Aging Lungs: The Changes That Come With Time

                     The Lungs and Respiratory Tract​

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A person takes, on average, about 300 million breaths by the age of 65. In fact, the lungs are one of the most durable biological machines ever built, but not because they avoid wear. They often last longer because they continuously repair themselves, something no engineered machine can do. From day one, they endure constant mechanical stretching, temperature swings, humidity changes, and exposure to pollution, pathogens, allergens, and even irritation or injury from coughing and infection.

 

Oxidation, a normal and necessary process that helps lung cells make energy and perform repairs, also changes over time as the body becomes less efficient at regulating it. As you age, your cells don’t manage that process as smoothly. Irritants like smoke, chemical fumes, and aerosols can send oxidation into overdrive, harming lung cells and leading to inflammation and disease over time.

 

With decades of work behind them, the lungs can – and do – change. Protecting and preserving them is essential at every age. And because the lungs undergo so many changes as we get older, building daily habits that support lung health becomes critical if you want to breathe your best.

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The Lungs

 

Your Lungs Start Aging at 30 — Here’s What Changes

 

Many anatomical and functional lung changes begin around age 30, but they happen slowly and usually aren’t noticeable until later decades. In the 40s, a person may feel more of the effects of physical exertion, and by the 50s and 60s, symptoms usually become more noticeable and can begin to spiral.

 

Let's Look At These Changes – They Just May Be Motivating

Few people understand all the changes that can take place in the lungs as they age. Again, some of these changes may seem disconcerting, but understanding them—and knowing how to work with them—can help you breathe better, protect your lung function, and stay healthier as you grow older.

 

• Lung tissue becomes stiffer and less elastic as you age. This makes it harder for the lungs to expand and contract, reducing the amount of air you can move in and out, and slowing the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Breathing can feel heavier or more labored, especially during activity.

   

• Alveoli lose surface area. Alveoli are the tiny structures in your lungs responsible for getting oxygen into your bloodstream and taking carbon dioxide out. As a person ages, excessive enlargement and destruction of alveoli reduce the area available for this gas exchange. This ultimately reduces the oxygen delivered to the body and allows carbon dioxide to build up, which, if severe, can be life-threatening.

   

• Muscles responsible for breathing gradually weaken. The diaphragm and the muscles attached to the ribs are responsible for the mechanics of breathing. These muscles naturally weaken, making inhalation and exhalation less efficient.

   

• Low‑grade inflammation becomes more common. Aging lung tissue tends to develop chronic, mild inflammation, which can affect comfort, airflow, and resilience. This is commonly due to environmental exposure and years of exposure to various irritants.

   

• Airways gradually narrow. Loss of elasticity, thickened airway walls, weaker breathing muscles, and decades of harmful oxidative stress narrow the airways, diminishing airflow into and out of the lungs.

   

• Immune defenses decline. Key immune cells that live and operate inside lung tissue—macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells—become less active and less efficient, making the lungs more prone to infections from bacteria, viruses, and inhaled particles. This can also change allergies to things like dust, pollens, molds, and dander: allergies can get worse (because of changes in lung conditions), or they may improve because one of the primary immune cells, IgE, decreases and mast cells become less reactive.

 

• Chemoreceptors located in different parts of the body help regulate breathing. Those in the brainstem and hypothalamus normally sense changes in carbon dioxide, while other chemoreceptors in the carotid arteries sense drops in blood oxygen. Together, they signal the brain to speed up or slow down according to the body's needs. As a person ages, these "sensors" lose sensitivity, so breathing doesn’t adjust the way it should; the rest of the body feels the consequences.

 

• Protective molecules in the lungs decrease. Antimicrobial peptides, surfactant proteins, antioxidants like glutathione, and repair/signaling molecules diminish with age, reducing the lungs’ ability to defend and repair themselves.

