Lung Diseases

You Can Lower Your Risk

There are a number of things you can do to help reduce your risk for lung disease:

• Stop smoking. If you smoke, the most important thing you can do is stop. Talk to your doctor about the best way to quit. All kinds of smoking (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and marijuana) can boost the chances of lung disease.
• Avoid secondhand smoke. If you live or work with people who smoke cigarettes, pipes, or cigars, ask them to smoke outside. Non-smokers have the right to a smoke-free workplace.
• Protect yourself from dust and chemical fumes. Working in a dusty conditions and with chemicals can increase your risk. And the risk is not just from industrial chemicals. Many products used at home, like paints and solvents, can cause or aggravate lung disease. Read labels and carefully follow instructions. If possible, avoid using products that cause eye, nose, or throat irritation. If you can’t avoid them, use them as little as possible and only in a well-ventilated area. Make sure you know which type of protective equipment you need and how to wear it.
• Eat a healthy diet. Studies show that eating a lot of fruit and vegetables may help lower the risk of lung cancer. (Of course, diet can’t undo the damage caused by unhealthy behaviors like smoking.)

See your doctor if you have a cough that won’t go away, trouble breathing, or pain or discomfort in your chest.

-Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.