How the lungs work: A brief overview
Your lungs are a pair of pyramid-shaped organs inside your chest that allow your body to take in oxygen from the air. They have a spongy texture and are pinkish-gray in color. The lungs bring oxygen into the body when breathing in. This process is called
inhalation. Carbon dioxide is a waste gas produced by the cells of the body, and using a process called exhalation, the body sends this carbon dioxide out of the body when breathing out.
In addition to the lungs, your respiratory
system includes airways, muscles, blood vessels, and tissues that help make breathing possible. Your brain controls your breathing based on your body’s need for oxygen.
The respiratory system
The respiratory system helps you breathe. The main parts of the respiratory system are the lungs, the airways,
and the muscles that enable breathing. The circulatory system, which is made up of the heart, veins,
arteries, and capillaries, brings blood to and from the lungs and delivers nutrients and oxygen to
tissues of the body while removing carbon dioxide and waste products. Other body systems that work with
the respiratory system include the nervous system, lymphatic system and immune system. Your body’s
muscles and nervous system help control your breathing.
Breathing
Breathing involves two phases: breathing in and breathing out. Your lungs deliver oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from your blood in a process called gas exchange. Gas exchange happens in the capillaries surrounding the alveoli, where the oxygen that
is breathed in enters the circulatory system and carbon dioxide in the blood is released to the lungs and then breathed out. If you have problems breathing, gas exchange may be impaired, increasing the risk of serious health problems.
Healthy lungs
A healthy lifestyle can help prevent lung injury and disease. You can take steps to help protect your lungs from injury and disease, including:
- Not smoking/ stopping smoking.
- Avoiding secondhand and tobacco smoke.
- Aiming for a healthy weight.
- Being physically active.
- Limiting exposure to outdoor air pollution.
- Talking precautions against seasonal flu, pneumonia and other viruses.
- Testing your home for radon gas.
- Using protective gear if you work in an industry that involves exposure to dust, silica, allergens, chemical fumes or other indoor or outdoor air pollution.
Aging lungs
As you age, the lung tissue that helps keep your airways open can lose elasticity, which means your lungs cannot expand or contract as easily as when you were younger. The muscles your body uses for breathing may get smaller or weaker and your spine can
curve more, leaving less space for your lungs to expand. It can take longer to clear mucus and particles from your airways. It can also become harder to cough. These changes can make it harder to breathe during physical activity as you get older.
You can take the following steps to help preserve your lung function:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Perform core and upper-body training with regular weight training.
- Improve your lung capacity through resistance workouts such as walking with hand weights.
- Get vaccinated for respiratory infections like pneumonia and influenza.