   

• Cilia decline in number and function. Cilia are tiny hair‑like structures that line the airways. They function to move mucus and irritants out of the airways. As one ages, they become fewer and move more slowly, allowing mucus and irritants to accumulate more easily. (Smoking damages and often kills cilia; however, when a person quits, they often regrow.

   

• Cell regeneration slows. Many lung cells can regenerate, but aging reduces this process. Some cells die from senescence (they are programmed by DNA to cease functioning) or they become damaged. The lungs’ overall repair capacity becomes slower, causing a loss of cells.

 

Based on the above, it stands to reason that reduced oxygen (hypoxia) and increased carbon dioxide (hypercapnia) can create many potential “downstream” effects throughout the body. All cells and organs require oxygen and waste removal to function optimally.

 

Again, these changes develop so gradually that they often go unnoticed until later in life when signs and symptoms begin to appear.

 

Signs and Symptoms of Oxygen–Carbon Dioxide Imbalance

 

Breathing

 

• Shortness of breath

• Wheezing or a feeling of tightness

• Difficulty clearing the airways of mucus/weak cough

• Feeling like you can’t get a full breath

• Rapid, shallow breathing

• Discomfort or pain when taking a deep breath

• Fatigue, lightheadedness, or a “heavy” feeling when breathing

• Use of accessory muscles (neck, shoulders) to breathe

• Cyanosis (bluish lips or nailbeds)

• Low oxygen saturation on a pulse oximeter

• Abnormal breath sounds (wheezes, crackles)

• Increased heart rate

• Barrel chest (rounded chest)

   

Heart‑Related Signs and Symptoms

 

(Lack of oxygen can lead to circulation and heart problems, which may be demonstrated by the following signs and symptoms:)

• Cold extremities (hands, feet, fingers, toes)

• Fast heart rate (tachycardia)

• Palpitations (awareness of your heartbeat, pounding or fluttering)

• Chest tightness

• Pallor (pale skin)

• Strain on the heart, which increases the risk of heart damage or even a heart attack

   

Neurological Signs and Symptoms From Altered Oxygen Levels

 

• Headaches

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Confusion/mental fog

• Difficulty concentrating

• Fatigue

• Restlessness 

• Anxiety

• Morning fatigue

 

Movement and musculoskeletal Effects

 

Lack of oxygen can also cause muscle and whole-body symptoms.

• Weakness

• Lack of Stamina

• Exercise intolerance

• Slowed movements

 

Other Effects Caused by Aging Lungs

 

• Difficulty breathing while eating because the person cannot get the frequent breaths needed when short of breath (as in COPD)

• Loss of appetite, sometimes simply because eating becomes exhausting

• More Lung infections, like pneumonia and bronchitis, occur more easily and are more difficult to recover from

• Chronic bronchitis can wreak havoc with even the strongest individuals

• Temperature regulation becomes disturbed — increased sweating or, on the opposite end, feeling chilled

• Thinning hair

• And many more effects that ripple through the body when lung efficiency declines

 

It seems bleak, doesn’t it? But bleak does not mean hopeless. You can do something about it. But you need to want to; otherwise, things that do not have to happen will happen.

So, what can you do to optimally prevent and possibly even reverse lung problems? You read this; you keep the purpose in mind. There are many, many things you can do to try to preserve your lung function — your body in general. Let’s explore these.

 

It seems bleak, doesn’t it? But bleak does not mean hopeless. Bleak but not hopeless. It’s just a fact of life, and you can do something about it. But you need to want to; otherwise, things that do not have to happen will happen.

 

So, what can you do to optimally prevent and possibly reverse some lung problems? As you read this, keep the purpose in mind. There are many, many things you can do to try to preserve your lung function- your body in general! Let's explore these. We will explore these in the publication ahead.

 

What You Can Do to Help Prevent Lung Problems, and Improve Breathing

 

Learn about ways to optimize your lung function to maintain it and possibly improve it- with approaches like breathing exercises, supplements, and medication in:

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Support for Better Breathing