Understanding asthma
To understand how asthma affects the body, it is helpful to understand the respiratory system. The respiratory system takes up oxygen from the air we breathe and expels the unwanted carbon dioxide. The main organ of the respiratory system is the lungs. Other parts of the respiratory system include the nose, the trachea, and the breathing muscles (the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles).
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
What Happens During an Asthma Episode
Asthma is a disease that affects the airways in the lungs. The bronchioles are the smallest airways that branch off from the bronchi and carry air into the lungs.
During an asthma episode, as the air moves through the lungs, the airways become smaller. The sides of the lung’s airways can swell (get thicker), and the airway can fill with mucus. Muscles that are present in the airways start to contract (squeeze down) causing the narrowing of the airways, which makes it difficult for the air to be exhaled from (move out of) the lungs.
PATHOLOGY OF ASTHMA
