understanding and optimizing your respiratory health

Every cell in your body requires oxygen to function, and your respiratory system is responsible for bringing it into the lungs. That’s why it’s important to be proactive about protecting your respiratory health.

How Your Respiratory System Changes with Age

Your respiratory system includes your nose, mouth, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. The tissue and air sacs, or alveoli, in your lungs absorb oxygen and send it through your body. Inhaling keeps that cycle going, and exhaling removes the resulting carbon dioxide from your lungs.

Your diaphragm is the muscle that pulls air into your lungs and helps you expel it, and your rib cage provides structural support.

Our lungs mature around 20 to 25-years-old, and you may experience a decline in lung function as early as 35. That’s because our lung tissue, alveoli, diaphragm and ribs weaken as we age.

Here are some possibilities:

• Alveoli become misshapen or soften.
• Rib bones become brittle and thin.
• The diaphragm muscle weakens.
• The nerves in your airways sustain damage from external pollutants.

If your airways become desensitized to particles that enter your throat and lungs, you may have difficulty noticing and coughing up irritants. Those particles will build up over time and cause respiratory problems.

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Common Respiratory Problems in Seniors

Asthma: This is a chronic condition that often develops in childhood but can present during adulthood. It’s categorized by sporadic difficulty breathing due to inflamed airways. During an asthmatic episode, you may experience a dry cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: COPD includes a variety of respiratory illnesses that damage the lungs and make it hard to exhale. A phlegmy cough is common, and you may also have trouble breathing during physical activity. COPD is often caused by long-term smoking. Bronchitis and emphysema are classified as COPD-related illnesses.

Pneumonia: This is a bacterial, viral or fungal infection of the alveoli. Fluid retention in the lungs can often lead to a chronic, wet cough and shortness of breath.

Lung cancer: Frequent coughing, hoarse voice and harsh breathing are characteristic of lung cancer. It’s usually caused by smoking, secondhand smoke or exposure to pollutants, but symptoms can take years to develop.

Pleural effusion: This condition involves a collection of fluid in the pleural space – the area between your lungs and chest wall – making it painful to breathe. It can be caused by pneumonia, cancer and congestive heart failure. A medical procedure is required to remove the fluid so your lungs can expand effectively.

How to Protect Your Respiratory Health

Practice deep breathing techniques: Your diaphragm needs exercise to stay strong like any other muscle. Fill your lungs with air and hold your inhale for a few seconds before exhaling. That will stretch your diaphragm and improve your lung capacity.

Quit smoking: Ingesting nicotine increases your risk for cancer, and smoking, specifically, desensitizes the nerves in your airways. You may also experience a reduced lung capacity, making it difficult to cough and exhale. Various products can help you kick the habit if you don’t want to quit cold turkey.

Get some exercise: Aerobic exercises boost your heart rate and circulation, helping oxygen flow through your body. Walking, jogging, swimming, cycling and dancing are good exercises that improve your lung capacity and get your blood pumping.

Get your yearly vaccines: A flu shot will lower your risk of contracting most strains of influenza and will ease the severity of your symptoms if you get sick. The inflammation caused by a cold or flu damages your respiratory health, so getting vaccinated will lower your likelihood of long-term breathing problems. Older adults can also get vaccinated against pneumonia as well.

Take your supplements: Vitamins D and C and zinc support a healthy immune system, so your body can better fight off infection and illness.

Embassy Healthcare offers comprehensive pulmonary and respiratory services to ensure our residents breathe easily and comfortably. Contact us online or call 216-378-2050 for more information.