Lung Problems

The lungs are the primary organs of breathing in humans, allowing us to respire. Respiration is the reaction that provides our bodies with energy by combining the oxygen we breathe with the food we eat, producing carbon dioxide as a by-product. Put simply, without our lungs we would not be able to sustain life.

Apart from common respiratory problems caused by allergies like asthma, there are other more dangerous diseases that can affect the health of lungs. These include chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) – caused by a number of factors such as smoking, air pollution and genetics – and lung cancer – one of the most common and serious types of cancer. Around 46,500 people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year in the UK, a figure that could be dramatically reduced if smoking habits were to decrease.

Lung diseases are some of the most common medical conditions in the world. In the UK, about 1 in 5 people have a history of asthma, COPD or another longstanding respiratory illness – that’s 12.7 million people. As mentioned, smoking, genetics and infections like TB are responsible for most incidences of lung disease… but certain types of pharmaceutical drugs, including paracetamol, could also weaken your lung function by lowering antioxidant activity in the lungs.

Uncover natural ways in which you could care for chronic lung conditions like COPD and which foods may assist in alleviating the symptoms of asthma. In our extensive archive, the Daily Health explores ways in which you can keep your lungs in top form by using effective and safe alternative therapies.