Jsmalfamart.com~ Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the topic of maintaining lung health has been increasingly discussed.
This is very reasonable, because the lungs are one of the vital organs in the body. That is, maintaining lung health is the same as maintaining the whole body.
Mama Papa advised more aware of lung health. Because if lung function is impaired, it can also affect the function of other organs in the body. What’s more, with age, the lungs become less flexible and their strength will decrease.
Therefore, we must maintain lung health as early as possible. There are several ways we can do to keep the lungs healthy, and its function remains optimal.
6 How To Maintain Lung Health
1. Avoid smoking
Smoking is a major cause of lung disease, ranging from bronchitis, emphysema, to lung cancer. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking can worsen the condition of someone who is suffering from asthma.
Therefore, to maintain lung health we must avoid cigarettes. In addition to active smokers, passive smokers also need to be careful, because inhaling cigarette smoke too often can also worsen the condition of the lungs.
2. Exercise regularly
Diligently doing physical activity also has good benefits for the lungs. One of the recommended sports to maintain lung health is aerobic exercise.
This type of exercise can not improve lung function, but it can help increase lung capacity. By exercising we can increase the ability of the lungs to hold oxygen in one breath.
3. Breathing exercises
Doing breathing exercises is one way to improve lung health. According to research from the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmocology, there is a significant increase in respiratory vital capacity after 2-5 minutes of breathing exercises. Even if it’s just a few minutes, breathing deeply is very good for the lungs.
4. Drink plenty of water
Quoted from Kompas.com, there is a thin layer of mucus inside the lungs. When you get enough water throughout the day, this layer remains thin and can function to keep the lungs working better.
Drinking mineral water can also help remove mucus that accumulates in the lungs in case of infection. Interestingly, consuming mineral water is believed to be a natural therapy for wet lung disease, lo!
5. Use masks
This way of maintaining lung health is certainly familiar, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Masks are able to avoid Mama Papa from air pollution that can interfere with lung health.
The dense layer is useful for filtering the incoming air, as well as preventing us from transmitting diseases, such as flu, colds, tuberculosis, to COVID-19.
So it is highly recommended to still use a mask while traveling outside the home, especially in pandemic conditions like this, yes.
6. Foods containing antioxidants
Eating foods high in antioxidants turned out to be able to maintain lung health. The content of antioxidants has a function to keep the body’s cells from exposure to harmful free radicals.
Some foods with high levels of antioxidants include: green vegetables, strawberries, and nuts.
