Top 5 Fun Facts About the Respiratory System

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Darrell]Jeff Darrell
The respiratory system is an important system in our bodies. If we are not able to breathe then our body will not receive the gas exchange in which is needed to produce oxygen therefore all of our cells, organs, and tissues will starve so to speak therefore causing our balance of homeostasis to become compromised and we start shutting down. It's like a domino effect in our body. When one organ shuts down that another organ depends on it will shut down as well and so on and so on.
There are several factors that affect our respiratory system. Some of these can be environmental effects such as the common cold and allergens. We can also create our own respiratory emergencies by the effects of smoking and smog. Smog can fall under environmental as well. Some medical conditions cause respiratory distress as well. Some of these are asthma, heart failure, pulmonary embolism, as well as chronic bronchitis and emphysema which both are caused by smoking.
Another factor that affect the respiratory system is an obstructed airway. The air way can be obstructed by many different reasons. The airway can be obstructed by a foreign object such as food or by fluids such as vomit and blood. There are several other ways an airway can be obstructed. The bottom line however is that the obstruction needs to be removed in order to make the airway patent.
Respiratory emergencies are not always due to obstructions. As we stated earlier, there are certain disorders that can cause respiratory distress as well. When an event other than an obstruction occurs, intervention methods include giving a patient rescue breaths and chest compressions and oxygen. There are many signs and symptoms to look for when assessing for respiratory distress. Dyspnea or difficulty in breathing can show itself visibly by looking at the rise and fall of the chest of a patient or their overall appearance will be blue. Other means are by checking a patients vitals as in their oxygen saturation readings and listening with a stethoscope.
Respiratory distress is a life threatening disorder and should be one of the first things corrected during a patient assessment in the pre-hospital setting. If there is a problem that is causing the respiratory distress and by fixing this problem you will in turn correct the respiratory distress the do what you can to fix this problem. In cases that you can not manage a problem that is causing the respiratory distress then you should do all you can to breathe for the patient and rapid transport the patient. If you are not CPR certified, you should contact an instructor and find out how to become certified. You may one day save a life.
The Atlanta Medical Academy provides American Heart Association [http://cpr-acls-pals.com]PALS certification courses for the advanced health care provider. Please give us a visit and see how we may help you and your medical staff. For those who have been out of the field for a while, we offer the [http://cpr-acls-pals.com/acls/acls-refresher-course]ACLS refresher course as well. This course is designed to help you be successful with Advanced Cardiac Life Support or Pediatric Advanced Life Support.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-5-Fun-Facts-About-the-Respiratory-System&id=6645411] Top 5 Fun Facts About the Respiratory System