A crippling and life-threatening disease
The lungs are located on either side of the breastbone in the chest cavity and are divided into five main sections (lobes).
The respiratory system is the network of organs and tissues that facilitate breathing. It includes your airways, lungs, and blood vessels. The muscles that power your lungs are also part of the respiratory system.
The body uses several channels to bring oxygen-rich air into the lungs. These channels, or airways, include: nasal cavities, the mouth, larynx, trachea, and bronchial tubes. They work together to move oxygen throughout the body and clean out waste gases like carbon dioxide.
Air then travels down the pharynx, or throat, the tube that delivers air from your mouth and nose to the trachea (windpipe). From there, it continues down two bronchial tubes that enter the lungs.
The lungs are a vital part of the respiratory system, which allows you to breathe.
The lungs' main role is to bring in air from the atmosphere and pass oxygen into the bloodstream. From there, it circulates to the rest of the body.
The nose is the main gate to the respiratory system, your body's system for breathing. When you take a breath through your nose or mouth, the air is warmed and humidified, and then moved through your voice box and down the windpipe.
The heart and lungs work together to do this.
The right lung has three lobes and is slightly larger than the left lung, which has two lobes. Pictured: heart, lungs, alveoli, capillaries, bronchi, pulmonary veins, and pulmonary arteries.
The lungs contain thousands of thin tubes that end in bunches of tiny, balloon-shaped air sacs, or alveoli. The alveoli are where the lungs and the blood exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide during the process of breathing in and breathing out. They are the center of your respiratory system's gas exchange.
When you take a breath, the pulmonary artery and its veins carry blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs and into the alveoli to become oxygenated. Carbon dioxide leaves the blood and enters the air, and oxygen leaves the air and enters the blood.
Once the blood has plenty of oxygen and no carbon dioxide, it is returned to the heart and pumped to the rest of the body.
Muscles and bones in the respiratory system help move the air you inhale into and out of your lungs. These include the diaphragm—the muscle that helps your lungs pull in air and push it out—and the ribs, the bones that surround and protect your lungs and heart.
What conditions affect the respiratory system and, more specifically, the lungs?
Asthma is a long-term disease of the lungs. This chronic disorder causes inflammation in the airways that can make breathing difficult.
Inhaling dust, mold, and pollen can cause respiratory allergies in some people. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an allergic reaction that causes inflammation (swelling and tenderness) in and around the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs and the smallest airways (bronchioles).
Pneumonia is swelling (inflammation) of the tissue in one or both lungs. It's usually caused by a bacterial infection. The condition primarily affects the small air sacs known as alveoli in one or both lungs.
Bronchitis is an infection of the main airways of the lungs (bronchi), causing them to become irritated and inflamed. Pictured is an X-ray of lungs affected by bronchitis. The condition is accompanied by a cough due to hypersecretion.
Lung cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells that line the air passages. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide (18% of total cancer deaths). COPD and lung cancer are illnesses that can seriously harm the respiratory system's ability to deliver oxygen throughout the body and filter out waste gases.
Emphysema is one of the diseases that comprises COPD. Emphysema is a lung condition where the air sacs in the lungs become damaged and stretched. This in turn causes shortness of breath.
Respiratory muscle strength decreases with age, although in healthy people age-related reductions in lung function seldom lead to symptoms. With age, your bronchial tubes and air sacs lose elasticity. As a result, the breathing process becomes less efficient.
Any damage to the respiratory system, for example chest trauma or the inhalation of smoke or toxic chemicals, can undermine the lungs' ability to function properly.
The are lots of way to keep your lungs healthy. If you smoke, stop! Also, avoid secondhand smoke and any environmental irritants.
Foods rich in antioxidants—broccoli, spinach, carrots, blueberries, etc.—are not only good for lungs, they are essential in maintaining overall health.
Don't skip your shots. Get vaccinations like the flu vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine.
Keep hydrated! Drink lots of water. Research also suggests that ginger tea, green tea, black tea, eucalyptus tea, fennel tea, and licorice tea may reduce inflammation, relax your respiratory muscles, and boost your breathing, among other benefits.
Regular exercise stimulates the endurance capacity of your respiratory muscles (including the diaphragm and intercostal muscles), allowing deeper, fuller, and more efficient breaths when you run. Aerobic activities especially, like walking, running, or jumping rope, give your heart and lungs the kind of workout they need to function efficiently.
Improve indoor air quality by opening your windows regularly, for example, or investing in a dehumidifier. Vacuum often, especially if you have pets, be on the lookout for damp and mold, and use your cooker hood or extractor fan when in the kitchen.
Sources: (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) (American Lung Association) (NHS) (CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians) (St. John's Health) (Healthline) (Runner's World) (Which?)
See also: Everything you need to know about respiratory diseases
Respiratory diseases that can harm the lungs include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. This condition refers to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. Pulmonary fibrosis is serious condition that scars the lungs. Pictured: a chest X-ray of a patient with COPD.
How exactly, though, do the lungs function? And what can damage them? Click through and inhale these interesting facts about your lungs.
The lungs: Their function and common problems
It's really important to take good care of your lungs
HEALTH Human body
Lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system. Part of a network of organs and tissues that help you breathe, the lungs perform a vital function by removing carbon dioxide from the blood and adding oxygen to it. They keep us alive, yet for the most part we don't think about them. But we can't take them for granted. Indeed, it's crucial to keep your lungs healthy.
How exactly, though, do the lungs function? And what can damage them? Click through and inhale these interesting facts about your lungs.