Lung Health
Lung health and wellness is about practicing a set of healthy behaviors
that maintain and optimize your respiration and lung functionality. Poor
lung health can often result in breathing problems and contribute to the
development of serious lung diseases, including pneumonia,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. However, taking steps now to improve your lung
health can reduce your risk for lung disease, improve your breathing,
and help you experience a greater quality of life.
Read on to learn more about the importance of lung health and wellness
and about how Lompoc Valley Medical Center can help you maintain good
overall lung health.
Why is Lung Health and Wellness Important?
Your lungs are essential for breathing and passing oxygen into the bloodstream,
where it is delivered to all your other cells and organs. The lungs are
also responsible for removing carbon dioxide and other toxins from your
body. Many people take their lungs for granted until they experience breathing
difficulty, but being aware of your lung health can keep you breathing
easily and comfortably and reduce your lung disease risk.
What Are Common Respiratory Diseases?
Some other common lung and breathing conditions include:
- Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which lung tissue gradually becomes
scarred due to radiation therapy and long-term exposure to toxins.
- Pneumonia, an infection in which air sacs in the lungs become inflamed
to cause cough, fever, and difficulty breathing.
- Pulmonary edema, a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs, also
known as a wet lung.
- Pulmonary embolism, a condition in which a blood clot blocks one or more
arteries in the lungs due to factors such as heart disease or cancer.
- Lung cancer, cancer that begins in the lungs and is most commonly caused
by smoking.
How Are Lung Diseases Treated?
Lung diseases are all treated differently depending on age, the condition,
disease severity level, and treatment response. Your doctor will work
with you to develop a customized treatment plan based on these and other factors.
- Asthma is commonly treated using a controller and quick-relief inhalers
that manage long-term symptoms and sudden symptoms.
- COPD may be treated using inhalers like asthma or bronchodilators that
relax the airways' muscles to make breathing easier.
- Pulmonary fibrosis cannot be reversed, though this lung condition's progression
may be slowed with medications. Oxygen therapy may also be used to make
breathing less difficult.
- Pneumonia is commonly treated using antibiotics, cough medicine, and over-the-counter
pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen.
- Pulmonary edema is treated using supplemental oxygen, combined with diuretics,
blood pressure medications, or morphine in advanced cases of the disease.
- Pulmonary embolism can be treated using medications that dissolve blood
clots or surgery to remove blood clots or prevent them from reaching the lungs.
- Lung cancer is commonly treated using surgery that removes cancer and affected
tissue or cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy,
and immunotherapy.
What to Do Next If You Have Lung Problems
Lompoc Valley Medical Center is home to a large team of medical providers
trained to assess, diagnose, and treat lung diseases.
Visit our provider page today to make an appointment with one of our specialists who can help you manage
your lung condition and improve your lung health.
