How to Keep Your Hardworking Lungs Healthy

Your lungs help you breathe. But they do much more. They help you fight infections. They help your other organs work. They do so much for your overall health — and they need your protection.

Your lungs are easily harmed. Anything you breathe in can hurt them. Take time to learn about these threats and how to protect your lungs.

Environmental Hazards

Potential dangers to your lungs are all around you — at home, outside or at work. The American Lung Association says air pollution, secondhand smoke and chemicals used at home or at work can cause or worsen lung disease.

The biggest outdoor danger to lungs is air pollution. It can come from vehicles, power tools, burning wood or trash, and wildfires. The American Lung Association offers 10 tips for protecting yourself and your family from unhealthy air. 

Indoor dangers include:

• Fuel burning appliances
• Building materials
• Cleaners and other common household and personal care products
• Too much moisture
• AC and heating systems

Radon, pesticides and other outdoor pollutants that have gotten inside can also cause problems.

Take a house tour  from the Environmental Protection Agency to learn more about specific indoor risks and how to keep them in check.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women in the U.S. Most people don't have symptoms until the cancer is advanced. But some symptoms  of lung cancer include coughing, wheezing and chest pain.

Smoking causes the majority of lung cancers — both in smokers and in people exposed to secondhand smoke, says the Mayo Clinic. 

What Are the Risk Factors?
Risk factors for lung cancer include:

• Smoking and vaping: Your risk grows with the amount you smoke each day and the number of years you have smoked. Quitting at any age can cut your risk of getting lung cancer.
• Exposure to secondhand smoke: Your risk increases if you're exposed to secondhand smoke. Avoid being around people who are smoking.
• Exposure to radon gas: Radon gas is the No. 2 cause of lung cancer. Radon is made by the normal breakdown of uranium. You can't see it or smell it, but breathing it can be harmful. Unsafe levels can be found in homes and other buildings. You can test your home for radon with inexpensive, do-it-yourself test kits you can get through the mail and in stores. Only buy test kits that are EPA approved or state certified.
• Radiation therapy: If you've had radiation to the chest for some other type of cancer, you may have a higher chance of developing lung cancer.
• Exposure to asbestos: People are most often exposed to asbestos at work. Exposure to other substances known to cause cancer, like arsenic, chromium and nickel, are also most likely to happen at work. Your risk is even higher if you also smoke.
• exposure to asbestos can raise your risk of having lung cancer. So can being around other substances known to cause cancer, like arsenic, chromium and nickel. The risk is even higher if you are also a smoker.
• Family history: People with a parent, sibling or child with lung cancer have a raised risk of the disease.

Lung Cancer Screening
Screening for lung cancer can help catch cancer earlier, when it may be more treatable. But it isn’t recommended for everyone.

Lung cancer screening can have risks. So lung cancer screening is recommended only for adults who are at high risk for developing the disease because of their smoking history and age.

If you smoke now or used to and are over 50, talk to your doctor about lung cancer screening. And check your benefit plan to see what preventive services may be covered at no cost to you.*

Find out more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Steps Everyone Can Take for Healthier Lungs

Besides not smoking or vaping, many choices for better overall health are also good for your lung health:

• Get routine health exams and preventive care. Even if you aren’t sick, a routine yearly health exam can help to prevent serious health problems. During a health exam, the doctor will listen to your lungs and breathing.
• Exercise. Staying active is good for your total health. Exercise also helps improve lung capacity.
• Avoid exposure to pollutants. Some can cause lung disease or make it worse. Lean how to avoid them. 
• Protect yourself from respiratory and other types of infections. Wash your hands with soap or alcohol-based cleaners. Take care of your teeth and gums. Stay home if you’re sick. Get your flu shot. And ask your doctor if other vaccines, like pneumonia or RSV, are right for you.
• Shower or bathe at night. Bathing at night helps keep allergens or pollutants out of your bed.

Make Sure Your Home Is Safe

There are many ways the air in your home can hurt your lungs. Take steps to help keep the air healthy:

• Keep carpets clean and dry: Carpets can trap dirt, dust, mold, cockroach droppings and dust mites. Vacuum regularly and have carpets and rugs steam cleaned yearly. The chemicals in carpets can also bother some people’s lungs. Consider easy to clean flooring like tile or wood.
• Check gas and wood burners: Some cooktops, ovens and heaters burn gas. If not installed, used or maintained correctly, they can cause coughing, trigger asthma and inflame your lungs. So can burning wood, oil or kerosene. Be sure to plan regular maintenance.
• Clean your humidifier: If it is not cleaned regularly, the moisture inside your humidifier can cause a fungus that is bad for your lungs.
• Watch out for candles: Some candles release chemicals into the air. Heavy use over time can cause breathing problems for some people. Beeswax or soy candles can be safer choices. Be sure to place candles in areas with good air flow.
• Check your home’s air flow: If outside air can’t get to indoor spaces, pollutants like gas can build to unhealthy levels.
• Change your HVAC filter every three months. Choose a high-quality filter. Use those with a MERV rating of 11 to 13 for the best filtration of pollen and mold.
• Watch for mold: Mold can trigger allergic reactions and asthma symptoms. Even people without allergies can experience irritation of the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs when exposed to airborne mold particles. Always try to prevent excess moisture and fix new problems quickly. 

Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about your lung health. 

*If you have a grandfathered plan (a plan that was in existence on or before March 23, 2010), preventive care without out-of-pocket costs may not apply to you.

Sources: 10 Tips to Protect Yourself From Unhealthy Air,  American Lung Association, 2024; Indoor Air Can Cause Health Problems,  University of Rochester Medical Center; Indoor Air Quality (IAQ),  Environmental Protection Agency, 2026; Lung Cancer,  Mayo Clinic, 2024; Protecting Your Lungs,  American Lung Association, 2026; Lung Cancer Screening,  U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2021; Symptoms of Lung Cancer,  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024; Screening for Lung Cancer,  CDC, 2024; Radon and Your Health,  CDC, 2024; Ways to Keep Lungs Healthy,  WebMD, 2024; The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality,  U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; Lung Cancer,  American Lung Association; Mold,  American Lung Association, 2025