Restricive air way disease

[scilearner]

Restricitive air way disease is the loss of lung compliance. So this would make it harder for the lung to expand causing inspiration difficult.

 

My questioon is why can't this make exhaling difficult. Losing the elasticity of the lung would make both recoil and expansion difficult right. This might sound funny but let's say the lung was in expanded position and then suddenly lost its elasticity, wouldn't this make exhaling difficult.

 

Is barrel chest restricive or obstructive air way disease.

 

Thanks a lot for your help in advance

[greenprogrammin]

I'm not too sure if you are also thinking of COPD. I believe this can cause backup of blood between the lungs and heart. or something like that.

 

If it is only specific about the elasticity of the lungs then you should consider the tissue and cells that produces the lungs.

 

Once you understand the tissue then you should understand the complex nature of lung elasticity.

 

You could then consider a situation when such a problem could occur.

 

If someone walks into a store and the store is full of a gas. The person takes a deep breath. Now the chemical hypothetically causes the lungs to lose its elasticity.

 

What would the outcome be?

I would imagine the muscles would react quickly and cause the exhalation of the gas. Much like a reflex.

 

Consider the diaphram, intercostal muscles, and the nature of the lung tissue.

Consider the muscles and how they will be larger if they have to work harder to draw in a breath.

 

Also, don't forget the question marks!!!

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hahaha

C-Ya

[Mokele]

green, COPD is not the same as restrictive airway disease.

 

scilearner, think of it this way - imagine two rubber bands of identical size and shape, but one is stiffer than the other. You won't be able to stretch that one as far.

 

Lungs only stretch, and are *always* stretched. Their natural (unloaded) state is almost completely empty, and is what happens when you get a collapsed lung. During exhalation, a lung of any stiffness will simply passively recoil to the minimum size allowed by the body.