Your lungs are an important part of your body. Here’s everything you need to know about them — and keeping them healthy.

1. What is lung health?
2. How does smoking affect your lung health?
3. How does your weight affect your lung health?
4. How does air quality affect your lung health?
5. How does being vaccinated help your lung health?
6. What is COPD?
7. What are the symptoms of COPD?
8. What causes COPD?
9. How does your doctor treat COPD?
10. What is asthma?
11. What are the symptoms of asthma?
12. How does your doctor treat asthma?
13. What should you do if you’re experiencing shortness of breath?
14. Who should get screened for lung cancer?

When you think about your overall health, you might first think about your heart. Its beating reminds you you’re alive.

But take a deep breath. Hold it in for a few seconds, then breathe out. You were able to do that because of your lungs, the centerpiece of your respiratory system.

When you take a breath of air, your lungs are responsible for moving nutrient-rich oxygen into your bloodstream, so that it can travel throughout your entire body. It then removes a waste gas, called carbon dioxide, from your body as you exhale.

But your lungs have other important roles, too. They warm up and moisturize the air you breathe, so that it’s at the right body temperature and humidity level. They also filter that air, to protect you from harmful substances. And they support your sense of smell.

Here’s a guide to how to improve lung health, plus what causes common respiratory problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma (more on these below). Read on to learn how to keep your lungs healthy throughout your life.

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What is lung health?

Your lungs are pinkish-gray, sponge-like organs that supply your body with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide, a waste gas, from your body. Your lungs at the center of your body’s respiratory system, which also includes your:

• Nose
• Throat
• Larynx (voice box)
• Trachea (windpipe)

When you breathe, it triggers something called a gas exchange. That’s when oxygen moves from your lungs to your blood, and carbon dioxide moves from your blood to your lungs. (Oxygen is a colorless, odorless gas that you need to survive.)

Keeping your respiratory system in good working order is what lung health is all about.

How does smoking affect your lung health?

What you breathe into your lungs has a lot to do with keeping them healthy. A great place to start is by not smoking — and if you do, trying to quit.

Smoking is the major cause of both lung cancer and COPD around the world, explains Amit Mahajan, M.D. He’s the volunteer medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association. (COPD is a condition caused by damage to the airways or other parts of the lungs that blocks airflow and makes it hard to breathe.)

“Smoking cigarettes causes inhalation of tobacco products and multiple chemical carcinogens that break down elastic tissues within the lung and results in air trapping,” says Dr. Mahajan. Repeated exposure to these chemicals damages the lungs and over time can lead to lung cancer.

You’re probably wondering if e-cigarettes might be a safer option for your lungs. While they do have fewer toxic chemicals in them than regular cigarettes, they still contain harmful substances such as nicotine, lead and other cancer-causing chemicals.

“There are significant abnormalities in lungs exposed to e-cigarettes,” points out Joanne McKell, M.D. She’s a lung specialist and an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Case Western Reserve University. Some people turn to e-cigarettes to help them quit. But studies show that e-cigarettes often don’t help people stop using cigarettes, and instead they end up using both.

How does your weight affect your lung health?

Another way to keep your lungs healthy is by staying at a healthy weight. If you don’t have a healthy diet and exercise regularly, you’re more likely to be overweight or obese. This can lead to health conditions that cause breathing problems, such as sleep apnea. (Sleep apnea is a condition in which your breathing stops and starts many times while you sleep.) 

Getting regular exercise is also a big part of lung health. When you’re physically active, your lungs have to work harder to get more oxygen to your muscles. This makes them stronger. As you become fitter, it gets easier for your body to transport oxygen into your bloodstream and muscles.

That’s why, as your fitness improves, you’ll notice that you’re less likely to get short of breath. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, each week, plus 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity. That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How does air quality affect your lung health?

While it’s sometimes difficult, depending on where you live, to avoid air pollution, doing so is another great way to keep your lungs healthy. The air quality outside varies from day to day. While it’s important for everyone, it’s especially key for people who have underlying lung diseases such as COPD or asthma, says Dr. Mahajan. (Asthma is a chronic condition that inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs.)

When air pollution is high, it’s a good idea to avoid exercising outdoors, says Dr. McKell. (There are government websites and apps where you can check the air quality.) “On high pollution days, especially when the temperature is extremely high, individuals with underlying lung diseases should avoid going outside or make sure to wear a high-quality mask when going outside,” advises Dr. Mahajan.

But air pollution isn’t just an outside thing. It can also be present in your home. So, reducing indoor air pollution is also a great way to help keep your lungs healthy.

