The Right and Left Lungs

The right lung has three parts, called lobes. It is a bit shorter and wider. The left lung has two lobes and is smaller because it shares space with your heart.

Breathing process

When you breathe in, air goes through your nose or mouth, down your throat, and into your windpipe. The windpipe splits into two tubes, one for each lung. These tubes branch into smaller tubes and end in tiny air sacs called alveoli.


In the alveoli, oxygen moves from the air into your blood. Your heart then pumps this oxygen-rich blood to your body. At the same time, carbon dioxide, a waste gas, moves from your blood to your lungs. When you breathe out, your body gets rid of this carbon dioxide.

Why lungs are ​important

Lungs are important because they bring oxygen into your body and remove carbon dioxide. Every part of your body needs oxygen to work. Breathing is a sign of life and shows how important your lungs are to keep you alive and healthy.


Our body has a natural defense to protect our lungs from dirt and germs. However, factors like smoking, air pollution, chronic diseases, and infections can harm them. Fortunately, there are things we can do to keep our lungs healthy. Here are a few easy ways you can protect your lungs.

Avoid Smoking

Smoking is very bad for your lungs. It can cause lung cancer and diseases like chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Smoking damages your blood vessels, causing them to thicken and become narrower. This makes it difficult for air to flow in and out of your lungs, which may make it hard to breathe. Smoking damages your lungs and can lead to serious diseases. It can harm lung tissue and lead to lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema over time.

Smoking makes it hard to breathe and reduces the amount of oxygen in your body. It can also cause heart disease and stroke. Secondhand smoke harms people around you, especially babies and children.

Smoking damages blood vessels and can make them thicken and grow narrower.

 

Why You Should Quit

Quitting smoking is important for your health. Here’s why you should quit and how it can positively impact your life;

Life After Quitting Smoking: A Journey to Better Health When you quit smoking, your body begins a remarkable recovery process. Here's a look at what happens as you leave cigarettes behind;

The First 20 Minutes
Heart rate and blood pressure drop to healthier levels.

The First Few Days
Blood carbon monoxide gets normal, boosting oxygen flow, energy, and reducing breathlessness.

The First Few Months
Improved circulation and lung function make physical activities easier and reduce shortness of breath.

Up to One Year
Less coughing and breathlessness as lung cilia functions better, reducing lung infection risk.

One to Two Years Later
Heart health improves to that of a non-smoker, reducing the risk of heart attack.

Five to Ten Years Later
Risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, and is reduced to half.


After Ten Years
Risk of lung cancer is about half that of someone who still smokes and chances of bladder, esophagus, and kidney cancers also decrease.

Fifteen Years Later
Coronary heart disease risk becomes similar to that of a non-smoker. Heart and blood vessels health greatly improves.

Protect Your Lungs From Air Pollutants

Air pollutants can harm your lungs and overall health. Protecting your lungs is important, especially if you live in an area with high pollution levels. Air pollutants come from many sources like cars, factories, and even household items. By taking simple steps, you can reduce your exposure and keep your lungs healthy.

Indoor Air ​​Quality

The air inside your home can also be polluted and may pose risks to your lungs. Indoor air pollution can come from various sources like cooking, cleaning products, and pet dander. Knowing how indoor air pollution affects your health and taking steps to improve indoor air quality can help protect your lungs and keep your home safe.

Here's all about indoor pollution

Indoor air quality indicates the quality of the air inside rooms where we live, work, and play. Indoor air quality is very important as we spend much of our time indoors. Sometimes, indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air due to a variety of pollutants such as cleaning chemicals, cooking fumes, and inadequate ventilation

Poor indoor air quality can lead to respiratory issues, allergies, and other health problems

Things like secondhand smoke, which is the smoke from other people's cigarettes, can harm your lungs

Cleaning products and paints have chemicals that can make indoor air unhealthy

Mold, which is a type of fungus that grows in damp places, can cause breathing issues

You can take measures to clean the air inside your home.

Outdoor Air Pollution

The air outside can be polluted and sometimes it is not safe to breathe. This pollution can harm your lungs. Understanding how outdoor air pollution affects your health and how to avoid it can help keep you and your family healthy. Be aware that climate change and natural disasters, like wildfires, can also affect air quality and your lung health.

Here is how you can protect your lungs from outdoor pollution

Avoid exercising outside when the air quality is poor. You can check daily air quality reports for your area

Stay away from busy roads when you exercise since traffic fumes can be harmful

Don’t burn wood or trash because the smoke can damage your lungs

On days with heavy pollution, like during winter smog, wear a good quality mask such as N95. These masks filter out most harmful particles and are especially important when going outside during peak pollution times

Stop smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke (the smoke from someone else's cigarette or cigar) to keep your lungs healthy

Don’t Delay Addressing Symptoms

It’s important not to delay seeking medical advice if you notice any signs of lung problems. Lung diseases can develop without obvious symptoms and may become serious before you’re aware of them. If you experience persistent coughs, shortness of breath, or other respiratory issues, it's important to consult your doctor. They can provide a thorough evaluation, including listening to your breathing and discussing any concerns you have.

Catching lung problems early is best. That’s why it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of common lung conditions.

 

Exercise
Exercise is good for your lungs no matter your age, size, or health condition. Being physically active helps keep your lungs strong and healthy. Please talk to your doctor before starting an exercise routine.

