Shortness of breath or cough? Is your increasing weight eating away at your lungs?

News India Live, Digital Desk: Respiratory System : Nowadays obesity not only affects our heart or joints, but it has also become a serious threat to our lungs. Many people do not pay attention to this, but overweight or obesity can directly affect your respiratory system, which can cause difficulty in breathing and many lung related diseases.

Let us know how obesity harms your lungs:

1. Reduced Lung Capacity:
   • When a person is overweight, excess fat accumulates around the chest and abdomen. This fat puts pressure on the diaphragm (the muscle that separates the abdomen and chest), due to which the diaphragm is not able to expand properly.
   • As a result, the lungs do not have enough space to expand fully, reducing their total air intake capacity. This is especially felt during deep breathing or exercise.
2. Difficulty in breathing (Breathlessness):
   • Due to reduced lung capacity and greater need for oxygen in the body, obese people often experience difficulty breathing, especially after even the slightest physical activity.
   • Their body needs more oxygen to function normally, but the lungs are not able to provide it as efficiently.
3. Asthma and other lung diseases:
   • Obesity increases the risk of asthma or can worsen pre-existing asthma. Overweight people have more inflammation, which can narrow the airways of the lungs, leading to asthma attacks.
   • Some studies have also shown that obesity may increase the risk of other chronic lung diseases, such as sleep apnea and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
4. Sleep Apnea:
   • This is a common problem related to obesity. In this, the person’s breathing repeatedly stops for some time during sleep.
   • Excess fat accumulated around the throat and neck blocks the airway, causing difficulty in breathing and disrupted sleep throughout the night. This puts extra stress on the lungs and heart.
5. Weakened Immune System:
   • Obesity can weaken the immune system, making obese people more susceptible to respiratory infections, such as flu or pneumonia. These infections can cause further damage to the lungs.

For all these reasons it is clear that maintaining a healthy weight is very important for healthy lungs. By improving your lifestyle and controlling your weight, you can keep your lungs strong and healthy.