Indoor air can sometimes be even more polluted than the outside air. That’s because you may be exposed to things such as secondhand smoke, chemicals at home and work, and allergens such as dust and mold. Some ways you can reduce exposure include:

• Make sure your home is well ventilated.
• Clean it frequently, to prevent the buildup of allergens such as dust and mold.
• Avoid products that create fumes, such as strong cleaning fluids.
• Don’t light a fire indoors. Anytime you burn wood, you’re exposed to chemicals.

You’ll also want to test your home for radon. Radon is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas that can form in your home and cause lung cancer. You can purchase a testing kit at a hardware store or hire a professional to test your home for you. If you have high radon levels, a radon company will recommend things to do to fix it.

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How does being vaccinated help your lung health?

You might not think that staying up to date on your vaccines has anything to do with your lung health. But it plays a big role.

It’s important for everyone to stay up to date on their flu and COVID-19 vaccines, even if they are otherwise healthy, says Dr. McKell. That’s particularly true if you have a lung disease such as asthma or COPD, since that makes you more likely to develop complications from a respiratory infection. Your doctor may recommend some or all of the following vaccines:

• COVID-19
• Influenza (flu)
• Pneumonia
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Tdap, to protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough)

What is COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a chronic lung disease that makes it harder for you to get air into and out of your airways. It affects almost 16 million adults in the United States. There are 2 forms of COPD:

• Emphysema. This occurs when the walls between the air sacs in your lungs get damaged. As a result, it’s harder for your lungs to move air out of your body.
• Chronic bronchitis. This is constant irritation and inflammation in your airway lining, which causes thick mucus to form and makes it hard for you to breathe.

Most people with COPD have some combination of both.

What are the symptoms of COPD?

If you have COPD, you may experience some or all of the following symptoms:

• Anxiety and depression
• Chest tightness
• Chronic cough
• Fatigue due to low oxygen
• Loss of appetite
• Shortness of breath, especially if you’re active
• Weight loss
• Wheezing when you breathe

What causes COPD?

The main cause of COPD is smoking or being a former smoker, says Dr. McKell. But other factors that can raise your risk of the chronic condition include:

• Age. Most people who develop COPD are at least 40.
• Asthma. About 1 in 5 people who have COPD also have asthma.
• Genetics. A rare condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency leads to lung damage and COPD.
• Infections. If you have HIV or tuberculosis, you’re at increased risk.
• Other lung irritants. These could include air pollution, chemical fumes or even secondhand smoke.

How does your doctor treat COPD?

There’s no cure for COPD, but there are ways to manage it. Treatment depends, in part, on your symptoms and how severe your COPD is. Here’s a look at what your primary care doctor may recommend:

Medications. “In the past, doctors often prescribed inhaled steroids to treat COPD, but we’re moving away from that since some patients became more likely to develop pneumonia,” says Dr. McKell.

The treatment of choice now, she notes, is usually a class of drugs called long-acting bronchodilators. “They help to try to open up the smaller airways on the ends of the lungs,” she explains. You take these medications every day. There are several different kinds available:

• Beta2-agonists relax the tightened muscles around your lungs’ larger airways to open them and make breathing easier.
• Anticholinergics prevent the muscles around your airways from tightening. This keeps them open, so you can cough and clear mucus easily. Anticholinergics are better at helping clear small airways, says Dr. Mckell.

If these medications aren’t enough, your doctor may want to add steroids. But the goal will be to find the lowest dose possible to control flare-ups, says Dr. Mckell.

Pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a supervised exercise program that helps people with COPD live and breathe better. It’s prescribed by a doctor and focuses on both anerobic exercises and light weight training of the muscles you use to breathe, says Dr. Mahajan.

Oxygen therapy. This is a treatment in which patients whose oxygen levels are too low on a regular basis are given supplemental oxygen, either via tubes in your nose or through a face mask, to help them breathe. It can be given for a short or long period of time — or really, for as long as you need it.

Surgery. If your COPD doesn’t respond to any of the above treatments, your doctor may recommend surgery. There are 3 main options:

• Bullectomy. This removes bullae, or large air spaces that form when the walls of your lungs’ air sacs are destroyed. This makes it easier to breathe.
• Endobronchial valves. These are placed in your bronchial tubes to make it easier for air to leave the damaged parts of your lungs.
• Lung volume reduction. This is a type of surgery to remove the damaged parts of your lungs.

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What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic condition that inflames the airways of your lungs. “Irritation to the airways results in airway constriction that causes shortness of breath and wheezing,” explains Dr. Mahajan. About 1 in 13 Americans have it.

You can develop asthma at any age, but it most often starts in childhood. “Most adults with asthma had asthma as a kid — it’s rare that people develop asthma during their adult years,” adds Dr. Mahajan.

Asthma is often triggered by allergens such as pollen or dust mites. As a result, you may notice that it worsens at certain times of the year, such as allergy season. Other common triggers include exercise, viral infections such as a cold or flu, and cold air.

