a look at How Asthma Affects Breathing. You can also read about how POWERbreathe IMT breathing training can help people with COPD, as well as, how chest physiotherapy can help to clear your airways. Choosing the right Foods for keeping your lungs healthy is also worth considering.