Respiratory: 2) Smokers frequently have an increase in Tidal volume (TV) while s

Question

Respiratory:

2) Smokers frequently have an increase in Tidal volume (TV) while smoking, but TV returns to normal values after finishing a cigarette. How would you explain this? What implications does this change in breathing have in terms of how the substances in the smoke may be affecting the person’s lungs (is more or less of their lung surface area being exposed)?

3) In COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is primarily emphysema and chronic bronchitis), three lung volumes that are particularly important in terms of diagnosing and monitoring a person’s condition are vital capacity (VC), residual volume (RV), and total lung capacity (TLC).

a) How would VC, RV and TLC be affected in a person with emphysema? Explain.

b) People with emphysema are often put on oxygen (you can see them at the mall, wearing a canula—the nasal tubes supplying oxygen—and their portable oxygen tank). How is this oxygen compensating for changes in functional surface area in the lungs?

Explanation / Answer

answer 2. Smoking increases the amount of physiologic dead space within the lungs; this happens when damaged alveoli combine to form larger alveoli, increasing the volume while decreasing the surface area of the alveoli. This increase in volume of the alveoli does not allow for adequate gas exchange, so the body would have to bring in more air to reach the same amount of gas exchange obtained with healthy alveoli. For my hypothesis It is observed that there is higher tidal volume in relation to people who smoke then to people who do not smoke. Tidal volume is the volume of air inspired or expired during a normal inspiration or expiration.

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