In honor of earth day, I just wanted to mention how focusing on the health of our planet can improve our own heath, as well. Air pollution can be especially detrimental to lung health, particularly for patients with cystic fibrosis. Hopefully the increasing emphasis on environmental concerns such as reducing carbon emissions will lead to better air quality for everyone. We should all be aware of our actions with regard to the environment - even the tiniest things, if done by enough people, can make a difference.
Some things you can do to make your own little dent:
- Carpool, or take public transportation. The latter especially can be beneficial if it means more walking, and thus more exercise.
- Be mindful of air conditioning and heating settings - no need to be blasting cold air all summer, or heating your house during the day if you’re not at home.
- Look into eating organic produce - some concerns have been raised about the hormones and preservatives that are so prevalent in food these days. They potentially could lead to increased inflammatory response in the body, triggering things like asthma and allergies, or possibly worsening lung infections.
- If you live in a city with lots of traffic, be careful about pollution levels if you’re exercising outside. Running is great to improve lung health, but if you’re breathing in lots of smog and pollution, it could actually be more harmful to your lungs. Consider running early in the morning before pollution levels are high, or going to the gym or a park that is removed from high traffic areas.
- If you live in a state that has not yet passed a ban on smoking in indoor public locations, contact your state legislature to encourage them to pass smoke-free laws. Check out this section of the American Lung Association’s website for more resources.
For more information on environmental issues, treehugger.com is a great resource. Check out their article on the 2007 American Lung Association Air Quality Report if you’re curious about the pollution levels in your area.
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