The air of Delhi-NCR is continuously becoming poisonous. In such a situation, due to continuously increasing pollution in the air, the condition of people’s lungs is worsening. At the same time, the doctor says that the microscopic particles present in air pollution like PM 2.5, PM 10, nitrogen dioxide and ozone are gradually damaging the lungs. The risk increases even more for people who have the habit of smoking. In such a situation, the question arises that if the lungs get damaged due to pollution or smoking, can they recover again? So today let us tell you that if the lungs get damaged due to smoking habit or pollution, can they be cured again or not and what do the experts say about it.

How does pollution harm the lungs?

According to doctors, the pollutants present in the air reach the deep parts of the lungs through breath. This causes irritation, inflammation and oxidative stress which weakens the structure and capacity of the lungs. This risk is greatest for children, the elderly and people suffering from diseases like heart or asthma. The initial signs of lung damage include frequent dry cough or burning sensation in the throat. Apart from this, even doing light work causes shortness of breath. At the same time, heaviness in the chest or wheezing sound is also an early sign of bad lungs. Increasing mucus and feeling tired are also signs of bad lungs.

Can lungs recover after being damaged?

Experts say that the lungs have the ability to repair themselves. When a person lives in clean air, stays away from pollution or smoking, the functioning of the lungs can gradually improve. At the same time, improvement can be seen in the lungs within a few months to a few years. However, if the damage is very deep or chronic, such as COPD, it is difficult for the lungs to recover completely. But with proper treatment and precautions, its risk can be reduced to a great extent. According to experts, if a person quits smoking or tries to avoid pollution, the lung capacity starts improving within two weeks to 3 months.

What to do for lung health?

• Stay away from smoking and second hand smoke.
• Go out wearing an N95 or KN95 mask.
• Use an air purifier with HEPA filter at home.
• Do deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing exercises.
• Drink enough water throughout the day, so that the dirt accumulated in the lungs can be cleared.
• Reduce outdoor activity during pollution days.

Also read: If weight is increasing rapidly after menopause, then be careful, it may be breast cancer.

Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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With increasing age, a person’s physical strength and ability to remember decreases. Like forgetting things after keeping them, weakness in the body and blurred vision are inevitable. There is nothing to worry about because cognitive decline is seen in most people in old age. In cognitive decline, a person’s mental ability decreases day by day and he starts forgetting things. In such a situation, this is normal with increasing age.

However, if this problem increases excessively then it indicates serious cognitive decline, which is very dangerous. The biggest reason behind this has been said to be the habit of smoking. The Lancet report shows that people who quit smoking in midlife slow down severe cognitive decline in old age.

Smoking increases cognitive decline

Smoking has a great impact on a person’s mental health. Due to this, cognitive ability decreases day by day and memory, attention and executive functions become slow. This significantly increases the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s and stroke. According to doctors, this happens because smoking damages the blood vessels of the brain and the blood supply to the brain reduces, due to which the brain stops working or starts working slowly. Apart from this, it can also cause many neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. This is because smoking causes amyloid plaque to form in the brain, which increases the risk. Additionally, nicotine blocks the blood supply to the brain, which increases the risk of stroke.

What are the benefits of quitting smoking?

Scientist found in his study that in people who quit smoking in middle life, the cognitive decline slows down by 20% in old age and the decline in verbal fluency also slows down by 50%, due to which their thinking power remains fine and they are able to communicate in a better way. In such a situation, people who are addicted to smoking should try to quit it in middle age itself so that this problem does not increase further in old age.

Read this also: Metabolic syndrome can increase the risk of many types of cancer in women, research revealed

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