How to Improve Lung Health (5 Strategies)
November 23, 2024
Lung health can impact quality of life in a big way. Those suffering from asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases or complications are often the best advocates for the importance of clean and healthy lungs. However, interest in how to strengthen lungs doesn’t require a medical condition. Taking proactive steps to improve lung function will preserve your respiratory organs and better ensure they continue to support your biological wellbeing. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to improve lung health.
5 Practices That Can Improve Lung Health
From leafy greens to avoiding nicotine, here are a few notes and considerations on the topic of how to strengthen lungs and improve lung health. Number five may surprise you!
1. Get Plenty of Lung-Healthy Nutrition
What Are Some Good Vitamins for Lung Health?
Vitamins C, D, A, and E may all help improve lung health by defending the body against lung infections and diseases like COPD and asthma. Additionally, supplements like magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids combat inflammation in the body, in addition to other possible benefits related to respiratory function (Health).
What Are the Foods that Improve Lung Health?
There’s a wide variety of foods we can eat to support proper lung function and health. Good foods for lung health include healthy fats and proteins (eggs are both), complex carbs like pasta and fresh produce, along with foods like bananas that contain potassium. (The Mesothelioma Center)
What are Some Good Herbs for Lung Health?
Used in traditional Chinese medicine, schisandra is an adaptogenic herb with properties that have proven effective in protecting against lung oxidative stress. It may have therapeutic applications for COPD. (2020 Journal of Thoracic Disease). Licorice, oil of oregano, and other herbal supplements may promote healthier functioning lungs. Please consult a physician before taking new supplements to discuss efficacy and the potential for interactions and/or contraindications.
2. Consider Taking At-Home Lung Health Tests
There is a quick and relatively simple assessment that anyone can do to monitor the health of their lungs. This is called a “peak expiratory flow test” (or “PEF test”). To perform a PEF test in your home, you will need a peak flow meter. Peak flow meters are inexpensive and quite portable, allowing them to fit quite easily into just about any lifestyle. (Cigna)
How to Test if Your Lungs are Healthy at Home
To test if your lungs are healthy at home, you basically just blow into a peak flow meter as hard as you can for a couple of seconds. Record whatever number the gauge shows, then just repeat that process twice and note the highest of those three recorded results. This number is your peak expiratory flow or “peak flow”. PEF tests can help you “monitor the progression of disease or help measure your response to medical treatment for a long-term (chronic) lung disease.” (Cigna)
3. Pay Attention to Air Quality
Don’t overlook the effect that air quality can have on your lung health. While we can’t completely avoid all environmental factors, paying attention to the air pollution where you live or spend time can help you more accurately gauge your risk level. According the American Lung Association, some of the worst cities for air pollution include Los Angeles, Denver, and Phoenix.
4. Stay Away from Smoke
Of course, numerous studies have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that smoking is bad for our health. There’s no way around that, but addiction is also a complex and diabolically difficult disease to address. Help is available for those struggling with nicotine addiction.
If you only smoke periodically and are wondering how to improve lung health, it will come as little surprise that giving up even the occasional cigarette is a step in the right direction. Certainly, we suggest taking any steps you can to replace that habit with one that is kinder to your body.
How to Improve Lung Health if You’re a Non-Smoker, But You Spend Time With Smokers
Secondhand smoke is no joke. For non-smoking individuals who, nonetheless, find themselves regularly exposed to smoking environments, finding ways to minimize your exposure may help strengthen your lungs and shield you from any secondhand respiratory complications. Since we can’t expect to change another person’s behavior, having an honest but respectful conversation to express expectations and discuss boundaries can be helpful in situations where a non-smoker cannot remove themselves from a smoking environment.
5. Breathe Salt
Clean air is crucial to good lung health, and breathing salt in that air can actually help your lungs function even better. Among other health perks, inhaling dry salt can help eliminate toxins from the respiratory system. The benefits of salt therapy can be quite profound, in fact, causing some to visit salt rooms for asthma or COPD symptom relief. Likewise, those suffering from various other breathing problems like smoker’s cough or sinusitis may see improvement through a salt therapy treatment routine.