Being aware and informed is the first step towards living a heart-healthy life
Your Guide to Lung Failure
What is Lung and Respiratory Failure?
The lungs are a spongy, pinkish organ at the centre of the respiratory system. For a healthy body, oxygen is necessary for every cell. Carbon dioxide is a waste product produced by these cells that must be eliminated from the body. The lungs perform this exchange of gases each time you breathe in and out.
A right lung, a left lung, a trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli make up the respiratory system.The left lung has only two lobes to make room for the heart, whereas the right lung has three. The lungs begin at the bottom of the trachea, otherwise called the windpipe. The trachea carries the air in and out of the lungs.
The windpipe branches off into two more tubes called bronchi that associate with the right and left lung. Each bronchus in the lungs splits into smaller tubes called bronchioles. Each lung contains nearly 30,000 bronchioles. Alveoli are a group of small air sacs at the end of each bronchiole. The lungs contain approximately 600 million alveoli.The alveoli provide the lungs with a substantial amount of surface area to carry out the crucial gas exchange.
Failure of the respiratory system occurs when this system is unable to perform its primary function and could be Acute or Chronic in nature. A short-term condition is called acute respiratory failure. It’s usually treated as a medical emergency because it happens suddenly.
Persistent respiratory disappointment is a continuous condition and is called Chronic respiratory failure. It gets worse over time and needs treatment for a long time.
What causes Respiratory Failure
Acute respiratory failure has several different causes:
- Obstruction: When an exacerbation causes the airways to become narrow, obstruction can occur in asthmatics and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Injury: The amount of oxygen in the blood can be affected in a negative way if there is an injury that affects or compromises the respiratory system. A physical issue to the ribs or chest can likewise hamper the breathing system. These wounds can hinder one’s capacity to
breathe in sufficient oxygen into the lungs. - Abuse of drugs or alcohol: Overdosing on drugs or drinking too much alcohol can make it hard to breathe in and out and affect how well your brain works.
- Substance inhalation: The tissues of the lungs, including the air sacs, can be injured or damaged by inhaling toxic chemicals, smoke, or fumes.
- Stroke: One side of the body is often affected by a stroke. You might lose your ability to properly breathe if you have a stroke. Infection: A common cause of respiratory distress is an infection. Pneumonia specifically, may cause respiratory disappointment.
Constant respiratory failure has a few distinct causes:
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Complicated pneumonia
- Cystic fibrosis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Stroke
- Muscular dystrophy
- ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- Injury to the chest
- Drug or alcohol misuse
- Smoking
