Lungs Definition

What do We Mean, Lungs?

Our lungs make up a large part of our respiratory system in our body, which is the network of organs and tissues that allow us to take breathe. Every human has two lungs, one on each side of the chest, commonly known as the thorax. Our thorax is the area of our body which is located between our neck and our abdomen.

Right Lung

The superior, middle, and inferior lobes make up the three sections of the lung on our right side. It is usually shorter than our left lung, but wider than our left lung. Pleural tissue serves as a protective coating for both of our lungs.

Left Lung

The superior and inner lobes of our left lung are two distinct lobes. Our heart is located where the middle lobe of our left lung would be, thus it makes sense that our left lung is smaller than our right. Our right lung lacks the superior lobe extension known as the lingula and the cardiac notch that are both seen in our left lung.

Our lungs provide our bodies with oxygen and remove other gases, such carbon dioxide, from them. 12 to 20 times every minute, this procedure occurs. When we inhale through our mouth or nose, air moves through our larynx (voice box), pharynx (back of the throat), and trachea (windpipe) before entering our trachea. Two bronchial tubes, or air passageways, divide our trachea. One bronchial tube serves our left lung, and the other serves our right lung. Our airways must remain open during both our inhalation and exhalation for our lungs to function at their peak. They must also be devoid of edoema, irritation, and excessive mucus production. Our bronchial tubes lead to the bronchi, which are much smaller airways, and ultimately into the bronchioles. The little air sacs at the end of the bronchioles, known as alveoli, are where oxygen is delivered from the air we breathe in to our blood. Alveoli resemble groups of tiny, rounded fruits. The blood exits our lungs after taking oxygen and travels to our heart. From there, it is pushed throughout our body to give our tissues and organs' cells oxygen. When cells use oxygen, carbon dioxide is produced and subsequently released into the circulation. Our bloodstream carries the carbon dioxide back to our lungs. To expel the carbon dioxide, we exhale.

Tiny hairs in our nose act as an air-cleaning mechanism, helping to filter out large particles and protecting our respiratory system from harmful substances entering our lungs.

Clean air passages are maintained by the sweeping motion of cilia, which are tiny hairs in our respiratory tract. Mucus is produced in our trachea and bronchial tubes to keep airways wet and help trap debris like dust and bacteria. Smoke from cigarettes is dangerous in part because it interferes with cilia's capacity to operate.

Interesting Lungs-related Information

We can live after having our lung lobes removed. Even surviving with just one lung is possible.

• Our lungs are the only organs in our body that will float.
• Our lung capacity can be increased through exercise.
• An adult has between 300 million and 500 million alveoli.

Anatomy

Where are our Lungs Located?

Our lungs are located in our thorax, or chest. The region of our body that houses our lungs and other organs is known as our thoracic cavity. Lung support comes from a muscle called the diaphragm.

What do Lungs Look Like?

The colour of healthy lungs is pinkish-gray. We've probably seen images that contrast the lungs of smokers with those of non-smokers. Damaged lungs have a deeper grey colour and may have black patches. Our left and right lungs have triangular shapes that resemble elephant ears. When we're breathing regularly, a typical adult human lung weighs around 2.2 pounds and measures little over 9 inches. When our lungs are fully extended, it measures about 10.5 inches.

Conditions and Disorders

Some of Typical Ailments and Afflictions that Damage Our Lungs

Lung disease can take many distinct forms. While some are minor or transient, others are chronic and more serious.

• Asbestosis: Scars on the lungs and pleural tissue can be caused by inhaling asbestos fibres.
• Asthma: People have difficulty breathing when their airways are constricted.
• Bronchiectasis: Patients with inflamed bronchi cough up mucous and experience breathing difficulties.
• Bronchitis: Coughing is the predominant symptom of this illness. Chronic or acute bronchitis are both possible.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): This respiratory issue persists and cannot be reversed. It is a persistent condition.
• COVID-19: People who contract this infection may experience mild or severe respiratory illnesses.
• Croup: Children under the age of five are susceptible to this respiratory infection.
• Cystic fibrosis: This genetic disorder results in the accumulation of sticky mucus in our lungs and other body organs.
• Influenza: A virus is the reason for this lung condition that is also known as the flu.
• Lung cancer: Lung cancer can be significantly increased by smoking cigarettes.
• Mesothelioma: Inhaling asbestos fibres is the main cause of this type of cancer.
• Pneumonia: We develop fluid in our lungs as a result of this lung infection, which may require hospitalisation.
• Pulmonary fibrosis: Breathing difficulties are brought on by lung scarring. It is not treatable. It is an ongoing condition.
• Pulmonary nodules: These growths in our lungs are mainly benign (noncancerous).
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): This respiratory infection can affect both adults and children.
• Tuberculosis: Our lungs are affected by this infection, but other body parts may also be affected.

