It’s officially World Health Day 2022! This year’s theme is Our Planet, Our Health, which focuses on the importance of keeping our earth healthy to keep us healthy! It’s super important that as a community, we raise awareness about the impact that pollution, pollutants, and other environmental events have on our health. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes. Crazy right!?
Our lungs are incredibly vulnerable to infection and injury, even more so from the worsening external environment around us due to our current climate crisis! WHO estimates that over 90% of people breathe unhealthy air resulting from burning fossil fuels! Therefore, this WHD we’ve decided to focus on the importance of taking care of your respiratory health. Read more below…
Your lungs are pretty important, so we thought we’d put together a quick list of tips that may help you take care of them!
- Don’t smoke! Make your life a smoke-free zone. We suggest quitting smoking/not smoking at all and limiting your exposure to second-hand smoke where possible.
- Avoid unnecessary exposure to pollutants! If you work in an environment where you are exposed to the inhalation of dust, gas, fumes, or chemicals, ensure you wear the right protective equipment!
- Exercise regularly! Exercise doesn’t just keep your body in shape, it keeps your lungs in shape too!
- Prevent infections! Infections can be dangerous. Make sure you have the right vaccinations, practise good hygiene habits, and stay home if you’re unwell to avoid spreading anything.
- Keep track of the air! If you are at risk of poor respiratory health or are currently suffering from some form of lung disease, be sure to check any warnings regarding the level of pollution in the air before heading outside.
- Talk to your doctor! If you have any concerns surrounding your lung health, contact your GP!
Here at WholeLife, we offer screening and risk assessment services at our pharmacies, which enable our pharmacists to identify patients at risk of developing asthma, as well as providing advice and treatment plans. Of course, if you have any ongoing symptoms that are worrying you, seek advice from your GP. Another fantastic service we offer at WholeLife is teaching the correct inhaler technique. Approximately 80% of Australians using an inhaler do not use it effectively, and our team of professional staff are trained to give you the correct advice on this technique, helping you gain better control of your asthma.
So, this World Health Day, perhaps think about what you are doing to protect the respiratory health of yourself and those around you. In keeping with this year’s theme, consider what you can do to help our planet, and hopefully in time, we can all achieve greater health outcomes worldwide!
Click here to learn more information about World Health Day 2022, and check out some of our blogs on sustainable living for more information on reducing your footprint on the planet!
