The Human Lungs

Lung design in humans and Emphysema

Topics

What is Lungs The Working Of Lungs How Well Designed Is the Human Lung? What is Emphysema ? The causes of Emphysema What are the signs and symptoms of emphysema? How to take good care of your lungs

What is Lungs

The lungs are among the hardest-working organs in the body. They expand and contract up to 20 times a minute to supply oxygen to be distributed to tissues all over the body and expel carbon dioxide that has been created throughout the body. 

The cone-shaped lungs are sponge-like organs that fill the chest cavity and make up most of the lower respiratory tract. Their most important job is providing oxygen to capillaries so they can oxygenate blood

The Working Of Lungs

You bre athe in and out anywhere from 15 to 25 times per minute without even thinking about it. 

The air is inhaled via nasal cavity

Then it is transported to the lunfgs through the wind pipe further divided by brochies then the absorption is done by the alveolies

Lungs always accumulate some amount of air even after exalation so that the body could get some time for transpotation

How Well Designed Is the Human Lung?

Although it is often stated that the structure of the human lung is ideally suited to its gas exchange function, the lung is very vulnerable under some abnormal conditions. 

The human gas-exchanging organ, the lung, is located in the thorax, where its delicate tissues are protected by the bony and muscular thoracic cage. 

 The lung provides the organism with a continuous flow of oxygen and clears the blood of the gaseous waste product, carbon dioxide. Atmospheric air is pumped in and out regularly through a system of pipes, called conducting airways, which join the gas-exchange region with the outside of the body. The airways can be divided into upper and lower airway systems. 

The lungs have alveolies which which have a ballon like structure which provides upto 80m2 of surface area

What is Emphysema ?

Emphysema gradually damages the air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs, making you progressively more short of breath. Emphysema is one of several diseases known collectively as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Smoking is the leading cause of emphysema.

Your lungs' alveoli are clustered like bunches of grapes. In emphysema, the inner walls of the air sacs weaken and eventually rupture — creating one larger air space instead of many small ones. This reduces the surface area of the lungs and, in turn, the amount of oxygen that reaches your bloodstream.

When you exhale, the damaged alveoli don't work properly and old air becomes trapped, leaving no room for fresh, oxygen-rich air to enter. Treatment may slow the progression of emphysema, but it can't reverse the damage.

The causes of Emphysema

The main cause of emphysema is long-term exposure to airborne irritants, including:

Tobacco smoke

Marijuana smoke

Air pollution

Manufacturing fumes

Rarely, emphysema is caused by an inherited deficiency of a protein that protects the elastic structures in the lungs. It's called alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency emphysema.

The main cause of emphysema is long-term, regular tobacco smoking. It may also be caused by marijuana smoking (much less common), exposure to air pollutions, factory fumes, coal and silica dust.

In rare cases, a patient may have inherited a deficiency of Alpha-1 antitrypsin, a protein that protects the elastic tissue in the lungs.

What are the signs and symptoms of emphysema?

A symptom is something the patient feels and describes, such as pain, while a sign is something everybody can detect, such as a rash.

A patient with emphysema may experience no symptoms for many years. Eventually, as the condition progresses, there is a shortness of breath (dyspnea), which starts off gradually. An individual with early stages of emphysema may avoid physical activity because it makes them pant too much. Eventually, the shortness of breath is present even when the person is resting.

How to take good care of your lungs

Never smoke. Notice how it doesn't say quit smoking, it says never smoke. That means don't start smoking in the first place, and don't even try it.

Increase your aerobic capacity. Do some vigorous exercise that really gets you gasping for breath 3-4 times a week.

Breathe in through your nose, especially around toxic fumes. The hair in your nose acts as a filter and only lets extremely fine particles through, and keeps the rest and combines it with mucus.

Breathe Healthy, stay Healthy