Briefly explain the main cause or mechanism of increase in respiratory rate or depth and/or respiratory difficulties in the following cases: (one to two sentences only).
1. Initiation of exercise
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During the initiation of exercise, one’s respiratory centers are triggered by psychological (usually conscious decisions to start an exercise), proprioceptor, and motor neuron stimuli. Forced breathing or hyperpnea may then be triggered by these mechanisms to increase the depth and rate of ventilation and suffice the cell’s demands.
2. Moderate exercise
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During moderate exercise, our body consumes more oxygen during the resting state, and the body’s metabolic needs increase along with carbon dioxide levels. This affects the mechanisms in our respiratory patterns by stimulating increased ventilation to remove CO2 quicker, regulate arterial partial pressures and pH, and provide the body’s needs.
3. Asthma attack
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When one undergoes an asthma attack, the muscles around the airways tighten and the lining inside the airways thickens, which results in narrowed airways with increased resistance. This causes air to get trapped inside the lungs, which affects breathing mechanisms (especially expiration) and causes one to have difficulty breathing.
4. Abrupt ascent into high altitudes
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The sudden ascent to high altitudes lowers the partial pressure of oxygen and results in a lower difference in partial pressures between the blood and alveoli, which results in the oxygen diffusion and gas exchange becoming slower. This triggers two mechanisms, which are the release of a greater proportion of oxygen molecules and higher production of BPG but could also lead to altitude sickness.
5. Pneumonia
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When one has pneumonia, the alveoli become inflamed and accumulated with fluid and pus, which results in oxygen being taken in and entering the bloodstream. This affects one's respiratory rate and depth which usually results in rapid and shallow breaths.
6. Paralysis of phrenic nerve
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Paralysis of phrenic nerves, which are responsible for the motor functions of the diaphragm, may cause the diaphragm to be paralyzed or weakened. This will then result in breathing difficulties especially since the diaphragm is vital in the inspiration and regulation of volume in the thoracic cavity.
7. Severe tuberculosis with resulting lung scar tissue
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Severe tuberculosis causes inflammation and obstruction of airways along with smaller diameters, resulting in increased airway resistance and less airflow. The resulting lung scar tissue then results in stiffer and less elastic lungs with impaired motor functions, affecting the intake of oxygen and pulmonary ventilation.
8. Severe anemia
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A person with severe anemia lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells that provide oxygen to body tissues, which results in the body lacking oxygen-rich blood. This then affects the body’s internal respiration and usually results in dizziness or shortness of breath, hyperventilation, and quick heartbeat as the body tries to recover the standard oxygen levels.
9. Advanced COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
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Advanced COPD causes one’s lungs to inflame and thicken and the tissues for gas exchange to be permanently damaged. This then results in narrow airways and increased resistance, as well as less surface area for gas exchange which affects pulmonary respiration.
10. Advanced Pregnancy
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During pregnancy, the enlargement of the uterus may exert pressure on the diaphragm, which affects the organ’s motor movement, thus affecting the regulation of volume in the thoracic cavity and one’s inspiration and exhalation. Respiratory resistance along with conductance also tends to increase during pregnancy, affecting one’s mechanisms of breathing.
References:
Asthma Attacks. (2019, April 29). Department of Pediatrics. https://med.virginia.edu/pediatrics/clinical-and-patient-services/patient-tutorials/asthma/asthma-attacks/
Biochemistry, R. L. P. D. I. (2021, November 23). Anemia: The disease that makes you feel like you’re running a never-ending marathon. https://www.biron.com/en/education-center/specialist-advice/anemia-breathing/
Diaphragmatic Weakness & Paralysis. (n.d.). Columbia Surgery. Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://columbiasurgery.org/conditions-and-treatments/diaphragmatic-weakness-paralysis
Learn About COPD. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/copd/learn-about-copd
Learn About Pneumonia. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pneumonia/learn-about-pneumonia
LoMauro, A., & Aliverti, A. (2015, December 11). Respiratory physiology of pregnancy. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818213/#:~:text=Respiratory%20resistance%20increases%20while%20respiratory,1%2C%204%2C%208%5D.
Lumen Learning & OpenStax. (n.d.). Modifications in Respiratory Functions | Anatomy and Physiology II. Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-ap2/chapter/modifications-in-respiratory-functions/
Torrelles, J., & Schlesinger, L. (2018, August 18). Integrating Lung Physiology, Immunology and Tuberculosis. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5522344/#:~:text=tb%20infection%20because%20they%20cause,and%20deposition%2Fmovement%20of%20M.