Lungs Detox
Do any of you know how much our lungs are getting affected?
Pollution and its Impact
Mainly pollution – Everywhere there is air pollution due to vehicles or the gases emitted from industries.
Smoking and Respiratory Issues
Lung issues like Asthma, bronchial asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been heard many times, and these viral infections have been prevalent for the past one to two years. So, everyone today is being told to take care of their lungs.
The Importance of Lung Health
Safety measures need to be taken; breathing exercises or pranayama should be performed. Only when our lungs are kept pure, clean, and safe can a healthy life be led. True it is, but to maintain the health and safety of our lungs.
Protecting Our Lungs
When we breathe in, both the lungs and the muscles surrounding it do some work.
The lungs are placed very safely in the chest cavity (Chest region).
The lungs and the heart, which are situated in between them, are the most important organs present in this region so to keep them protected, there is a structure called a rib cage.
There is a tube present behind our nose. That tube is called the windpipe (The Windpipe is medically called a Trachea).
When the center portion of the trachea divides into two, it is termed Bronchus or Bronchia.
Tiny branches called bronchioles are formed when the bronchia fully expand like tree branches.
Small sac-like structures called Alveoli sacs mark the end of their tips.
The alveoli sacs are surrounded by blood vessels, arteries, veins, and capillaries.
Breathing Process: Inhaling Air
Most of us would know what is said when breathing exercises are performed. What happens when air is inhaled? First, when air is inhaled through the nose, it becomes warm and humidified. There are structures called cilia (Cilia are small feather-like structures inside our nose) inside the nose. When the air is breathed in, the dust particles in the nose are cleaned by the feathers themselves. The air is then warmed, humidified, and sent through the trachea. So, the air is partially cleaned without dust particles, the oxygen-rich air goes in through the trachea then the air passes through the trachea and moves through the bronchus and reaches the alveoli sacs.
Gas Exchange and Circulation
From our heart, the pulmonary arteries will bring the bad blood which is carbon dioxide-filled blood to the lungs. Those blood vessels also surround the alveoli sacs.
The Importance of Gas Exchange
Then what happens? The oxygen-rich blood will be directed into the blood vessel, and the carbon dioxide from that blood vessel will be moved into the alveoli sacs. Now, when exhaling, the unwanted carbon dioxide will be expelled. When oxygen-rich air is properly breathed in, it will be directed to our lungs, where the gas exchange occurs in the alveoli sacs. From the alveoli sacs, the oxygen-rich blood will be taken and transported to the heart. From the heart, the oxygen-rich blood will be distributed to other parts of the body, and again, the carbon dioxide-rich blood will return to the lungs from the heart, where it will be exhaled. So, all these processes occur in just one breath that is inhaled and exhaled. For all these processes, the muscles in our nose, the muscles in our rib cage which are called intercostal muscles, or the diaphragm, a sheet-like structure, below the lungs all these muscles help in taking one breath.
Impact of Smoking
When smoked, inhaled, and exhaled, the air allows nicotine to be transported into our lungs entirely through the bronchus, resulting in the immediate creation of black patches on the lungs. What does that mean? The gas exchange process in that part of the alveoli cannot be fully processed, and its usual function cannot be performed properly. Why is smoking highly addictive once initiated? That, too, has a reason. Nicotine is not only mixed with blood but is also carried to the brain through the bloodstream. Pleasure centers in the brain are activated by nicotine, inducing a sense of pleasure. When smoked, nicotine travels through the blood and activates these pleasure centers in the brain, while also causing damage to brain cells.
Complications and Infections
Pneumonia, that is lung function or pleural effusion, referred to as “water on the lungs”, fluid can get collected in the lungs. It can cause even more.
Managing Infections and Mucus Build-up
“Why do you cough when you have an infection?” means that if the infection is in our lungs or throat, the alveoli themselves will try to push the infection out of our body. When there is an infection, a substance called mucus is produced. The mucus is produced by our lungs to fight against the infection. The mucus fills inside the bronchus and almost covers it. So, the way shrinks, and we feel breathlessness, we cough and find it difficult to breathe. To relieve this what should we do?
Postural Drainage
Postural Drainage can assist in easy breathing of air while lying down, and when supported by a pillow, sleeping on your stomach can even be facilitated. However, when pillows are used, the chest region should be positioned downward, and the hips should be elevated. The mucus can get drained easily.
Benefits of Breathing Exercises
Why are you asked to breathe, what are the positives of doing it? How to do it, what is the correct method to keep your lungs healthy?
Pairs in Nature
Why are kidneys and lungs in pairs? Probably, even if one is misused and lost, survival can still be achieved with the other one, but the goal should not be to misuse it.