How to Prevent Lung Damage from Poor Air Quality? I Did It, You Can Too

Polluted air can cause difficulty breathing, flare-ups of allergy or a chronic lung disease that causes wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble.

The Best Lungs Protect and Cleansing Strategy.

Air Pollution in New York: How to Reduce Health Damage

Hey everyone!

I’ve got something really important and useful to share with you all. Recently, I decided to take a walk around my city streets — you know, just to get some exercise and fresh air. I walked about three miles back to my apartment and didn’t feel tired at all, so I gave myself a little pat on the back. I drank a glass of water and sat down at my computer. An hour later, I felt a scratch in my throat and had to clear it. What came out in the sink made me stop and do some thinking, maybe even some math. I need lungs detoxs.

So here’s the deal, friends — have you ever wondered just how much nasty stuff has built up in your lungs over a year?

Let’s crunch some numbers. Let’s say you’re a New Yorker. On average, we take about 15-16 breaths per minute. That means, in just a minute, 8-9 liters of air pass through your lungs. Over an hour, that’s about 500 liters, and in a day, that’s around 12,000 liters or 12 cubic meters of air. For women, it’s about 10-15% less.

Now, we need some data on how much pollution (PM2.5) actually gets into the lungs of an average person in different US cities. Here’s some average PM2.5 concentrations (in micrograms per cubic meter) for a few cities:

• Los Angeles: 15 µg/m³
• New York: 12 µg/m³
• San Francisco: 10 µg/m³
• Portland: 9 µg/m³
• Seattle: 8 µg/m³

So, if you’re in New York: 12 µg/m³ × 12 m³ × 365 = 52,560 µg or 52.56 mg per year.

Thinking about moving to Seattle yet? How to Protect Your Lungs?

Just the thought of having stuff in your lungs that shouldn’t be there is pretty depressing. So, what can we do about it?

Do You Need to Detox Your Lungs?

Let’s go back to the numbers… On average, Americans spend about 65-70% of their time at home. That’s around 15-17 hours a day. This varies depending on factors like age, employment, family status, and the time of year. So, if we take steps to clean the air in our homes, we could reduce lung pollution by 65-70%… Maybe cancel that move to Seattle! 🙂

I started looking for an air purifier for my apartment, read up on what people were saying about models that matched my criteria, and made a choice.

>>>LEVOIT Air Purifiers for Home, Main Filter Cleaner with Washable Filter for Allergies, Smoke, Dust, Quiet Odor Eliminators for Bedroom, Pet Hair Remover, Vital 100 Plus (With Extra Filter)<<<

About this item:

𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄: With a CADR of 130 CFM / 221 m3/h, the Vital 100 is perfect for living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. It can cover 300 ft² / 28 m² in only 18 minutes. (Only products over 6 pounds can be equipped with such powerful motors that optimize the air cleaning performance).Voltage: AC 120V, 60Hz
𝟑-𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: Fine preliminary, Efficient filter and activated carbon filter. Efficient filter of the 3-in-1 filter removes dust, pollen, and more airborne particles
𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐘: With noise levels as low as 23 decibels, the Vital 100 won’t keep you up at night. You can also turn off the display lights when it’s time for bed
𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐑-𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐘: Set a timer for 2, 4, or 8 hours whenever you like. The Check Filter Indicator will let you know when it’s time for a fresh filter
𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐘 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓: It only costs dollar 1.66 a week to run the Vital 100 24/7 , allowing you to use it all day during times of high pollution, like wildfire season
𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄: The compact design and top-facing air vents let you place the Vital 100 near walls or in the corner of a room
𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒: Depending on usage, the filters should be replaced every 6–8 months. You can buy new filters by searching Vital 100-RF. Remove the plastic wrap before installing a new filter

What Benefits We Can Get from Air Purifer

Many people know that the air we breathe is important, but why? Air pollution can sometimes be invisible, yet it poses a serious threat to human health. Studies show that air pollution can affect human health more than previously thought.

The problem of polluted air is tracked in the American Lung Association’s annual report State of the Air. Polluted air threatens the health and lives of millions of Americans. How? Here are the “Terrible 10” health risks from breathing polluted air:

1. Premature death. Science shows that both short-term and long-term exposure to unhealthy air can shorten your life and lead to premature death.
2. Asthma attacks. Inhaling pollutants can increase asthma attacks, which may lead to emergency room visits and hospitalization.
3. Cardiovascular disease. Air pollution can increase the risk of both heart attacks and strokes.
4. Lung cancer. A decade ago, the World Health Organization determined that particle pollution can cause lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.
5. Harm to development. Exposure to air pollution can slow or even halt lung development in growing children, harming their health now and reducing lung function in adulthood.
6. Susceptibility to infections. Air pollution increases the risk of lung infections, especially in children.
7. Worsening COPD symptoms. Exposure to polluted air can make it even harder for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to breathe. Severe symptoms can lead to hospitalization and even death.
8. Swelling and irritation of lung tissue. Even people with healthy lungs are susceptible to irritation and swelling. For people living with chronic lung conditions like asthma and COPD, these effects can be particularly harmful.
9. Low birth weight. Some studies suggest that exposure to air pollution can increase the risk of low birth weight and infant mortality.
10. Wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Like many other conditions on this list, these can be caused by both long-term and short-term exposure to high levels of air pollutants.

And these are not all the issues. For example, new research reveals a link between the air we breathe and mental health problems. The more scientists look at this invisible threat, the more they find that air pollution presents a serious threat to the health of our nation.

Our country has a long way to go to clean up much of the pollution. The Lung Association is working to ensure that the air we breathe is clean and safe. Learn more about how polluted air can cause illness and how we are fighting to preserve the health of our air and our nation.

Cleanse Your Lungs and Keep Your Lungs Healthy

You might be interested in my further research as well. I started thinking about the benefits of getting an air purifier. To assess the cost-effectiveness of using an air purifier in terms of reducing medication costs, we need to consider a few factors:

• Cost of the air purifier: Let’s say a good air purifier costs around $200-$500 (depending on the model and features).
• Cost of medication: The average costs for treating illnesses related to air pollution (like asthma or chronic bronchitis) can range from $500 to $2000 a year. This includes prescription meds, inhalers, and other medical expenses.
• Reduction in illness rates: Using an effective air purifier could reduce the frequency and severity of illnesses, leading to lower medical expenses. Estimates suggest this could cut medication costs by 20-50%.

A quick calculation:

• Reduced medication costs:
  Assume the average annual medication costs are $1,000.
  If the air purifier cuts those costs by 30%, the savings would be:
  $1,000 × 0.30 = $300
• Return on Investment (ROI):
  Cost of the air purifier: $300 (average).
  Annual savings on medication: $300.

If the net economic benefit equals or exceeds the cost of the air purifier, it means the purchase pays for itself through reduced medication costs.

Additional economic benefits:

• Reduced medical expenses:
  Fewer illnesses could mean fewer doctor visits and treatments, which should also be factored in.
• Improved quality of life:
  Less frequent and less severe symptoms contribute to a better quality of life, which is hard to put a price on, but it’s still an important economic factor.
• Increased productivity:
  Healthy people miss fewer days of work and are more productive, which can lead to indirect economic benefits as well.

Conclusion:

The cost savings from using an air purifier can be significant. If medication costs drop by 30-50%, it could completely offset the device’s price and even lead to additional savings. Preliminary calculations suggest that the cost of the purifier could be covered by savings on medical expenses in the first year of use.