10 Medical Words About The Respiratory System
Think you know them all?
If you’re a respiratory specialist, chances are you know all these. They are crucial to our understanding of how our respiration works and how it relates to the air quality that we breathe, which is important.
- Respiratory System
Our respiratory system is responsible for taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide in our body. Through the network of organs and tissues, our lungs carry out this exchange of gases that we breathe. The system, of which our lungs is the primary organ, also produces sound, assist with olfactory sense of smell, and protection from dust and microbes that can enter our body through mucus production, cilia, and coughing.
- Nasal Cavity
This refers to the large, air-filled space above and behind our nose in the middle of the face. It is the uppermost part of our respiratory system and provides the nasal passage for inhaled air from the nostrils into our lungs.
With poor air quality, diseases here can include viral, bacterial, and fungal infections, all of which can be benign and often malignant. Poor air can easily affect our nose, including nosebleeds, rhinitis, and the common cold.
- Pharynx
Pharynx is the part of our throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity that connects the tubes going down to our stomach and lungs.
Dirty air and cause inflammation and possibly throat cancer.
- Larynx
You probably know this by another name: voice box. This is where our vocal, pitch, volume, and phonation for sound are generated, which gives us our voice. It’s also responsible for our breathing and protecting our trachea against infection.
Long exposure to poor air quality can lead to infection, swelling, and loss of voice. Ulcers can develop also, which can make food indigestion very difficult.
- Trachea
Simply put, our trachea is our “windpipe’ and transports food into our body. It is an integral part of our body’s airway for respiration, and vitally connects all of nervous system to the rest of the body.
With poor air quality, it can lead to asthma and tracheitis, a viral infection commonly found in children. It will also cause cough, sore throat, and a runny nose.
- Bronchus
Our bronchus brings our air in and out directly into our lungs. This is where a very common lung problem occurs: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is the part that gets infected first by smokers. The bronchus is always where asthma triggers start, resulting in difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath.
- Alveolus
This is where the air changes from oxygen to carbon dioxide. It is also the first part of our lung to be infected if you get COVID-19. And it’s also the most vulnerable part of our body to infection when the humidity is too high.
- Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR)
One of the most important indicators of asthmatic symptoms, PEFR measures a person’s maximum speed of expiration, that is how much air you can breathe in and out and how fast. Is it often the sought-after tests for asthma and COPD. The lower the PEFR reading, the higher the risk of lung complication. A normal lung, above 80% is the ideal zone.
- Pneumonia
Pneumonia is one of the most dangerous lung-related diseases with high mortality rates. It’s an inflammatory condition that is caused by bacteria entering the alveolus. It can be caused also from asthma and diabetes and can weaken our immune system. Most deaths from COVID-19 were from severe cases of pneumonia.
- Asthma
Perhaps the number one respiratory condition that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, asthma is a condition that makes breathing air more difficult due to mucus building up in our airways.
This can make breathing difficult, which triggers coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. For some, asthma is a minor nuisance.
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