Respiratory & Pulmonary System

The main function of the respiratory system (also known as the pulmonary system) is to supply the body with oxygen and rid it of carbon dioxide. This process also removes metabolic wastes and maintains the pH balances of the body. The organs involved are the airways, lungs, and muscles that mediate the movement of air into and out of the body. When you breathe, air comes in through the mouth and nose. It passes through the larynx, also known as the voice box, and enters the chest cavity through the trachea. The trachea then splits into two tubes called bronchi, each of which leads into a lung. The airways become progressively smaller and at the end are small sacs known as alveoli, which are surrounded by capillaries. The oxygen from the air moves into the alveoli. Carbon dioxide moves through the same path in the opposite direction and is exhaled.

Asthma

Asthma is a disease that affects the tubes that bring air to and from the lungs, called airways. The airway tubes, the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles, are surrounded by muscles that can contract, narrowing the tubes and thereby making it difficult to breathe. An asthma attack is an acute narrowing of the tubes in response to exposure to an allergen (like pollen, dust and animal dander), an irritant (like cigarette smoke, pollution and cold air) or even just exercise. When the airways become inflamed, they can also swell and aggravate or sensitize the person to asthma. It is not clear as to what causes people to be prone to asthma, but heredity and environmental factors play a role. According the NIH, nearly 22.9 million people have asthma.

Bronchospasm

Bronchospasm is characterized by difficulty breathing due to the sudden constriction of the bronchi or bronchioles in the lungs. The constriction causes the airways to narrow and mucous production to increase, reducing the flow of air into the lungs and oxygen available to the body, which causes breathlessness, coughing and hypoxia. Bronchospasm usually accompanies asthma, chronic bronchitis, anaphylaxis and as a side effect of the drugs such as Pilocarpine or even aspirin.