保持空气清新的10个方法

 　　Aim for fresh, healthy air

　　Chronic¹ obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is serious, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy life after a diagnosis².

　　“COPD stands for two processes that almost always occur together: chronic bronchitis, which is inflammation of the airways³, and emphysema, which is destruction of the fine substance of the lung,” explains Norman Edelman, MD, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association.

　　Take these simple steps to keep irritants out of your airways. They can help stop trouble before it gets started.

　　Avoid wood-burning fireplaces

　　Wood-burning fireplaces—charming and romantic as they may be—produce particulate⁴ matter that can get into your lungs and make it harder to breathe.

　　“Wood-burning fireplaces put out soot⁵ and carbon,” says Len Horovitz, MD, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

　　“There’s nothing in there that’s a good thing for a patient. There’s no inhalant that’s worse than smoke.”

　　Steer⁶ clear of smokers⁷

　　Smoking causes about 85% of COPD cases in the United States, says Dr. Edelman. But whether or not you smoked before you were diagnosed, you’ll need to stay away from secondhand (or firsthand) smoke.

　　“Smoking and secondhand smoke are absolutely to be avoided,” Dr. Horovitz says.

　　It’s no secret that kicking the habit is really, really hard. But if you have COPD and smoke, the stakes are higher than ever before. Quit and you’ll prevent further damage; don’t and the disease will progress faster.

　　Keep the dust mites⁸ away

　　Like humans, dust mites like to burrow⁹ into mattresses¹¹ and bedding. “Dust mites are a trigger for asthmatics and people with COPD and should be kept to a minimum,” Dr. Horovitz says.

　　He recommends using mattress¹⁰ covers and pillowcases that are bed-bug proof, which usually means they’re mite-proof as well. And pick pillows that are made of foam¹³ rubber, not goose-down or feathers.

　　Washing your linens¹⁴ in hot water (above 130°F) at least once a week will also keep the dust mites at bay, Dr. Edelman says.

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　　Cut the chemicals

　　It’s a bit of a conundrum¹⁵. You need to clean up dust and pet dander, but strong-smelling cleaning products can be lung irritants.

　　Even walking into a recently cleaned house can be a problem and wearing a mask won’t necessarily help. That means using vinegar or regular old soap and water, basically “things that don’t have a fragrance,” says Dr. Horovitz.

　　You should avoid hair spray, perfumes, glues, paints, and air fresheners too. “If you want to freshen your air, clean and don’t mask over another odor,” he says.

　　Control pet dander

　　Pet dander is less of a problem for COPD than for asthma¹², because dander particles are usually too big to penetrate¹⁶ deep into the airways, says Dr. Edelman.

　　Still, many people with COPD also have allergies¹⁷, which can exacerbate¹⁸ breathing problems. Dogs, cats, and even birds can be a problem (fish aren’t).

　　If you already have a pet, or you find an animal is necessary for your mental health, make sure you wash your hands after petting, and keep your pet out of the bedroom.

　　Filter your air

　　Air filters can cut down dramatically on the fine particles that irritate the lungs. “It’s always better to ventilate through a system that has a filter,” Dr. Edelman says. “You want to filter as many particles as you can.”

　　Changing filters often will also help keep the air clean.

　　For the dog days of summer, central air-conditioning is best, but even then, filters make it better, Dr. Horovitz says.

　　Close your window

　　Ozone¹⁹ and other forms of air pollution, as well as outdoor allergens and dust, can affect your lungs. This can be especially troublesome if it’s allergy²⁰ season, if the winds are howling, or if you live in a place (like New York City or New Mexico) prone²¹ to dust accumulation.

　　On high air-pollution days keep the windows closed. You can check air quality throughout the U.S. at AirNow.

　　If you’re cleaning, though, you may want to open a window to clear the air of cleaning chemicals, according to the American Lung Association.

　　Exercise but don’t overexert

　　Exercise is a good thing if you have COPD. However, if your condition is severe, too much exertion²² can trigger breathing difficulties.

　　“You do want to exercise but you don’t want to subject yourself to carrying a heavy laundry basket up several flights of stairs, Dr. Horovitz says. “That’s going to be a problem.”

　　Fight mold and mildew²³

　　Good ventilation systems in both the bedroom and bathroom can cut down on molds, another potential trigger of lung trouble.

　　And because dust mites like humidity too, you should keep the moisture levels in your home unattractively low, at around 40%, Dr. Edelman says.

　　To do so, consider using a dehumidifier and don’t run a humidifier or vaporizer.

1 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

2 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

3 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

4 particulate   

adj.微小的；n.微粒，粒子

参考例句：

• A special group was organized to dig up the particulate of the case.成立了一个专门小组来查明该案件的各个细节。
• Lungs retain relatively insoluble particulate material.肺脏内留有不溶解的颗粒物质。

5 soot   

n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟

参考例句：

• Soot is the product of the imperfect combustion of fuel.煤烟是燃料不完全燃烧的产物。
• The chimney was choked with soot.烟囱被煤灰堵塞了。

6 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

7 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

8 mites   

n.（尤指令人怜悯的）小孩( mite的名词复数 )；一点点；一文钱；螨

参考例句：

• The only discovered animals are water bears, mites, microscopic rotifers. 能够发现的动物只有海蜘蛛、螨和微小的轮虫。 来自辞典例句
• Mites are frequently found on eggs. 螨会经常出现在蛋上。 来自辞典例句

9 burrow   

vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞

参考例句：

• Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。
• The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。

10 mattress   

n.床垫，床褥

参考例句：

• The straw mattress needs to be aired.草垫子该晾一晾了。
• The new mattress I bought sags in the middle.我买的新床垫中间陷了下去。

11 mattresses   

褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The straw mattresses are airing there. 草垫子正在那里晾着。
• The researchers tested more than 20 mattresses of various materials. 研究人员试验了二十多个不同材料的床垫。

12 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

13 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

14 linens   

n.亚麻布( linen的名词复数 )；家庭日用织品

参考例句：

• All linens and towels are provided. 提供全套日用织品和毛巾。 来自辞典例句
• Linen, Table Linens, Chair Covers, Bed and Bath Linens. Linen. 采购产品亚麻布，亚麻布，椅子套子，床和沭浴亚麻布。 来自互联网

15 conundrum   

n.谜语；难题

参考例句：

• Let me give you some history about a conundrum.让我给你们一些关于谜题的历史。
• Scientists had focused on two explanations to solve this conundrum.科学家已锁定两种解释来解开这个难题。

16 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

17 allergies   

n.[医]过敏症；[口]厌恶，反感；（对食物、花粉、虫咬等的）过敏症( allergy的名词复数 )；变态反应，变应性

参考例句：

• Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发很多不同的症状。 来自辞典例句
• Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 现在让我们来看看最常见的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句

18 exacerbate   

v.恶化，增剧，激怒，使加剧

参考例句：

• WMO says a warming climate can exacerbate air pollution.世界气象组织说，气候变暖可能会加剧空气污染。
• In fact efforts will merely exacerbate the current problem.实际上努力只会加剧当前的问题。

19 ozone   

n.臭氧，新鲜空气

参考例句：

• The ozone layer is a protective layer around the planet Earth.臭氧层是地球的保护层。
• The capacity of ozone can adjust according of requirement.臭氧的产量可根据需要或调节。

20 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

21 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

22 exertion   

n.尽力，努力

参考例句：

• We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。
• She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡，她浑身发热。

23 mildew   

n.发霉；v.（使）发霉

参考例句：

• The interior was dark and smelled of mildew.里面光线很暗，霉味扑鼻。
• Mildew may form in this weather.这种天气有可能发霉。