The lungs are organs for gas exchange and are located on either side of the mediastinum in the thoracic cavity and are divided into the left and right lungs. The surface of the lungs is covered with pleura and separated into lobules of different sizes by the pleura. Physiologically normal lungs are light red, soft and elastic, but as they age, the color of the lungs gradually changes to dark red or dark gray as airborne dust is inhaled and deposited in the lungs. The negative pressure in the pleural cavity allows the lung to maintain an expanded state, and if the pleura is damaged, the volume of the lung can be reduced to 1/3 of normal under atmospheric pressure.
The general shape of the lung can be divided into: a tip, a bottom, two surfaces and three edges, namely, the tip of the upper lung, the bottom of the lung below, the medial mediastinal surface, the lateral rib surface, and the anterior edge of the junction of the rib surface and the mediastinal surface, the posterior edge of the junction of the lung bottom and the rib surface and the mediastinal surface.
1, the tip of the lung: the upper end of the lung is bluntly rounded called the tip of the lung, and the top of the pleura is closely adjoined, and it protrudes upward through the upper thoracic opening into the root of the neck, adjacent to the organs in the upper mediastinum. The right pulmonary apices have cephalic brachial veins, trachea and esophagus on the medial side, and the left pulmonary apices have the left common carotid artery, left subclavian artery, trachea and esophagus on the medial side. The anterior medial surface of the pulmonary apices has the subclavian groove, which is compressed by the subclavian artery.
2, the lung base: also known as the diaphragmatic surface, located above the diaphragm, the compression of the diaphragm makes the lung base depressed upward in a half-moon shape, because the right lobe of the liver is located higher so the right lung depression is more obvious. The right fundus diaphragm is adjacent to the right lobe of the liver, while the left fundus diaphragm is adjacent to the left lobe of the liver, the fundus and the spleen.
3, rib surface: more elevated, due to the compression of the ribs, the formation of oblique shallow grooves called rib indentation, the uppermost first rib indentation is the most significant, can be used as the rib surface and the lung tip of the line of demarcation.
4, mediastinal surface: contact with the mediastinum, and due to the compression of the heart, a concave cardiac pressure trace is formed. The cardiac pressure trace of the left lung is in contact with the front of the left ventricle, the left surface, the front of the left auricular artery cone and a part of the right ventricle, and the cardiac pressure trace of the right lung is in contact with the front of the right auricle, the front of the right atrium, the right surface and a part of the right ventricle. The bronchial and pulmonary vascular entry and exit points in the center of the mediastinal plane are called the pulmonary hilum. The average length of the pulmonary hilum in the right lung is 6714 mm and 33 mm wide in adults, and the average length of the pulmonary hilum in the left lung is 6016 mm and 3016 mm wide. The structures that enter and exit the pulmonary hilum are wrapped together by connective tissue called pulmonary roots, which include the main bronchi, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, bronchial arteries and veins, nerves, lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes, all of which are about 10 mm in length. The left pulmonary root is located below the aortic arch and in front of the thoracic aorta, and the right pulmonary root is located behind the superior vena cava and right atrium and below the arch of the odd vein. In addition, the right and left vagus nerves travel posterior to the ipsilateral pulmonary roots, and both the right and left phrenic nerves and pericardial diaphragmatic vessels travel anterior to the ipsilateral pulmonary roots.
I. How to measure and evaluate lung function
1.Lung volume: It is the total amount of gas exhaled by the body after inhaling as deeply as possible. To a certain extent, it reflects the size of the lung volume. Measurement only need spirometer, each use of alcohol cotton balls to disinfect the blowing mouth, the subject first take a deep breath or two, and then inhale a breath and then exhale the gas as far as possible, until you can no longer exhale, measured 3 times to take the maximum. Exhale to maintain an upright position, not bending and change of breath. The normal value for our men is 3500 – 4000 ml, and for women is 3000 – 3500 ml.
2, 5 times spirometry test: to some extent reflect the ability of respiratory muscle endurance. Measurement is measured at an interval of 15 seconds each time (including inhalation and exhalation time) to determine the spirometry 5 times in a row. The test requirements are the same as those for spirometry. Good respiratory system function, 5 times the results should remain basically the same or gradually rise; when the body fatigue or disease, 5 times the results show a gradual downward trend.
3, spirometry exercise load test: When the respiratory system function reaches a certain level, the spirometry test in a quiet state can no longer find the general abnormalities of the body, but if they are allowed to carry out a certain amount of exercise load, the abnormalities of their respiratory system function can be reflected. Therefore, it is necessary to do the exercise load spirometry. When measuring, the lung capacity at quiet time is measured first, then a quantitative exercise load (such as 20 squats in 30 seconds or 1 minute step test, etc.) is performed, and the lung capacity of 1 – 5 minutes is measured immediately after exercise, once per minute. After the load of 5 times the results gradually increase or remain unchanged, is the performance of good function, if the exercise after 5 times the results gradually decline, especially the last, 2 minutes fell significantly, to the first, 5 minutes still not recovered, indicating poor function.
