With the New Year just underway, it’s a great time to set some lung health-focused goals. With each of the 23,000 breaths a person’s lungs take daily, they perform essential work to support overall health.
Whether a person is managing asthma, quitting smoking, or simply looking to keep one’s lungs strong, here are some tips from the American Lung Association in West Virginia.
- Get Regular Check-ups. Regular check-ups help prevent diseases, even when a person is feeling well. This is especially true for lung disease, which sometimes goes undetected until it’s serious. During a check-up, a healthcare provider will listen to one’s breathing and one should share any concerns a person may have.
- Quit Smoking: The American Lung Association encourages people who smoke, vape or use tobacco to resolve to begin their quit journey in 2025 and provides tips and resources at Lung.org/quit-smoking or call the LungHelpline at 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872). Tobacco remains the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, and here in West Virginia. E-cigarettes are not a safe or effective way to quit. Many health insurance plans cover quit aids and counseling.
- Take the Quiz. In the United States, 14 million people are at high risk for lung cancer and are eligible for lifesaving lung cancer screening. Here in West Virginia, only 20.7 percent of residents at high risk for lung cancer are screened for the disease each year. If a person smoked, the low-dose CT lung cancer screening test could save one’s life. Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths, is more treatable when caught early—survival rates increase by more than four times. If a person is aged 50-80 and smokes or has quit within the past 15 years, one may be eligible for screening. Take the 2-minute quiz at SavedByTheScan.org.
- Stay Up-to-Date on Immunizations. Get COVID-19 and flu shots (and RSV and pneumococcal pneumonia, if eligible). The best way to stay healthy and protect others is to be up-to-date on the recommended immunizations and make sure all of one’s loved ones – from those aged 6 months to 100+ years – are also current on theirs.
- Limit Exposure to Air Pollutants. If possible, avoid environments with high levels of air pollution, chemical fumes, secondhand smoke and other lung irritants. It’s also essential to test the home for radon, a leading cause of lung cancer, and take action if levels are elevated. If a person has asthma or other lung health concerns, regularly monitor daily air quality forecasts to take precautions against outdoor air pollution. Conditions in one’s area can be checked at Airnow.gov.
Learn more about how to protect one’s lung health in 2025 at Lung.org or call 1-800-LUNGUSA.
