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Lungs

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How the lung works before and after a
Spontaneous Pneumothorax

How the lung works before and after a Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Do you know that you breathe anywhere between 15 to 25 times per minute? It might not seem so but we do, it even goes higher when you exercise. The lung is located within your chest cavity inside the rib cage. They are made of spongy, elastic tissue that stretches and constricts as you breathe. The airways that bring air into the lungs (the trachea and bronchi) are made -of smooth muscle and cartilage, allowing the airways to constrict and expand. The lungs and airways bring in fresh, oxygen-enriched air and get rid of waste carbon dioxide made by your cells. They also help in regulating the concentration of hydrogen ion (pH) in your blood (www.howstuffworks.com). When you inhale the diagram and the muscles between your rib cage contracts and expand the chest cavity. This pressure inside the chest cavity is now lower than the outside air pressure. The airs then flows thorough the airways and inflates the lungs. During exhalation, the muscles and the diaphragm relax and the chest cavity gets smaller. The decrease in volume of the cavity increases the pressure in the chest cavity above the outside air pressure. Air from the lungs then flows out of the airways to the outside air. The cycle then repeats with each breath.
There are many- common conditions that can affect your lungs. Diseases or conditions of the lung fall mainly into two classes -- those that make breathing harder and those that damage the lungs' ability to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen. Some of them include asthma emphysema, bronchitis, pneumothorax, apnea, and trauma. For the purpose of this project I will be discussing how a pneumothorax affects your lungs.
A pneumothorax is a collapsed lung. Pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between your lungs and chest wall. This air pushes on the outside of your lung and makes it collapse. When the lung collapses, it causes sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. If your pneumothorax is very small it can heal on its own, however, if it is a large pneumothorax doctors will have to insert a chest tube between your rib cage to release the excess air. Symptoms of a pneumothorax can range from shortness of breath, difficulty breathing to chest pains.
A pneumothorax can be caused by a blunt or penetrating chest injury, certain medical procedures involving your lungs or damage from underlying lung disease or ruptured blebs. Blebs are blister-like air pockets that form on the surface of the lung. Blebs may be related to emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Blebs may also be found in perfectly healthy individuals with no medical issues. Sometimes, pneumothorax occurs for no obvious reason. This is called a spontaneous pneumothorax. Spontaneous pneumothorax usually happens to tall slender males between the ages of 18-20 years old (www.cirugiadetorax.org.). When the blebs rupture, the air you inhale can now travel from the airways to the thoracic cavity which causes your lung to collapse.
A pneumothorax can be treated by oxygen therapy; oxygen therapy is the traditional treatment for a small pneumothorax. Chest tub; a chest tube is placed in between the rib cage to release air from the thoracic cavity, which allows the lung to re-expand. Blebectomy are performed by either video assisted thoracoscopy or an open/mini thoracotomy. A thoracotomy is a surgical procedure used to gain access to the chest. Pleurodesis can be performed either mechanically, chemically or both.
In conclusion, when we inhale and exhale, oxygen is supplied in and out of our lungs in order to keep is alive. There is a saying that “you can live for weeks without food and only days without water” but this goes for breathing as well, we can only live for minutes without air. This would be determined by being able to recognize the symptoms and seeking immediate help. My mother was able to recognize and seek prompt help for her spontaneous pneumothorax that was caused by blebs on her lungs. But it couldn’t happen without the right Thoracic surgeon, Dr. Moses DeGraft-Johnson being present. For me I was lucky because I was able to around my mother step-by-step in every procedure and most of all her recovery. After witnessing the experience of my mother’s illness, my intention in life is to make it much easier for thoracic patients by moving a little further with technology.

Bibliography
American Lung Association. (2012). Epidemiology & Statistics. Retrieved March 12, 2012 from http://www.lung.org/finding-cures/our-research/epidemiology-and-statistics-rpts.html.
Blebs, Bullae, and Spontaneous Pneumothorax. Retrieved March 12, 2012 from www.cirugiadetorax.org.
Freudenrich, Craig Ph.D. How Your Lung Works. Retrieved March 12, 2012 from http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/human-biology/lung2.htm.
Henry, Adanskee Sr. Personal Interview. March 10, 2012.
Mayo Clinic. (2011). Pneumothorax. Retrieved May 11, 2012 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pneumothorax.com. Stevens, Sherimah. Personal Interview. March 10, 2012.
Walters, Eicilma. Personal Interview. March 10, 2012.
Young, Donna. (2000). How Our Lung Work. Retrieved March 12, 2012 from http://donna young.org.

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