UNDERSTANDING THE LUNGS

Have you ever stopped to think about your lungs and how they work? Honestly, until later in life, I never had. Then my late husband was diagnosed with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and my daughter became an RRT (Register Respiratory Therapist). At that point lungs came into my focus. It is easy to go about life, breathing easy, and never thinking about those breaths. But once the lungs are damaged and not working properly, life becomes complicated as breathing becomes difficult. My advice to you is this, please take care of your lungs. There is a picture below looking inside the lungs. After the picture, you will find information about the numbers.

1. As you breathe in, air flows into your body through your trachea, better known as your windpipe.

2. The air travels to your lungs through two small tubes (Bronchi), which branch into small tubes          (bronchioles).

3. Tiny air sacs (alveoli) sit at the ends of bronchioles. They fill with oxygen and move it to your bloodstream so it can get to your cells.

4. After cells use oxygen, the waste (better known as carbon dioxide) returns to your alveoli and you breathe it out.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical person in any way, so this is a simple explanation. I got this information from material in my oncologist's office. The material was in partnership with the American Lung Association. I would never attempt to explain medical matters using my own knowledge.