Other factors that can raise your risk of developing asthma include:

• Allergies. People with asthma often have other types of allergies, such as food or pollen allergies.
• Being overweight or obese.
• Race or ethnicity. African Americans and Puerto Ricans are at higher risk of asthma than people of other races or ethnicities.
• Sex. More boys have asthma as kids than girls, but it’s more common among teen and adult women. This may be due to estrogen, notes Dr. McKell.

What are the symptoms of asthma?

If you have asthma, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Chest tightness
• Coughing, especially at night or first thing in the morning
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing (a whistling sound as you breathe out)

Oftentimes, these symptoms follow a pattern. They come and go with time, and they get worse with triggers such as colds, exercise, allergies or cold air. They may also seem to get worse at night or in the early morning.

If your symptoms get suddenly worse, you may be having an asthma attack. These start with coughing and chest tightness. You may feel like the air is being sucked out of you. You may also wheeze and feel like you’re about to faint. Asthma attacks can be very serious, which is why you and your doctor need to create an asthma action plan.

If you think you are experiencing an asthma attack and don’t have medication to treat it, you’ll want to call 911 and get emergency medical care immediately. It could be life-threatening.

How does your doctor treat asthma?

If you think you have asthma, it’s best to schedule an appointment with your doctor. They can help diagnose you and get you on a path to feeling (and breathing) better. That’s why, as Dr. Mahajan notes, “The best way to manage asthma is to be seen by your physician on a yearly basis, along with appropriate inhaler therapy and the development of an asthma action plan.” (An inhaler is a small, handheld device that delivers medication directly to your lungs.)

If you have mild asthma, where you develop symptoms only once or twice a month, Dr. McKell recommends that you use a strategy called SMART (single maintenance and reliever therapy). This is an inhaler that has 2 medications — a low-dose inhaled steroid, and a fast-acting bronchodilator.

“Since it’s fast acting, you usually feel relief within 2 to 3 minutes, but the effects last for 12 hours, and you don’t have to take it again until the next time you have symptoms, which could mean weeks or months,” explains Dr. McKell. “It fits the lifestyle of the young, active asthmatic who wants to be out running around and not constantly puffing on their inhaler. It’s easier for patients, and more effective.”

If you have more severe asthma, there are new treatments such as biologic therapies that have significantly improved asthma control over the last several years, adds Dr. Mahajan. Biologics contain substances that disrupt the specific cells that make your airways swell. They’re given as a shot, either at home or in your doctor’s office, every 2 weeks to 2 months. There are 6 different biologics available:

• Cinqair (reslizumab)
• Dupixent (dupilumab)
• Fasenra (benralizumab)
• Nucala (mepolizumab)
• Tezspire (tezepelumab-ekko)
• Xolair (omalizumab)

You and your doctor will also need to create an asthma-action plan. This is a written treatment plan that spells out:

• Triggers to avoid
• Signs of an asthma attack, and what to do
• Which medicines you take and when
• When to call your provider or go to the emergency room
• Who to contact in an emergency

What should you do if you’re experiencing shortness of breath?

If you’re experiencing shortness of breath, it’s a good idea to either seek emergency medical help or see your doctor, advises Dr. Mahajan. This is especially important because it can be hard to tell whether symptoms such as shortness of breath are due to a problem with your lungs or a problem with your heart. “An evaluation from your physician is one of the only ways to tease out the cause as being related to your lungs or heart,” he explains.

Some of the tests your doctor may do include:

• Spirometry. It’s the most common lung function test. It measures how much air you can breathe in and out of your lungs, and it can help diagnose asthma and COPD. A clip is placed on your nose while you place your mouth around a plastic mouthpiece connected to the spirometry machine. You then take a big, deep breath and blow out as hard and fast as you can.
• Lung volume test. This test measures the volume of air in your lungs at the end of a normal breath.
• Exercise testing. This test measures both your lung function and your heart rate and rhythm as you exercise on a treadmill. It’s done often for kids and young adults who experience chest tightness and shortness of breath during exercise.

Who should get screened for lung cancer?

The CDC recommends yearly lung cancer screening for people who fall into all of these 3 categories:

• Have a smoking history of 20 pack years or more. (A “pack year” is smoking on average a pack of cigarettes a day for 1 year. So that means smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years, or 2 packs a day for 10 years.)
• Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years.
• Are between the age of 50 and 80.

There’s only 1 test available for lung cancer screening: It’s called a low-dose computed tomography scan. You’ll lie on a table while an X-ray machine uses low-dose radiation to take pictures of your lungs. It’s painless and lasts just a few minutes.

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This article contains information that is compiled by UnitedHealthcare or its subsidiaries. UnitedHealthcare does not represent all the information provided are statements of fact. Please consult directly with your primary care physician if you need medical advice.

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