Feature stories
Lung-conscious living
Ten tips to healthier lungs
1. Don’t smoke
Always the number one, and by now it should be a no-brainer. Smoking opens you up to a frightening list of health risks. Quitting as early as possible is very important. The less time you smoke, the less damage you’ll do to your body’s tissues, your skin, and gums. You’ll get fewer colds and be less susceptible to infection. Of course, smokers with a 15 - 20 year record, though they may not be able to reverse some damage, can still erase their elevated risk of cancer and heart disease. It’s never too late to quit. For non-smokers, it’s a good idea to avoid second-hand smoke as it can be just as dangerous.
2. Always wash your hands
Another one that can never be said enough. Our society is such that we are living closer and closer together. Germs can spread much more easily within our denser populations, especially when so many of us travel a great deal. The truth is that you can’t know what you’re coming in contact with, so be smart about hygiene.
3. Exercise
Your lungs use muscles to draw air in and out of your body. Just like other muscles they need exercise too. Regular aerobic exercise will strengthen the muscles involved in breathing which will enable you to draw deeper breaths, and make those breaths easier to take. This will improve oxygen flow to the rest of your body so you’ll feel healthier and more energized. Aerobic exercise can be anything from a brisk walk, or a good jog, to an energetic dance: Find your groove and get moving!
4. Plan your ‘safe air route’
Just as you’ll benefit from regular exercise, you’ll benefit from choosing carefully where you take that exercise. Running or walking beside busy roadways will increase your exposure to harmful emissions – imagine taking all those deep breaths full of exhaust fumes! The same goes for anyone walking to work or school. You have made the healthy choice to walk instead of drive, and you send your kids to school on foot, but unless you’re all breathing in good air on your walk, you may in fact be causing your lungs harm. Planning a ‘safe air route’ to your destinations can be as important as planning a route for your personal safety.
5. Get Growing
Houseplants actually improve the quality of the air we breathe inside our homes. Plants have the ability to remove chemical vapors such as acetone, methyl alcohol, and ammonia, and naturally humidify the air around us. Many varieties of palms have excellent chemical removal rates and transpiration (emission of water vapour) rates. The rubber plant, and the ficus alii are also good choices. Even plants on your grocery store’s shelves can help remove toxins from the air. Mums provide a bright splash of colour as well as cleaner air, as do begonias, and tulips. Outside, plant trees and shrubs to clean up the air in your back yard.
To learn more: How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants that Purify Your Home or Office, by Dr. B.C. Wolverton (Penguin Books, 1997).
6. Stop your engines!
Waiting in your car can be tedious, whether it’s to pick up a friend, or to drop something off. Even more tedious, however, is the unnecessary exhaust let off from your idling engine. People passing on the sidewalk are forced to breathe in the fumes, it wastes fuel, and it wears out your car – when all it takes is a simple turn of the key, why would anyone keep their engine running? No idling is the responsible choice to make, especially when you’re waiting for your child at school.
Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency offers free resources to start your own anti-idling campaign. Check them out at: oee.nrcan.gc.ca.
7. Take your vitamins
Increasingly, vitamin rich diets are associated with better lung function. Researchers in New Zealand and Great Britain have pointed especially to Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Vitamin E as playing a role in keeping our lungs in peak condition, and thus preventing the development of lung diseases like COPD. It’s always best to try to get as many vitamins as you can through your diet, but if you find yourself unable to meet the daily recommendations of Canada’s Food Guide (available online from Health Canada’s website: www.hc-sc.gc.ca) then a good multivitamin can help to supplement your regular intake.
8. Get vaccinated
During a normal flu season, one in ten adults and one in three children will catch the flu. Although it is similar to getting a normal cold, the important and dangerous difference is that influenza reduces the body’s ability to fight off other infection. Getting a flu shot every year can help protect you from developing potentially serious complications from respiratory infections. If you have concerns about getting your flu shot, talk to your doctor. For more general information you can also click on the Provincial Government’s website: www.gov.bc.ca
9. Drink up
While there is much confusion over the exact amount of water we should be drinking every day, there is no argument that keeping your body well hydrated has a myriad of health benefits, and healthier lungs are among them. Drinking lots of fluids thins the secretions in your lungs, making it easier to breathe.
Although you may not be able to pin down the number of glasses you should be consuming, a good rule of thumb is to keep water always available to you. Stash bottles of water in your desk, by your bed, and in your car. Remember, if you become thirsty, that means you’re already a little dehydrated.
10. Eat Right, Breathe Easy
In addition to the effects vitamins have on our lung health, researchers have investigated other foods which seem to help us breathe easier. According to the findings, eating tomatoes at least three times a week, and having the occasional glass of wine, especially white, can benefit the function of your lungs. Omega-3 fatty acids can also facilitate comfortable breathing: Most respiratory problems, including asthma, are related to inflammation, which omega-3 fatty acids have been seen to reduce.