Some Most Common Signs or Symptoms of Lung Conditions

Some common signs and symptoms of lung conditions include:

1. Dyspnea,
2. Chest pain,
3. Coughing,
4. Particularly a persistent cough or one that causes blood or mucus to come up in the cough.
5. Fatigue
6. Shortness of breath
7. Ankle and foot swell

Some Most Common Test to Check the Health of our Lungs

During a physical examination, our doctor or healthcare professional might determine specific things. They could:

• Pay attention to our lungs for any sounds, such as crackles (also known as rales), wheezing, and stridor (a high-pitched sound), that might point to a problem.
• Keep track of our respirations, or the number of breaths we take.
• As they listen to our lungs, they will notice a change in our voice.
• Use a pulse oximeter to measure the amount of oxygen in our blood.

In addition to a physical examination, our doctor may order several tests, including:

Lung function testing, commonly referred to as a chest X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scan, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. We should tell our doctor about the condition of our lungs. Some more tests are:

• Body plethysmography
• Diffusion testing
• Exhaled nitric oxide test
• Lung volume test
• Methacholine inhalation test
• Six-minute walk test
• Spirometry

Procedures that May Require Sedatives or Anesthesia

• Endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy (EBUS) or bronchoscopy.
• A bronchoscopy.
• Thoractomy: To examine or treat body parts in our chest, our surgeon makes a cut between our ribs.

What are Common Treatments for Lung Conditions?

Our lung condition's true state and current state of health will determine how we are treated. Medication, exercise, medical equipment, and surgery are all examples of possible therapies. Medications may be offered as inhalers, nebulizer solutions, oral products or injections (shots).

• Steroids to lessen edoema and inflammation in the airways.
• Infection-treating antibiotics.
• Breath-opening drugs called bronchodilators. Both long-acting and short-acting varieties are available.
• Mucolytics, which thin mucus to make it simpler to cough up and expel.
• Therapy with oxygen to raise our oxygen levels.
• The use of radiation or chemotherapy to treat cancer.
• Infection-prevention vaccines.

Exercises and Devices

Diaphragmatic breathing, pursed lip breathing, and vest therapy are some examples of airway clearance techniques. These goods aid in clearing mucus from our airways.

Surgeries

• A lobectomy is the removal of one lung lobe.
• A bilobectomy, which involves the removal of both lung lobes.
• The elimination of lung sections.
• Thoracentesis is the procedure of emptying fluid from the lungs.
• Thoracotomy.
• Pneumonectomy, which involves removing one lung.
• Transplanted lungs.

Care of Our Lung

We can do a lot of things to maintain the health of our lungs or to assist treat lung diseases.

1. The first thing we can do is to stop smoking and vaping.
2. Make an effort to achieve and keep a healthy weight. Obese people have less room in their lungs to expand.
3. Regular exercise. Before beginning an exercise programme, check with our provider.
4. Consume wholesome foods in moderation.
5. Maintain hydration, unless our provider has a restriction on the number of fluids we can consume.
6. Take advantage of the immunisations that our doctor advises.
7. Thoroughly wash our hands to prevent infections.
8. Minimise our contact with sick persons.

A Note from Doctor

Our lungs can still become ill even though our respiratory system has mechanisms for protecting the body. Some illnesses are not dangerous and pass rapidly. There are some conditions that are more severe and persistent. Our normal healthcare practitioner might suggest seeing a pulmonologist if we suffer from a chronic lung condition. To breathe easily, it's crucial that we heed the advice of our medical staff.