Breathing and Respiration

Breathing and Exercise

When we are at rest on average we take about 16 breaths per minute. But our breathing rate increases considerably when we start to exercise. Not only does our rate of breathing increase, so does the depth of breathing and heart rate. This all occurs in order to deliver more oxygen and glucose to the muscles at a faster rate and to remove carbon dioxide more rapidly.

How much our breathing rate and heart rate increase during and after exercise can be a good indication of our fitness. A fit person recovers much faster than someone who is unfit. The time it takes for the pulse rate to return to the resting rate (what it was to begin with) is known as the recovery time or recovery rate.

Note that an unfit person will tend to have a higher pulse rate before, during and after exercise.

Respiratory Diseases

1. Smoking

Smoking severely damages your health and contributes to thousands of deaths every year.  Cigarettes contain lots of harmful chemicals and these cause damage to the lungs and the heart. See the table below for a list of the main toxic chemicals.

Toxic Chemicals contained in cigarettes and their effect

Chemical	What it is	Long term effect on the body
Nicotine	Nicotine is a drug.  It is highly addictive which is why smokers find it so difficult to give up.	Affects the CNS and brain Makes the heart beat faster Narrows blood vessels Causes heart disease Raises blood pressure Stomach ulcers Stomach cancer Lung disease
Tar	This is a brown and treacly substance.  It collects in the lungs when the smoke cools.  It contains thousands of chemicals some of which are carcinogens.	Mouth, lips, throat and lung cancer Smoker's cough Bronchitis Pneumonia
Carbon monoxide	This is a poisonous gas.  It is taken up by the blood instead of oxygen.	Reduces the body's capacity to carry oxygen as carbon monoxide combines with haemoglobin more easily than oxygen, Deposits fats in arteries which can lead to a heart attack or stroke Poor circulation can lead to gangrene and limb amputation
Irritants and toxic substances	Chemicals	Effects the respiratory tract Causes bronchitis Poor health Reduced energy

Smoking and Disease

Smoking increases the risk of developing of other diseases. These range from fatal diseases to others that may not be fatal, but can cause years of suffering and unpleasant symptoms. Below are some of the main diseases associated with smoking.

Lung cancer	Smoking is one of the biggest contributors to lung cancer.  More than 8 in 10 cases are directly related to smoking.
Heart disease	About 1 in 7 of these deaths are due to smoking.
Other cancers	Of the mouth, nose, throat, larynx, oesophagus, pancreas, bladder, cervix, blood (leukaemia), and kidney are all more common in smokers.
Circulation	Chemicals in tobacco damage the lining of the blood vessels and affect the level of fat in the bloodstream. This increases the risk of atheroma forming (small fatty lumps). Atheroma is the main cause of heart disease and can also causes strokes.
Ageing	Causes ageing of the skin and wrinkles.
Fertility	This is reduced in smokers (both male and female).
Menopause	On average, women who smoke have a menopause nearly two years earlier than non-smokers.

 

Smokers’ lungs

Non Smoker	Smoker

 

Passive smoking

Smoking is not only harmful to the smoker but can also have a detrimental effect on those around them. Inhaling other peoples' cigarette smoke is called passive smoking. Passive smoking affects people of all ages. It has been linked with the following health problems in:

Children and babies

• More prone to asthma
• More prone to ear, nose and chest infections
• Suffer from wheezing and chronic coughs
• Have an increased risk of dying from cot death
• Are more likely than average to become smokers themselves when older
• Are at an increased risk of developing cancer as adults

Adults

• Have an increased risk of lung cancer
• Have an increased risk of heart disease
• Can make asthma worse
• Causes irritation to the eyes, nose and throat

Smoking and pregnancy

Smoking is also extremely harmful during pregnancy and can lead to:

• Miscarriage
• Bleeding during pregnancy
• Premature birth
• Low birth weight (Premature and low birth weight babies are more prone to illness and infections.)
• Congenital defects in the baby
• Stillbirth or death within the first week of life

2.  Asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition which affects the respiratory system.  It causes inflammation of the bronchioles, which in turn constricts them and makes it more difficult for air to pass through. Excessive amounts of mucus is also secreted which further blocks the bronchioles.

Symptoms

The typical symptoms are:

• Wheezing
• Cough
• Chest tightness
• Shortness of breath

Asthma triggers

Asthma symptoms flare up from time to time and there are certain things that may trigger asthma symptoms in a sufferer.  Some of these triggers are listed below:

• Infections e.g. colds, coughs, chest infections.
• Irritants or allergens - substances which induce an allergic reaction such as house dust mite, pollen, perfumes
• Exercise – This can exacerbate asthma, nonetheless exercise is good for asthma sufferer.  if necessary patients can use an inhaler before exercise to prevent symptoms from developing.
• Certain drugs – 1 in 50 people with asthma are allergic to aspirin
• Smoking and cigarette fumes
• Other fumes and chemicals - E.g. from paints, solvents and air pollution.
• Emotion - Stress, emotional upset, or laughing may trigger symptoms.
• Allergies to animals - Such as pet cats, dogs, and horses.

Controlling and treating asthma

Some patients use peak flow metres to keep an eye on how their lungs are performing.  A peak flow meter is a small device that the patient blows into. It measures the rate of airflow that can be blown out of the lungs and records this in litres per minute. Patients record a pattern of peak flow over a period of weeks in the form of a graph. This helps them to understand when their airways are under stress and their peak flow is most affected.  This can also go onto highlight any factors that may be triggering the asthma.

Doctors may also prescribe medicine in the form of inhalers to treat asthma.  Some patients record their peak flow after using the inhaler to the see the effectiveness of the medication.

There are two main types of inhalers used to control asthma:

1. Preventers (anti inflamatories)
These need to be used every day for maximum benefit and act over a longer time by reducing the inflammation within the airways. With the correct dosage and type of preventive medicine there is little need for reliever medicines.

2. Relievers (bronchodilators)
These are fast acting medicines that relax (dilate) the muscles of the airways.  They are used when an asthma attack has started.  They open the airways making it easier to breathe. They are used to relieve symptoms.