Feature image
This feature image shows the importance of keeping your lungs healthy as you grow older. You are more likely remain free of breathlessness and look comfortable and well.
1- Survival functions of your lungs
In addition to gas exchange, your respiratory system have 3 other functions:
- 1-1-Bringing air into the body at the proper body temperature and moisturizing it to the right humidity level.
- 1-2-Protecting the body from potentially harmful substances done by coughing, sneezing, filtering and sometimes swallowing them.
- 1-3-Supporting your sense of smell.
2-Lung structure and functions
- 2-1-Your total lung capacity as an adult is about 6 litres. This is the capacity of three 2-litre bottles.
- 2-2-Your lungs mature when you are 20-25 years old. After age of 35, it is normal for your lung function to decline gradually as you age.
- 2-3-This can make breathing slightly more difficult as you get older. If you notice any sudden shortness of breath, this is not normal ageing process: talk to your doctor right away.
3-Natural ageing processes in the lungs
- Several natural body ageing processes occur as you age resulting in the drop in lung capacity
- 3-1-The diaphragm muscles that serve as a bellow function by expanding and reducing the volume of the lungs can become weaker.
- 3-2-Lung tissue that helps keep your airways open can lose elasticity, which means your airways can get a little smaller.
- 3-3-Your rib cage bones can change and get smaller which leaves less room for your lungs to expand.
4- What can you do to prevent loss of lung function and stay healthy?
- 4-1-Have the pneumococcal vaccinations at age 65 to protect yourself for a life time: PCV13 vaccination at 65 years and PPSV23 vaccination the following year
- 4-2-Stay up to date on influenza vaccinations each year
- 4-3-Staying active. This exercises the muscles of the chest wall and the diaphragm to to keep the bellow function of allowing air to move in and out of the lungs intact
- 4-4-Don’t smoke. This sounds like a broken-gramophone record but it bears repeating: Smoking slowly destroys the lung tissue (windpipes and air sacs). The aeration capacity is lost and oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange between the body and outside air cannot take place.
- 4-5-Minimise exposure to environmental air pollutants both in and out of the house.
Take home messages
Keeping your lungs healthy as you grow older is an important action. In the first of two posts on this topic, we note that there are several things you can do and should be doing
1-Know the 4 survival functions of your lungs
2-Know your lung structure and functions
3-Know the ageing processes of your lungs
4-Know what you can do to prevent the loss of lung function and stay healthy for as long as you can.
Acknowledgments
Grateful thanks are due to Mr Anthony Metcalfe for the feature image from Unsplash
References
1-American Lung Association. How lungs work: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/how-lungs-work
2-Lung capacity and ageing: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/how-lungs-work/lung-capacity-and-aging
Dr LG Goh
Dr GOH Lee Gan is a retired Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, National University Health System. He has an interest in learning and teaching how we can age well everyday (AWE).