4, closed-air test: is to determine the body’s maximum closed-air time, used to check the body’s ability to tolerate hypoxia. Measurement methods are calm breathing, deep inhalation and deep exhalation after the closed-air test, calm breathing closed-air test is in the process of the subject calm breathing, listen to the testers command to begin to close the air and record the closed-air time. Deep inhalation and deep exhalation followed by breath closure. The test must be let the subject at the end of a deep inhalation or deep exhalation, from the oral command to start timing, record until it can not hold. Generally healthy men after inhalation closed breath time of 35 – 40 seconds, after exhalation closed breath time for men 20 – 30 seconds, women slightly lower.
After the closed air test, a very small number of people will appear tinnitus, dizziness, chest tightness and other phenomena, but do not stress, just lie down for a while, adjust breathing, a short period of time can be eliminated, which is caused by cerebral hypoxia.
Second, the maintenance of lung breathing exercises
1.Nose massage
(1) with the index fingers of both hands up and down massage the nose on both sides of the Yingxiang point and both sides of the bridge of the nose 10 – 20 times.
(2) with the palm of the right hand to massage the tip of the nose s points, first from the right to the left, and then from the left to the right, each massage 10 – 20 times.
2, chest expansion
(1) from a standing position left foot out to the left half a step (the same width as the two shoulders). Raise both arms upward, while inhaling hard.
(2) two arms back to the chest, while exhaling hard, the left foot back to the original place, still for the upright position.
(3) first left and then right, left and right alternate feet to repeat the above actions, and even do 4 times (according to their own physical strength).
3.Press the abdomen
(1) left foot half a step to the left (shoulder width), both arms raised sideways, palms up head slightly back, while inhaling hard.
(2) the two arms quickly retracted by the belly (the right palm on the back of the left hand), the upper body slightly bent forward, while exhaling forcefully.
(3) the left foot back, both hands down still in a standing position.
(4) first left and then right, left and right alternately repeat the above actions, and do it 4 times.
4.Fist clenching
(1) both hands clenched fist flexed arm in front of the chest (two fist heart inward relative), both arms swing upward and backward at the same time, three times in a row, with the two arms swing, while inhaling hard.
(2) according to the above action, two arms swing in the opposite direction (i.e., down the front), swing 3 times in a row, while exhaling forcefully.
(3) both arms down, resume the upright position.
(4) in accordance with the above sequence and then do 3 times.
5.Squat
(1) left foot half a step to the left (the same width as the shoulders), both arms up to the front, while breathing in hard.
(2) palms down, both arms slowly from the front down, while squatting, squatting process slowly exhale.
(3) slowly stand up, the left foot back still in an upright position.
(4) in the above order and then do 3 times, first the left foot after the right foot alternately.
Three, simple breathing exercises exercise methods
1, blowing line exercise: a line or thin rope suspended in front of the body about 50 cm, deep breath to blow the line, so that the cord away from the body the farther the better.
2, blowing the bottle exercise: bottle filled with water, through the plastic tube or glass tube, hose to the bottle of water blowing, so that the water surface to form a continuous bubble emergence. Blowing control time gradually extended.
3, blowing water exercises: basin or cup filled with water, mouth and lips into a whistle-like blowing to the water surface, control time gradually extended.
4, pressure chest breathing: hand forked in the lower chest, thumb facing back, the remaining four fingers press the bottom of the rib cage on both sides, torso leaning forward to exhale.
5.Standing position, feet open and shoulder width, arms hanging naturally, deep inhalation slightly upward, deep exhalation do deep knee squat, while hands on the abdomen, exhale a little more force to press the abdomen, can improve respiratory function.
6, sitting position, hands around the neck, twist the waist and back to maintain or enhance the mobility of the ribs and intervertebral joints, so that breathing deep and long, but the action should be slow and steady, especially when encountering dizziness, to slow down the twisting speed.
Fourth, often laugh to promote lung
People often say “laugh a smile, ten years less”, in fact, laughing is also a kind of lung movement, it can make the chest muscle stretching, thoracic expansion, lung capacity increased. Chinese medicine believes that laughter can promote the lung qi, regulate the body’s qi lift, can eliminate fatigue, drive away depression, lift chest congestion, restore physical strength.
1, laugh: walking in the mountains and fields, you can try to laugh, in order to promote the lung gas, lift the depression, so that the lungs inhale a sufficient amount of natural “clear gas”, exhale “waste gas”, accelerate blood circulation, so as to achieve the heart and lung gas and blood reconciliation.
2, easy smile: from the lungs of the smile, can make the lung gas spread throughout the body, the face and chest, limbs muscle groups are fully relaxed, because the lung gas down the cloth, so that the liver gas and calm, so as to keep people’s emotional stability, mental clarity.
3, entertainment and laughter: If you can often watch some comedy, listen to comedy, or enjoy cartoons, through entertainment and laughter can play a role in strengthening the lung breathing, so that the lung and spleen gas is strong, appetite increased.
4, subtle muffled laughter: when you walk in front of the flowers, or recall happy past, will produce a silent muffled laughter, can also make the lung qi down with the kidney qi, thus preventing the lung qi floating rootless.