During this process, mucus production is increased. Plugs may be formed and further decrease the efficiency of gas exchange taking place. Symptoms of pneumonia can range from mild to life threatening. Pneumonia can be caused by inhaling food, dust, liquid, gas, and by various fungi. Common symptoms include chest pain, shaking chills, fever, dry cough, muscle aches, nausea and vomiting, rapid breathing and rapid heart rate.
Outline the possible causes of asthma and its effects on the gas exchange system Physician Hippocrates first mentioned the word Asthma over 3000 years ago. Translated from the Greek it stands for ‘difficult breathing’. In the medicine asthma is a disease of the respiratory tracts, which occurs nowadays more frequently in developed countries than it did in past years. This arises perhaps because our immune system is no longer used to get much contact to/with the nature (so to pollen, dust or pet fur for example) and results in hypersensitivity (to some triggers.) While asthma mostly consists of unexpected and abrupt attacks, it is still regarded as/to be a chronic conditions, which can rapidly lead to a decrease in lung function.
The secondary cause is related to an existing infection or disease. Each of these are caused by different irritants that result in the same disruption of normal perfusion. The attacks on the lung lead to alveolar inflammation and edema that causes low ventilation and blood and fluid to be pushed into the capillaries. This leads to a stasis in the lung’s gas perfusion and creates a pressure that makes it harder for the individual to breath (Anatomical Chart Company, 2010, p. 100). The first signs and symptoms of any infection should immediately be put to the attention of the health care provider.
Smokers’ cough turns into chronic bronchitis, caused by the deteriorated cilia. Mucus thickens and becomes greater in amount, thickening the lining of the bronchioles, resulting in difficulty breathing. The bronchioles steadily lose their elasticity which prevents them from absorbing the pressure on the alveoli, causing the alveoli to rupture; smoking-induced emphysema. This progression results in a worsening cough, wheezing, difficult breathing, and fatigue. As these structural changes are occurring, there are also cellular or molecular changes taking place in the lungs.
For example, emphysema can cause a chronic airway obstruction. What Causes an Airway Obstruction? The classic image of an airway obstruction is someone choking on a piece of food. However, that’s only one of many things that can cause an airway obstruction. Other causes include: * inhaling or swallowing a foreign object * a small object becoming lodged in the nose or mouth * allergic reactions * trauma to the airway from an accident * vocal cord problems * breathing in a large amount of smoke from a fire * viral infections * bacterial infections * croup - a respiratory illness that causes upper airway inflammation * swelling of the tongue or epiglottis * abscesses in the throat or tonsils * a collapse of the tracheal wall, known as tracheomalacia * asthma * chronic bronchitis *
The cough reflex has both sensory (afferent) and motor (efferent) components. Pulmonary irritant receptors (cough receptors) in the epithelium of the respiratory tract are sensitive to both mechanical and chemical stimuli. Stimulation of the cough receptors by dust or other foreign particles produces a cough, which is necessary to remove the foreign material from the respiratory tract before it reaches the lungs. A long drawn and deep inhalation followed by a complete closure of the glottis, which results in a strong exhalation that suddenly punches the glottis open and sends a blast of air through the upper respiratory passages. C) Which structures found in the terminal bronchioles and alveoli normally would protect Cari’s lungs from infectious pathogens and particulate matter?
How would the resistance of Cari’s airways be affected by excess mucus and fluid in her lung? The excess mucus and fluid in the lungs would increase the resistance of Cari’s airways because of the small diameter the buildup would cause and the fluid would have some alveoli underwater where they can’t function properly causing more friction from the buildup. 5. How would Cari’s lung compliance be altered as her alveoli fill with fluid due to pneumonia? Cari’s lung compliance would increase from trying to force gases in and out of the alveoli that are filled with fluid.
Children, Asthma and Secondhand Smoke Introduction * A. Audience Hook 1. Approximately 774,000 ER visits were related to asthma in 2009 (American Lung Association, 2013) * An estimated 400,000 to 1 million children have their condition worsened by exposure to secondhand smoke. (American Lung Association, 2013) B. Thesis statement a. Research suggests that asthmatic children should not be exposed to environmental tobacco smoke because asthma is a chronic and sometimes life-threatening disease and children with asthma can have their condition worsened by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
The affect of strokes on the body can range between mild dizziness or slight numbness to impaired speech and loss of motor control. Major strokes can block blood flow to the brain to the point where the brain becomes impaired. Once the brain shuts down, it is no longer sending signals to the parts of the body that require brain operation to function. This can impair heart function, which can lead to death in the matter of a few minutes. According the American Heart Association’s posted statistics in Chapter 12 of this week’s reading, out of more than 6.5 million Americans suffer from strokes each year, roughly 150,000 die as a result from the damage.
Asthma is a lung disease characterized by recurring and sometimes persistent spasms and inflammation of the airways, causing episodic symptoms of wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. A significant medical problem in children of all ages, asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism and the most common reason for hospitalization of children. In 1993, asthma accounted for an estimated 198,000 hospitalization and 342 deaths among persons under age 25. Approximately 2-10% of children in the United States suffer from asthma; the most recent estimate is 4.3%. Childhood asthma is more common among boys, African Americans, residents of inner cities, and children from low-income families.