Question

How does lung disease affect gas exchange?

Answer 1

Impaired gaseous exchange in lung diseases:

1. Lung disease can lead to severe abnormalities in blood gas composition.
2. Differences occur in oxygen and carbon dioxide transport.
3. Mechanisms of abnormal gas exchange are grouped into four distinct categories—hypoventilation, shunting, ventilation–blood flow imbalance, and limitations of diffusion process in the alveolar capillary.
4. Diseases that affect gas exchange include pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
5. Example: With COPD-affected lungs, the airways in the lungs become inflamed and thicken, and the alveolar tissue where oxygen is exchanged is destroyed. The flow of air in and out of your lungs decreases.
6. When that happens, less oxygen gets into body tissues, and it becomes harder to get rid of the waste gas carbon dioxide leading to CO₂ O₂ imbalance in the blood.