If you take good care of your lungs, they can last a lifetime. "The lungs are very durable if they're not attacked from the outside," says Norman H. Edelman, M.D., chief medical officer of the American Lung Association (ALA). With a few exceptions, your lungs don't get into trouble unless you get them into trouble, he says.
However, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease, cancer and stroke. Here are 12 things you can do to keep your lungs healthy as you age.