Vaccination
Vaccines help protect your lungs from serious infections like influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia. These diseases can be very dangerous, especially for older adults and people with weak immune systems or chronic conditions like asthma or COPD.

10 Tips for Healthy Lungs

Your lungs work hard every day without you even noticing. They help you breathe by removing waste and delivering oxygen to your blood. As we age, our lungs can weaken, making breathing more difficult. However, you can do things to keep your lungs strong and even improve their function.

Avoid Active as Well as Passive Smoking
If you smoke, quitting is the fastest way to help your lungs. Cigarette smoke makes it hard to breathe by narrowing air passages. Over time, smoking causes swelling in your lungs and increases the risk of lung cancer or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Breathing in passive or secondhand smoke from others can also cause lung problems and infections. If you are exposed to secondhand smoke, it is important to reduce this exposure as much as possible. The longer you avoid coming in contact with smoke, the healthier your lungs become.

Exercise Daily
Exercise makes your heart and lungs work harder to deliver oxygen to your muscles. Regular exercise strengthens your lungs and heart. Your body gets better at moving oxygen into your blood and to your muscles. This helps you not get out of breath as easily over time. Please talk to your healthcare provider before starting any exercise routine to ensure it is safe and appropriate for your health condition.

Eat Well and Drink Plenty of Water
Your body needs good food to work well. Your lungs help turn food into energy by using oxygen. Eating different kinds of foods gives your body the nutrients it needs. When you drink water, it helps to thin the mucus in your airways, making it easier to breathe. When you don't drink enough water, the mucus becomes thick and sticky. This can slow your breathing and raise your chances of getting ill or catching allergies.

Visit Your Doctor Regularly
Regular doctor visits can help prevent illnesses. Go for check-ups even when you feel fine. This is very important for lung diseases because they can be hard to notice early on. Tell your doctor if you have any trouble breathing.

Stay Up to Date with Vaccinations
Vaccines protect you from serious lung infections like the flu, COVID-19, and pneumonia. These diseases spread easily from person to person. Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent these diseases. Vaccines are very important for people with lung problems because they can prevent severe illness.

Avoid Exposure To Air Pollution
Outdoor air pollution can harm your lungs, even if it seems cleaner than indoor air. Many people live in areas with polluted outdoor air. Ozone and particle pollution are the most common and harmful pollutants. Check your local air quality and learn how to protect your family.

Protecting You and Your Family from Outdoor Air Pollution

Here are some simple tips to protect you and your family from the dangers of outdoor air pollution;

Check daily air pollution forecasts. Use local radio, TV, newspapers, or government sites to see if the air is unhealthy. Avoid outdoor exercise when pollution levels are high. Exercise indoors instead. Don't let children play outside if the air quality is bad.
Use less energy at home. Saving energy helps reduce air pollution.
Walk, cycle, or carpool instead of driving. Use public transportation like buses and trains.
Don't burn wood or trash. Burning these creates a lot of pollution.
Invest in air purifiers for your home, especially those that can filter PM2.5 particles.
Increase greenery around your home as plants can help absorb pollutants and improve air quality.

Keep Indoor Air Clean
Indoor air can have pollutants like secondhand smoke, household chemicals, radon and mold. These can harm your lungs, especially if you have a lung disease. To improve indoor air, dust regularly, keep your home smokefree, and install air purifiers HEPA filters to help remove airborne particles and pollutants. Install exhaust fans in areas like kitchens and bathrooms to remove moisture and pollutants. Make sure that your home is well-ventilated by opening windows when outdoor air quality is good. Consider installing a mechanical ventilation system to bring in fresh air and remove stale air from your home.

Try Deep Breathing
Deep breathing can make your lungs stronger and help manage stress. Breathing exercises can make your lungs work better and can increase its capacity to hold the amount of air you can breathe in and out.

Practice Good Hygiene
Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds to avoid infections. Use hand sanitizer when there is no water available. If you are ill or infection rates are high, keeping your distance from others or wearing a mask can keep you healthy and stop germs from spreading.

Get Checked for Lung Infections if You Are Experiencing Symptoms
You should get checked for lung infections if you are a smoker, and experiencing symptoms like productive cough. Also, consider getting checked if you have a history of childhood respiratory infections. Exposure to smoke from coal or wood-burning stoves, or secondhand smoke is another risk factor. Other risk factors include a history of asthma, underdeveloped lungs, being over age 40, or having a family member with COPD. People living in poverty or rural areas are also at higher risk for developing COPD. Exposure to indoor and outdoor pollutants, occupational hazards, and limited access to healthcare can increase this risk.

It’s crucial to consult a doctor if you are experiencing respiratory symptoms and have any of these risk factors. Early diagnosis and management can improve quality of life, slow disease progression, reduce mortality, and keep people out of the hospital. Regular check-ups can help catch problems early and keep your lungs healthy.

Reference

  1. Protecting Your Lungs. [Internet]. American Lung Association. 2024. Available from: Click here
  2. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). [Internet]. Cleveland Clinic. Available from: Click here
  3. Why Are Vaccines Important?. [Internet]. American Lung Association. 2018. Available from: Click here
  4. Protecting Your Lungs. [Internet]. American Lung Association. 2024. Available from: Click here
  5. 10 Tips to Protect Yourself from Unhealthy Air. [Internet]. American Lung Association. 2023. Available from: Click here
  6. 10 Simple Steps to Your Healthiest Lungs. [Internet]. American Lung Association. 2023. Available from: Click here