The winter season can be a wonderful time filled with festive family gatherings, warm drinks, and hearty meals. But there’s no doubt that the cold weather can take a toll on your lung health. Here, we’re sharing practical tips to help you protect your lungs during the harsh winter months and stay as healthy as possible.
How Can I Protect My Lungs in Winter?
It might be tempting to answer this question with a simple “stay warm,” but we know that keeping your lung health in check means more than keeping it cosy. Even the systems you rely on to stay warm and maintain good air quality need regular checks and maintenance. That’s why it’s essential to follow these five helpful tips to protect your lungs when the temperature drops.
1. Perform Home Safety Checks
It might surprise you how many aspects of your home can impact your lung health. When everything is functioning correctly, your home environment is likely to support healthy breathing. But, if systems are neglected, they can become harmful.
Throughout the colder months, try to find time to perform these essential home checks:
Heating Systems:
Make sure your heating system is serviced and repaired if needed. Faulty systems can emit harmful fumes that can affect your lungs.
Chimneys
If you use a fireplace, have your chimney checked before lighting your fire. Blockages can lead to extremely dangerous carbon monoxide build-up.
Range Hood Filters
Inspect the filter on your cooker’s range hood. It might need replacement to improve the air quality inside your home.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors, and always replace the batteries as soon as possible.
Portable Heaters
Check that any portable heaters you use function properly and meet Lot20 regulations to ensure they’re working safely.
When you make these small adjustments, you’re already making big steps toward improving your indoor air quality and taking your lung health seriously.
2. Stay Active Indoors
Staying active is so important for maintaining strong lung function. During winter, we all feel the temptation to stay indoors and put off physical activity, but this can actually weaken your muscles. Weakened muscles need more oxygen, meaning your heart and lungs have to work that extra bit harder.
This phenomenon is known as the Cycle of Breathlessness or sometimes the Cycle of Inactivity. The good news is that you can reverse it by entering the Positive Cycle of Activity through regular exercise.
If heading outside in the cold and dark doesn’t appeal, try indoor activities like yoga, Pilates, or tai chi.
These exercises help to strengthen your muscles, improve flexibility, and promote better breathing techniques. The British Lung Foundation offers a variety of resources to get you started with indoor exercise routines that are ideal for winter.
3. Avoid Illnesses That Impact Your Lungs
We all know that the colder months are peak times for winter flu, which can wreak havoc on your respiratory system. One of the best ways to protect your lungs is to avoid getting sick in the first place.
Try to minimise contact with people who show signs of illness, especially in crowded indoor spaces where viruses spread quickly.
4. Avoid Second-Hand Smoke
Smoking is one of the most harmful things to your lung health, including passive smoking. Exposure to second-hand smoke can be just as damaging, especially during winter when people spend more time indoors.
Handy steps to reduce your exposure:
Avoid Smoking Areas: Stay away from outdoor smoking areas and make your home a smoke-free zone.
Limit Exposure to Wood Smoke: If you use a fireplace, consider switching to an enclosed log burner. These push smoke directly up the chimney and away from your breathing zone, reducing harmful particles in the air.
It’s also important to understand that even vaping can negatively impact your lungs. So, if you’re serious about improving your lung health, it’s best to steer clear of all forms of smoke and vapour.
5. Ensure Your Workplace Has Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)
Lots of workplaces pose additional risks to lung health, especially in industries where dust and fumes are prevalent. Ensuring your workplace has adequate local exhaust ventilation systems is essential to protecting your respiratory health.
An LEV system works by extracting harmful dust, fumes, and vapours from the air before they can be inhaled. This is crucial in complying with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations.
During winter, active heating systems and colder weather can exacerbate the spread of harmful airborne particles in workplaces like workshops, bakeries, and farms.
If your employer hasn’t provided a suitable LEV system, now is the time to bring it up. COSHH compliance is a legal requirement, and ensuring your workplace meets these standards is crucial for both employee safety and regulatory adherence.
Looking to Protect Your Lungs All Year Round?
While winter brings unique challenges for lung health, taking the right precautions can make a huge difference. From ensuring your home is safe and well-ventilated to advocating for local exhaust ventilation systems in the workplace, there are simple, easy steps you can take to breathe easier throughout the colder months.
At VODEX, we specialise in recommending and installing COSHH-compliant LEV systems to protect workers in various industries. If you want to learn more about whether your business is following COSHH regulations, check out our blog on conducting a COSHH assessment or get in touch to discuss your needs in detail.
FAQ
What is the difference between LEV and general ventilation?
Local exhaust ventilation targets harmful substances at their source, while general ventilation improves overall air quality without specific extraction.
Can workplace heating systems affect lung health?
Yes, heating systems can circulate dust and fumes. Ensuring they are well-maintained and compliant with COSHH regulations helps reduce risks.
How can I tell if my workplace meets COSHH standards?
A COSHH assessment identifies risks and ensures your employer has measures in place, like proper LEV systems.
Are LEV systems required in all industries?
Not all industries require them, but many sectors do require robust local exhaust ventilation to meet COSHH requirements.
