Our lungs work quietly and tirelessly to deliver oxygen in and out of our bodies, but are all too often disregarded when it comes to health. While smoking is a notorious trigger, a range of environmental and lifestyle factors — from dirty air to chronic stress — can chip away at respiratory function over time. Preventing them is all about understanding these risks.
The Urban Smog Trap
Air pollution is one of the gravest threats to lung health . Smog, filled with fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides, and ozone, irritates the airways and reduces capacity. Prolonged exposure leads to asthma, chronic bronchitis, and even lung cancer. The World Health Organization has said millions of premature deaths worldwide each year are linked to air pollution, which is respiratory-related in much of it. For city residents, risks can be minimized by tracking air quality levels, wearing masks on bad pollution days and using indoor air purifiers.
Smoking and Vaping: The Clear Enemies
Smoking tobacco is the most important cause of preventable lung disease, creating scar tissue in the lungs and making them less elastic. It’s the leading cause of COPD and lung cancer. Vaping, meanwhile, is something that is sold as being safer, but it also presents the lungs with dangerous chemicals and metals. Quitting smoking and not taking up vaping in the first place are musts when it comes to protecting lung health.
Sedentary Living and Poor Fitness
Lungs work best with regular physical activity . Physical activity increases your lung capacity and makes the muscles you use for breathing stronger, and it helps your body utilize oxygen better. Sitting around gives these systems the atrophy of weakness, so that even small exertions are exhausting. Routine aerobic exercise, along with techniques such as yoga or diaphragmatic breathing, maintains the flexibility and resilience of your lungs.
Diet and Excess Weight
Food choices directly affect breathing. Processed foods and less healthy fats lead to inflammation that undermines lung function; extra weight piles on, pressing the diaphragm so some of the most vital parts of the lungs cannot do their work just like a fat person with sleep apnea. By contrast, antioxidant-rich diets, especially those rich in vitamins C and E, omega-3 fatty acids, promote lung repair. It also helps keep airways clear to stay well-hydrated.
Workplace Hazards
Workers can also be exposed to hazardous dusts, fumes, or asbestos in some jobs (for example, construction, mining, and manufacturing). These may result in lung scarring, occupational asthma, and chronic bronchitis. Protective gear, full ventilation and frequent medical checks are a must for the vulnerable.
Stress and Mental Health
Stress, panic and fear can also harm the respiratory system. People who are under chronic stress take quick, shallow breaths and don't adequately fill their lungs with oxygen. Hormones released in response to stress can exacerbate inflammation and provoke asthma flare-ups. In addition, stress frequently feeds bad habits like smoking or overeating that indirectly harm the lungs. A practice like mindfulness or meditation can do wonders for both emotional balance and lung capacity.
Protecting Lung Health
While vulnerable, the lungs can be protected by intentional decisions. Not smoking, being physically active, eating a nourishing diet and controlling stress sets the groundwork for healthy lungs. For those in smoggy cities, keeping general tabs on the air quality, trying to stay inside during peak smog hours and ensuring indoor spaces are well-ventilated can also offer more protection.
Breathing - the very essence of life, but today's lifestyles and urban living environments do not always make it easy. We can extend that thinking to lung health to understand how everyday behaviours — from smog exposure to unmitigated stress — wear on the lungs, and we can take action to keep our breath for life.
(Dr. Lokesh Gutta, Consultant - Interventional Pulmonology, Manipal Hospital, Vijayawada)
The Urban Smog Trap
Air pollution is one of the gravest threats to lung health . Smog, filled with fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides, and ozone, irritates the airways and reduces capacity. Prolonged exposure leads to asthma, chronic bronchitis, and even lung cancer. The World Health Organization has said millions of premature deaths worldwide each year are linked to air pollution, which is respiratory-related in much of it. For city residents, risks can be minimized by tracking air quality levels, wearing masks on bad pollution days and using indoor air purifiers.
Smoking and Vaping: The Clear Enemies
Smoking tobacco is the most important cause of preventable lung disease, creating scar tissue in the lungs and making them less elastic. It’s the leading cause of COPD and lung cancer. Vaping, meanwhile, is something that is sold as being safer, but it also presents the lungs with dangerous chemicals and metals. Quitting smoking and not taking up vaping in the first place are musts when it comes to protecting lung health.
Sedentary Living and Poor Fitness
Lungs work best with regular physical activity . Physical activity increases your lung capacity and makes the muscles you use for breathing stronger, and it helps your body utilize oxygen better. Sitting around gives these systems the atrophy of weakness, so that even small exertions are exhausting. Routine aerobic exercise, along with techniques such as yoga or diaphragmatic breathing, maintains the flexibility and resilience of your lungs.
Diet and Excess Weight
Food choices directly affect breathing. Processed foods and less healthy fats lead to inflammation that undermines lung function; extra weight piles on, pressing the diaphragm so some of the most vital parts of the lungs cannot do their work just like a fat person with sleep apnea. By contrast, antioxidant-rich diets, especially those rich in vitamins C and E, omega-3 fatty acids, promote lung repair. It also helps keep airways clear to stay well-hydrated.
Workplace Hazards
Workers can also be exposed to hazardous dusts, fumes, or asbestos in some jobs (for example, construction, mining, and manufacturing). These may result in lung scarring, occupational asthma, and chronic bronchitis. Protective gear, full ventilation and frequent medical checks are a must for the vulnerable.
Stress and Mental Health
Stress, panic and fear can also harm the respiratory system. People who are under chronic stress take quick, shallow breaths and don't adequately fill their lungs with oxygen. Hormones released in response to stress can exacerbate inflammation and provoke asthma flare-ups. In addition, stress frequently feeds bad habits like smoking or overeating that indirectly harm the lungs. A practice like mindfulness or meditation can do wonders for both emotional balance and lung capacity.
Protecting Lung Health
While vulnerable, the lungs can be protected by intentional decisions. Not smoking, being physically active, eating a nourishing diet and controlling stress sets the groundwork for healthy lungs. For those in smoggy cities, keeping general tabs on the air quality, trying to stay inside during peak smog hours and ensuring indoor spaces are well-ventilated can also offer more protection.
Breathing - the very essence of life, but today's lifestyles and urban living environments do not always make it easy. We can extend that thinking to lung health to understand how everyday behaviours — from smog exposure to unmitigated stress — wear on the lungs, and we can take action to keep our breath for life.
(Dr. Lokesh Gutta, Consultant - Interventional Pulmonology, Manipal Hospital, Vijayawada)
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