Breathing in stale air will not supply your body with enough oxygen to keep your cells fueled and functioning properly. But, breathing that fresh air in and out not only feels great, but it also benefits your lungs. And for those of us with COPD, every little bit helps.
Fresh air not only cleans your lungs, it can also boost your mood, lower your heart rate, increase energy levels and even improve digestion (yes, that's right). Florence Nightingale knew the benefits of fresh air long before any scientific study.
For people living with emphysema, chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cold air may worsen symptoms. That is because breathing in cold, dry air causes the airways to narrow, therefore restricting airflow in and out of the lungs and making it more difficult to breath.
Understanding how weather can trigger your symptoms — and how to reduce your risks — are important steps in staying healthy in all kinds of weather. Researchers have determined the ideal environmental conditions for COPD patients include an air temperature of 70 degrees and a humidity level of 40%.
Aerobic exercises include: walking, jogging, jumping rope, bicycling (stationary or outdoor), cross-country skiing, skating, rowing, and low-impact aerobics or water aerobics.
If you have emphysema, you can take a number of steps to halt its progression and to protect yourself from complications: Stop smoking. This is the most important measure you can take for your overall health and the only one that might halt the progression of emphysema.
What causes exacerbations? COPD can get worse from an infection (such as a cold or pneumonia), from being around someone who is smoking, or from air pollution.
Doctors' top treatment advice is to quit smoking. This is the single most important factor for maintaining healthy lungs. Stopping smoking is most effective at the early stages of emphysema. But it also can slow the loss of lung function in later stages of the disease.
In an article titled “The Health Benefits of Ocean Air“, the Lung Health Institute claims that breathing in salt-rich air can benefit certain medical conditions, such as pulmonary fibrosis and COPD.
Occupants of homes with poor indoor air quality may complain of symptoms such as headache, eye irritation, fatigue, dry throat, sinus congestion, dizziness, and nausea. Because many illnesses can cause these symptoms, diagnosing sick building syndrome is difficult.
A well-ventilated home can help to reduce your chances of getting lung cancer, it can reduce the levels of radon present in your home, and in order for your heart to do its job effectively, it needs an abundance of oxygen to work with.
Fresh Air for Healthy Lungs
Breathing deeply increases oxygen in your blood, which has been proven to increase serotonin levels in your body. This “happy chemical” is responsible for lowered stress and anxiety. But the benefits of breathing deeply from fresh air go beyond that, too.
According to the Lung Institute, Florida is ranked as one of the best places to live if you have COPD. Factors such as low pollution, sprawling metropolitan areas and Florida's Clean Air Act make Florida's air some of the cleanest you'll find!
The iodine, salt, and magnesium present in sea air can reduce the symptoms of asthma, promote respiratory health, improve allergies and skin problems, and stimulate the immune system. The energy to get moving. Seaside living promotes an active lifestyle.
Water is very important for your body to be able to function properly. For example, water helps regulate your temperature, gets rid of wastes and lubricates your joints. It is very important for people with COPD because it helps to thin mucus making it easier to cough up.
Especially if your COPD is diagnosed early, if you have mild stage COPD, and your disease is well managed and controlled, you may be able to live for 10 or even 20 years after diagnosis.
"It's not a death sentence by any means. Many people will live into their 70s, 80s, or 90s with COPD.” But that's more likely, he says, if your case is mild and you don't have other health problems like heart disease or diabetes.
Both breathing exercises and regular cardiovascular exercise like walking are critical to curbing symptoms and slowing the course of emphysema. One of the best ways to get started is to join a pulmonary rehabilitation program, which can help you create an exercise regimen tailored to your COPD, says Dr. Nolledo.
Emphysema usually progresses slowly and the majority of patients do not notice the changes in their breathing. Some patients do experience a faster onset of symptoms, though that is less common.
The effects of cold weather on COPD do not permanently exacerbate the condition, but they can temporarily compound the condition by constricting airflow to a greater degree. In severe cases, people may be admitted to the hospital for treatment.