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Tips for a Healthy Respiratory System

It's easy to take a healthy respiratory system for granted since breathing happens almost automatically. However, even a slight decrease in lung function can cause disorder throughout the rest of the body and an overall decline in your health. There are a few factors that can cause decreased lung function; however, you can take measures to increase the health of your respiratory system and help prevent dysfunction.

  1. Stop Smoking

    • The single most important change you can make to improve your respiratory health is to quit smoking if you are a smoker. Cigarette smoke contains tar and thousands of chemicals that greatly reduce the capacity and efficiency of your lungs. Although long-term smoking can create irreversible, chronic respiratory problems, quitting smoking at any point can reverse many acute health problems. Even if you are not a smoker, you can protect or improve your respiratory health by avoiding secondhand smoke as well.

    Exercise

    • Getting regular aerobic exercise can drastically improve respiratory health. When you begin exercising, an increased need for oxygen to your muscles causes your brain to stimulate your respiratory system to increase ventilation or breathing. This increase in the frequency and depth of breathing expands your lungs, enhances the elasticity of the alveoli (air sacs), expels old or stale air within your lungs and tones and strengthens your diaphragm. All of these changes have a lasting effect, improving respiratory health even after you have stopped exercising. To maximize respiratory health benefits, choose exercises that incorporate specific breathing exercises such as yoga and Pilates.

    Eat a Healthy Diet

    • Eating a healthy diet is important to maintaining healthy lungs. Your body requires vitamins and other nutrients to effectively build and maintain tissues, including those that make up your respiratory system. In addition, although results have been mixed, some studies have shown that healthy fats, such as the omega-3 fatty acids, inhibit inflammation in the lungs and provide an ameliorative effect for asthma sufferers. [3rd reference]

    Practice Good Hygiene

    • One of the most common detriments to respiratory health is from viral or bacterial infection. Illnesses, such as influenza and pneumonia, can seriously decrease your lung capacity and ability to absorb oxygen. Maintaining proper hygiene is the best way to minimize your chances of contracting microbial illnesses. Avoid touching public surfaces as far as you are able and try to keep your hands away from your face. Wash your hands often and especially before eating.

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