Respiratory Problems

HICCUPS Diaphragm, the muscle below your chest cavity, sudden jerks and you find yourself sucking in air quickly. The air flow causes the epiglottis to snap shut, which makes the “hiccup” sound.

SNOT AND BOOGERS Snot  Mucus! Mucus is a thick, slimy substance made of water, salt, and chemicals. It lines your nasal cavity, trachea, and bronchial tubes. Boogers  Dried up snot (mucus) combined with the dust, pollen, dirt, and bacteria the mucus collected when cleaning the air. The average person swallows about a quart of snot a day.

SNEEZE Air and mucus from the nasal cavity blast out of your nose at a high speed. Body uses this mechanism to clear the airways out to prevent infection and keep air clean. A sneeze triggered by something irritating the nasal cavity. Air from a sneeze can travel up to 100 mph!

COUGH A cough is a natural reflex that protects your lungs. Coughing helps clear your airways of mucus full of dirt, dust, and bacteria. Helps prevent infection of lung.

ASTHMA Asthma is caused by inflammation (swelling) in the airways (bronchiole). When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles surrounding the airways become irritated and tightened. The lining of the air passages swell. This reduces the amount of air that can pass by, and can lead to wheezing sounds.

BRONCHITIS Swelled, infected bronchi tubes. Infection causes a build-up of thick mucus.

EMPHYSEMA -smoking destroys lung tissue as well as breathing passages causing difficulty in breathing. -Not able to get enough oxygen or eliminate carbon dioxide, causing shortness of breath

LUNG CANCER 140,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer. 40 chemicals in cigarettes cause cancerous growths and tumors to take over the lungs, taking up space where gas exchange should be occurring.

HYPERVENTILATE Rapid or deep breathing that can occur with anxiety or panic. Excessive breathing leads to low levels of carbon dioxide in your blood.

PNEUMONIA infection of one or both lungs which is usually caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

COLLAPSED LUNG Collection of air in the space around the lungs that has leaked out from a lung. This buildup of air puts pressure on the lung, so it cannot expand as much as it normally does when you take a breath. The escaped air needs to be drained surgically to let the lung expand and fill with oxygen normally.

PULMONARY EMBOLISM An artery to your lung becomes blocked. Gas exchange to the blocked part of the lungs is impossible.