Your lungs are located within your chest cavity inside
the rib cage. They are made of spongy, elastic tissue that stretches and constricts as you breathe. 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. In Chinese (and other Eastern medicines) the lungs also add Chi or life energy to your system.You don't have to think about breathing because your body's
autonomic nervous system controls it, as it does many other functions in your body.
There are many common conditions that can affect your lungs. Diseases or conditions of the lung fall mainly into two classes:
1. Those that make breathing harder
2. those that damage the lungs' ability to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen.
1. Influence on the mechanics of breathing:
- Asthma:
- Emphysema
- Bronchitis
- Pneumothorax
(collapse of the lungs usually caused by trauma or injury)
- Apnea
(breathing slows or stops)
2. Conditions that minimize or prevent gas exchange:
(fluid in the lungs)
Smoke inhalation
Carbon monoxide poisoning
