The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans.
Humans have two lungs, a right lung, and a left lung. They are situated within the thoracic cavity of the chest. The right lung is bigger than the left, which shares space in the chest with the heart. The lungs together weigh approximately 1.3 kilograms (2.9 lb), and the right is heavier.
Some Lung Diseases that you should be aware of.
- Asthma.
Your airways are constantly inflamed and may spasm, causing wheezing and shortness of breath. Allergies, infections, or pollution can trigger asthma symptom - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
With this lung condition, you can’t exhale the way you usually would, which causes trouble breathing. - Chronic bronchitis.
This form of COPD brings a long-term wet cough. - Pneumonia.
An infection of your alveoli, usually by bacteria or viruses, including the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. - Lung cancer.
It has many forms and may start in any part of your lungs. It most often happens in the main part of your lung, in or near the air sacs. - Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
This is a severe, sudden injury to the lungs from a serious illness. COVID-19 is one example. Many people who have ARDS need help breathing from a machine called a ventilator until their lungs recover. - Pulmonary embolism (PE).
A blood clot (usually in a deep leg vein, called deep vein thrombosis) breaks off, travels to your heart, and gets pumped into your lungs. The clot sticks in a pulmonary artery, often causing shortness of breath and low blood oxygen levels. - Pneumothorax.
Air may get into the space between your chest wall and the lung, collapsing the lung.
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Proper Lung Care to minimize Risks of Certain Diseases.
- Get an air purifier
Start cleansing your lungs by improving the quality of the air in your home. You can purchase an air purifier that can be placed in individual rooms. You can also invest in a household-wide purifier. - Change your house filters
Along with getting an air purifier, you should change all of the filters in your home and clean all of the vents, such as those in the bathroom or your air conditioning or heating vents.
Be sure to replace your furnace filter every six months, too.
Shop for an air filter or a furnace filter online. - Eliminate artificial scents
You may think that you’re helping the air in your home by making it smell nice with air fresheners, candles, or those popular wax candle warmers. However, these fragrances are often full of harmful chemicals that can irritate your lungs.
Even household cleaners can act as irritants, so check your cupboards and replace your cleaners with all-natural products if possible.
- Spend more time outside
Getting plenty of fresh air can help expand the tissues in your lungs and keep them working properly.
Check the pollution forecasts in your area. Avoid exercising outside when pollution numbers are high, and stay away from burning trash, burning wood, or other types of smoke.
If you’re concerned about pollution or you live in an area with heavy pollutants, you could wear an air filter mask. - Try breathing exercises
Certain breathing exercises can improve lung function, especially for individuals who currently smoke, who’ve smoked in the past, or who have lung damage from a chronic lung disease.
There are also tools that can help you practice your breathing, such as a spirometer. This kind of device is often used after surgery to help with the recovery process.
Other breathing exercises don’t require the use of assistive devices. These techniques include:
pursed lip breathing
belly breathing, which is also known as diaphragmatic breathing - Practice percussion
Percussion, or chest percussion, is a technique that can help drain fluid from the lungs. It involves having you lie down with your head lowered and tapping lightly on your back, working from top to bottom.
It’s often combined with postural drainage, a technique where you change your body’s position so that it’s easier for fluid to move out of the lungs. You may be on your side, stomach, or back. - Change your diet
Your diet can affect your lung health in a variety of ways. Include Vitamin D-rich foods, try green tea, introduce anti-inflammatory foods, healthy fats - Get more aerobic exercise
An exercise routine that incorporates aerobic activity can help improve your lung capacity. Aerobic exercises include walking, running, cycling, whether outdoors or indoors, swimming, dancing or dance-inspired workouts such as Zumba, boxing sports such as tennis.
