Pathophysiology Of Asthma And Lung Conditions Flashcards
What is a normal airway like without asthma and how are people’s airways with asthma different?
When you are not having asthma symptoms the airway is clear, and air can easily flow in and out of the lungs. People with asthma have sensitive airways, they react to triggers which may cause asthma symptoms to flare up. If a sensitive airway reacts to a trigger, changes within the airways take place which narrows the airway opening.
What changes within the airways take place when the airways react to a trigger?
The smooth muscles around the outside of the tubes can tighten, the airways in the lungs become inflamed and swollen, making it difficult for air to pass through the opening. The mucus membrane lining in the tubes begins to produce thick excess mucus which builds up and further narrows the airways. This tightened airway results in a wheezing sound and shortness of breath and the signs and symptoms of an asthma attack.
How does an inhaler help with an asthma attack?
When a child has an asthma attack, the muscles in their airways narrow, making it difficult for them to breathe in and out, using an inhaler relaxes the muscles allowing the air passages to expand and ease their breathing.
What is coughing and when does it happen?
Coughing only happens when the cilia are overwhelmed, such as in the case of excess mucus production or when the airways are irritated. It’s a reflex triggered when mucus, irritants, or particles build up and stimulate the cough receptors in the airways. Under normal conditions, the cilia are effective at moving debris upward without causing a cough.
Explain how coughing works with asthma?
A cough is a reflex that protects the airways and lungs. Having asthma activates this reflex. The throat and airways have cough receptors as well as a thin layer of mucus that coats and protects the airways by creating a slippery environment to clear away foreign particles and irritants. When a trigger is inhaled, the cough receptors recognises the intruder which gets stuck in the mucus lining the airways. The cough receptors sends a message to the brain which sends a signal back to the muscles of the chest wall and abdomen to rapidly and forcefully take a deep breath in and out to remove the trigger.
When does coughing become necessary in general?
Coughing becomes necessary when there’s too much mucus, the cilia are not working properly (e.g., in smokers or people with conditions like chronic bronchitis), or the mucus is too thick to be moved by cilia alone (as in some respiratory infections or cystic fibrosis).
How does normal breathing occur?
During normal breathing, air moves smoothly through the respiratory system. It first passes through the trachea, then into the large tubes called the bronchi, through smaller tubes called bronchioles, and finally into the tiny air sacs called alveoli, where gas exchange occurs.
Describe a healthy airway.
The bronchi and bronchioles are lined with bands of smooth muscle on the outside and a healthy, pink epithelial lining on the inside. The cells lining the airways produce mucus, which forms a protective layer. This sticky mucus traps dust, dirt, bacteria, viruses, and other foreign particles that enter the airways. As the cilia push mucus upwards, it reaches the pharynx (throat), where it can be either swallowed or spat out. Most of the time, people swallow the mucus unconsciously, this process is continuous and happens all the time, even when you’re not aware of it.
If the immune system is functioning normally, what does it do to invaders?
If the immune system is functioning normally, the respiratory system efficiently activates its frontline defence, clearing out pathogens through mucus production, cilia movement, and activating immune cells to attack and neutralize harmful invaders.
Do symptoms always show when a pathogen enters the body?
The immune system often manages to neutralize the pathogen before it causes noticeable symptoms. In these cases, the body fights off the infection silently, and the person may not even realize they were exposed. This is common with minor viral exposures, where the immune system deals with the pathogens so quickly and effectively that no illness develops.
Sometimes, the immune system responds quickly but still produces mild symptoms, such as a slight cough, runny nose, or sore throat, as part of the body’s defense. These symptoms may last only briefly as the immune system eliminates the pathogen without causing a full-blown illness.
What happens when the immune system is functioning normally?
If the immune system is functioning normally, the respiratory system efficiently activates its frontline defence, clearing out pathogens through mucus production, cilia movement, and activating immune cells to attack and neutralize harmful invaders.
What happens when pathogens overwhelm initial defences?
the pathogen may overwhelm the initial defenses—especially if the pathogen is particularly strong, if the viral load is high, or if the person’s immune system is weakened (due to factors like young age, chronic illness, or nutritional deficiencies). In these cases, pathogens can multiply faster than the immune system can control them. In response to the infection, inflammation occurs leading to conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchiolitis.
What is inflammation and how does it lead to conditions?
Inflammation in different parts of the respiratory system leads to specific conditions depending on where the inflammation occurs. These conditions—bronchiolitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia—are the result of the body’s inflammatory response to infections or irritants affecting the airways or alveoli.
How does inflammation lead to conditions?
Inflammation is the body’s response to infection or irritants. When the airways or alveoli become inflamed due to pathogens (like bacteria or viruses) or irritants (such as smoke or chemicals):
Inflammation in the bronchioles → Bronchiolitis
Inflammation in the bronchi → Bronchitis
Inflammation in the alveoli → Pneumonia
Bronchiolitis
Affects: The bronchioles, which are the smallest airways in the lungs.
Cause: Usually caused by viral infections, especially the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and is most common in infants and young children.
Result of Inflammation: Inflammation and swelling of the bronchioles narrow the airways, making it difficult for air to flow in and out, leading to symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.
