Here at VODEX, we care deeply about people’s respiratory health, which is why we’re big fans of campaigns like World Lung Day.
Taking place each year on 25th September, World Lung Day is designed to raise awareness for all things related to lung health, and to get you thinking about the different ways you can ‘Care for Your Lungs’ all year round.
Here, we’ll detail everything you need to know about World Lung Day – including this year’s theme, why it matters, and how you can promote good respiratory health in your environment.
What is World Lung Day?
World Lung Day is the brainchild of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS). FIRS is a body of around 100,000 lung health specialists from a number of respiratory societies worldwide, who together advise on, and set the standards for, respiratory health across the globe.
How to get involved
The theme of World Lung Day 2021, ‘Care for Your Lungs,’ asks people to do several things in aid of better lung health:
Avoid tobacco (including vaping!)
As we’ve mentioned in previous blogs on COPD, asthma, regularly inhaling large quantities of tobacco is one of the most damaging things you can do to your lungs. Indeed, the substance causes over 8 million deaths each year – and with over 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, it’s not hard to see why!
According to FIRS, there are some significant benefits to stopping smoking that can be felt almost immediately. They are:
- 20 minutes after stopping smoking: Your heart rate drops
- Within 12 hours: Your blood’s carbon monoxide level normalises
- Between 2–12 weeks: Your blood circulation improves and lung function increases
- Within 1–9 months: Decreases to both coughing and shortness of breath
- 5–15 years after stopping smoking: your risk of having a stroke reduces to the same as a non-smoker
- In less than 10 years: Your chances of developing and dying from lung cancer becomes about half that of a smoker
- Within 15 years: Your risk of heart disease becomes that of someone who’s never smoked.
As you can see from those timelines, it can take a long time for the body to shake off the longer-term effects of smoking. So, if you’re thinking of starting – that should give you pause for thought. And if you’re thinking of quitting, the sooner the better!
What about vaping?
The FIRS website confirms there is evidence that:
- Nicotine from e-cigarettes damages lung tissue
- It also lowers the body’s natural resistance to infections and cancers
- And that emissions from these devices are generally hazardous to your lungs.
For more information, head here.
Live an active lifestyle with regular physical exercise
It’s well known that exercising makes your heart beat faster – but it also causes your muscles to demand more oxygen. It therefore makes your lungs work harder. This both expels more carbon dioxide from them, and causes them to expand slightly – lowering your chances of lower lung compression.
For those with a respiratory condition like COPD or asthma, exercising can be a little trickier than for those who don’t. If that’s you, then these tips should help. Additionally, whether you do OR don’t have a chronic lung issue, the European Lung Foundation’s video series on easy exercises to do at home could be a great way to start improving your lung health.
Breathe clean air
The FIRS website states that:
- An estimated 7 million people worldwide die due to pollution each year
- Nine out of 10 people worldwide breathe in highly polluted air on a regular basis, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
As the entry point for air pollution, the lungs are the organ first and usually most affected by it.
If you’re not sure of the air quality where you live and work, the Breathe Life Project has a tool that can tell you. This can be your first step to taking action to protect yourself from air pollution, with Lung.com offering several suggestions to help you along that path.
Helping you breathe easy
Of course, at VODEX, our very foundation is built on helping people breathe air free of fumes and dusts that can carry harmful viruses, bacteria, and cancer-causing carcinogens like hexavalent chromium.
We do this with at-source extraction systems, each one packed with special filters, designed to exacting COSHH standards, and purpose-built for its specific industry.
Our products help everyone in those environments avoid breathing in harmful particulates, and protect their lung health. Which is the very essence of what World Lung Day is all about.
So, if you’re considering following the WLD guidelines above, but you work in an environment that doesn’t have at-source extraction and needs it – please get in touch. We’ll be happy to talk you through the best solution for you.
