Beyond smoking, regular exposure to dust and smoke in the workplace, along with untreated respiratory illnesses, can also damage the lungs.

Keeping the body warm, maintaining a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, fats, and carbohydrates, and controlling indoor humidity levels between 40-60% can help prevent respiratory illnesses.

Wearing fine dust masks and monitoring air quality before going out can help protect your lungs and reduce the risk of respiratory diseases.

Regular cleaning of bedroom items like vacuuming headboards, replacing mattresses, and wiping light switches and cords weekly with disinfectant helps reduce dust and prevent respiratory diseases.

Lien, 42, suffered severe immunodeficiency after lymphoma treatment, with tests confirming lung damage from co-infection by five types of viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

I have suffered from asthma for many years and recently experienced increased coughing on days with polluted air, fine dust, and smoke. Can environmental factors worsen the condition? (Tran Mai, Hanoi)

Shortness of breath even at rest, accompanied by a cough or chest pain, may indicate lung damage, disease, and an inability to meet the body's oxygen demands.