Respiratory Health: Breathe Easy This Spring
A person's lungs are one of the most critical organs in the human body, but they aren't often cared for the way they should be. There are plenty of ways to keep lungs healthy and improve respiratory health. It’s important to keep track of potential irritants in the air you breathe, to protect your lungs from unsafe conditions, like fumes at a job site, and to exercise regularly to improve your cardiovascular health. Simple preventative measures around the house can keep your whole family healthy.
Testing the Household Professionally
Let’s start with one of the more extreme examples, asbestos. This substance was widely used in construction during the 1970s, as a fire retardant. Commercial, residential, and government structures might have asbestos within the walls and ceilings today. Asbestos is safe when it’s stable and hardened. As it decays or is damaged, airborne particles embed sharply into the lung tissues and cause asbestos cancer. The US is one of the only developed countries with no ban on asbestos in place. While it is no longer used with the same enthusiasm, it is still commonly used in certain kinds of industrial manufacturing, roofing materials, and more.
Local authorities are able to test a structure for asbestos materials. Building owners then receive a document that spells out whether there's cause for concern or not. Because asbestos is dangerous when it's airborne, the removal process needs to be handled professionally with utmost care.
Beyond asbestos, a household may harbour many other contaminants that can severely impact lung health.
Looking out for Developing Irritants
It's important to always be on the lookout for possible issues, including wildfires, impacting the air quality, states MedicineNet. As a result of these ongoing wildfires, many homes are exposed to the equivalent of a pack-a-day smoking habit, which can lead to more severe conditions like Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Testing your local air quality regularly can help inform choices about how to protect your respiratory health, like upgrading the windows or installing air filtration systems.
Hire a technician who can test for radon around the property, too. Radon, like other noxious fumes, harms the respiratory system with subtle changes that aren’t always immediately apparent. It’s important to get rid of any mold, as well. Mold can be hard to spot between the walls, but the spores can still become airborne throughout the home, impacting air quality.
Understanding Working Conditions
According to the University of Missouri Extension, a person’s workplace can pose a serious risk to their respiratory health. Workers in sensitive or hazardous conditions should keep their lungs healthy by wearing masks or respirators. Invisible irritants in the air can have long-term impacts on the lungs, with the most common culprits being dust or fumes from industrial or chemical processes.
By wearing protective gear, workers can avoid chronic coughing and throat irritants. Be sure to wear proper eye protection as well. The eyes, ears and respiratory system are all intricately connected. Avoid irritation throughout the whole system of sinuses and cavities for a healthier life overall.
Improving Cardiovascular Fitness
Give your respiratory health an extra boost by working out the cardiovascular system. Walk, jog, or bike around the neighbourhood, for example. These aerobic activities force the heart to beat faster than it does at rest. The respiratory system works harder too, keeping the blood oxygenated, which significantly strengthens the lungs.
This sort of exercise doesn't have to be too strenuous, if your overall health isn’t able to sustain a more intensive exercise regimen. Try to break a sweat, but don't overwork the body. Breathing deeply during any activity gives the lungs a workout that they don't receive without a little extra exertion.
Trying Some Deep Breathing
The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital states that breathing deeply helps people in a number of different ways. The human body depends on ample amounts of oxygen so that it can support its various tissues and processes. Try to practice some deep breathing on a daily basis. Most people don't use most of their lungs' capacity. Filling the lungs with enough air to expand the chest and belly is a great way to improve the respiratory tissue's health and reduce stress on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems at the same time.
Sit tall, or stand up during the deep-breathing session. Individuals should close their eyes so that their entire focus is on their breathing, and on nothing else in the immediate area.
On a regular basis, evaluate a neighbourhood's surroundings for developing air-quality concerns. Everyone deserves clean air and healthy lives. Breathing deeply during daily outings should never be a worry. It will help you to improve your quality of life.
AUTHOR
Dr. Payal Bhandari M.D. is one of U.S.'s top leading integrative functional medical physicians and the founder of SF Advanced Health. She combines the best in Eastern and Western Medicine to understand the root causes of diseases and provide patients with personalized treatment plans that quickly deliver effective results. Dr. Bhandari specializes in cell function to understand how the whole body works. Dr. Bhandari received her Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1997 and Doctor of Medicine degree in 2001 from West Virginia University. She the completed her Family Medicine residency in 2004 from the University of Massachusetts and joined a family medicine practice in 2005 which was eventually nationally recognized as San Francisco’s 1st patient-centered medical home. To learn more, go to www.sfadvancedhealth.com.