How You’re Unknowingly Harming Your Lungs

Bad Habits that Are Harming Your Lungs

Your lungs are key players in supporting all of your body’s functions, bringing oxygen to the cells throughout your body when you inhale and remove the carbon dioxide waste when you exhale. Unfortunately, many everyday occurrences could be negatively impacting your lung’s ability to function without you even knowing it. Here’s what you should know.

Inhaling Secondhand Smoke

One of the most prominent causes of concern for your lungs is inhaling cigarette smoke. Even though you may not be a smoker yourself, secondhand smoke is still damaging to your lungs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can be harmful to your health, increasing your risk for developing the following health issues:

• Heart disease
• Lung cancer
• Stroke

Leading a Sedentary Lifestyle

When you haven't hit the gym or gone on a run in a while, you may notice that you're more winded and out of breath when you do get around to participating in physical activity. In fact, studies suggest that leading a predominantly inactive lifestyle can result in a significantly higher risk for developing complications like lung cancer later down the line.

Having a Dusty Home

While leaving dusting and vacuuming off your list of chores may seem innocent, it can take a toll on your indoor air quality and wreak havoc on your lung health. When you spend a lot of time in an environment with low air quality, you are more likely to experience sneezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Skipping Regular Check-Ups

When it comes to your health, your primary care physician should be your first line of contact if you have any concerns or you are at an increased risk for some health complications. When you decide to skip out on getting regular check-ups, your doctor is not able to accurately monitor your health and notice any gradual changes that may suggest an issue before it becomes more severe.

Lung Screenings in Ridgecrest, California

At Ridgecrest Regional Hospital, we are now offering low dose computed tomography (CT) scans in an effort to detect earlier onset lung cancer cases for the community members that are high-risk as well as current and ex-smokers.

To learn more about our Lung Screening Program or schedule an appointment, visit our website or give us a call at 760-446-3551 (Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM).