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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Man critically burned in trailer fire Asante's physician groups not charities, judge rules Morning freezes could spell disaster for early blooms 10 things to know for Monday Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Man critically burned in trailer fire Medford neighbors take up arms against a sea of graffiti Emergency Services, Feb. 23 Car crashes into new south Medford home Missing teen possibly seen in Florida Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Education Grace to assume school governance AHS principal up for national award Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines A question of punishment Logos to receive a slice of Wes Howard Memorial Sports Park Environment Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Coho salmon road trip Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow State News Brown says she'll preserve Oregon death penalty moratorium Tentative deal reached in West Coast port labor dispute State Senate votes to dissolve Cover Oregon Psychic gets 8 years for con of timber heir Economists project 'kicker' rebates Nation - World Obituaries Harvey Franklin Bauers Lois Gunsolus Wilson Donald Max Long Betty E. Schmidt Anne Brown Stewart Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Grizzlies overcome deficit to beat Blazers Challengers, Crusaders rake in SCL awards Hahn wins Riviera after playoff Bubble Breaker? Wood sets franchise points record in win Varsity 541 College Sports Bubble Breaker? Beavers Pac-12 champs with win LOCAL REPORT Beavers wrap up road trip with win SOU lays claim to another regional title Pro Sports Grizzlies overcome deficit to beat Blazers Hahn wins Riviera after playoff Wood sets franchise points record in win Gordon, Pelicans down Heat Singler starts in debut with Thunder Community Sports Business Latest Stories Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action People in Business Ride & Drive: 2015 VW Golf R Silvio Calabi: Kia Soul mixes practicality with personality Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul People In Business People in Business People in Business Transportation Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest Mark L. Hopkins: History speaks to us on our present economic situation Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Editorials Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Voter bill secures a fundamental right Our view: Will Brown reach out to rural Oregon? Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles Letters to the Editor Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Feb. 20: Letters to the editor Feb. 19: Letters to the editor Letters to the editor, Feb. 18 Columns Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Independent Party focuses on the public interest Milbank: Walker's cowardice on view in NY Will: Tweet this: Digital dialogue won't work 'Big' government is not so big after all Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Guest Opinion: How long will we look the other way? Lifestyle Latest stories Blog: HAIKU MONDAY: On Sunscreen Steelhead and Flat Earthers Ride & Drive: 2015 VW Golf R Kitchen Call: Baseball, beans and Bob Motley Gail Ciampa: Scrod Francaise fits the bill for Lenten dining It Is What It Is: Girls just wanna have fu-un Food Kitchen Call: Baseball, beans and Bob Motley Gail Ciampa: Scrod Francaise fits the bill for Lenten dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Fire and Smoke Tammy Kelly: Comfort food makes cold weather better Home and Garden Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Dear Monty: Nine downsizing tips for seniors Carol Link: Prime time for pruning blueberries approaches Health Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Dr. Murray Feingold: Does a sedentary lifestyle make you prone to disease? Dr. Jeff Hersh: Breathe easy - all about lung function Health Watch: Health improvements you can make today that will pay off for a lifetime Runners’ Corner: Helpful winter running hints Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Religion News: Church of England consecrates first female bishop Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' Live Music in Local Clubs OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Third Fridays showcases local artists Theater SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Le Cirque presents 'City Walk' Music Professor Gall plays Oberon's Tavern Live Music in Local Clubs The music that made Paris famous Blues Jam at The Little Brown Jug Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Man critically burned in trailer fire ... Gold Hill police levy discussions criticized ... Get Up & Go: Monday, Feb. 23 ... Man critically burned in trailer fire ... Gold Hill police levy discussions criticized ... Get Up & Go: Monday, Feb. 23 ... Dr. Jeff Hersh: Breathe easy - all about lung function Comment By Dr. Jeff Hersh More Content Now MailTribune.com By Dr. Jeff Hersh More Content Now Posted Feb. 20, 2015 at 8:24 AM By Dr. Jeff Hersh More Content Now Posted Feb. 20, 2015 at 8:24 AM » Social News Q: How do the lungs work? A: The lungs perform many functions, including making, activating and inactivating certain substances (including some hormones), helping defend the body from infection and enabling us to speak. But, the main roles the lungs play are delivering oxygen to and off-loading carbon dioxide from the blood. Having sufficient blood oxygen is crucial to adequately supply the body’s cells. Taking carbon dioxide out of the blood is critical to regulate its pH (acid-base balance) in order to ensure a healthy cell environment. When the diaphragm moves downward and the chest wall muscles expand, the volume of the chest increases. This draws air into the lungs in much the same was as a bellows sucks air in when the handles are pulled apart. As the diaphragm and chest wall muscles relax the elasticity of the lungs pulls the chest back to its resting state, pushing the air out in much the same way as the elasticity of a blown-up balloon pushes air out as it squeezes back to its uninflated state. Air pulled into the chest, as noted above, enters the body through the nose and/or mouth and then travels down the main breathing tube, the trachea. The trachea branches into the left and right main bronchi, and then branches further to smaller bronchi, to even smaller bronchioles and eventually to the 300 million or so alveoli, the small sacs of air, which are surrounded by small blood vessels (capillaries). Once air is in the alveoli the oxygen in it must make its way into the blood stream. This is accomplished by the partial pressure of oxygen in the air “pushing” oxygen to diffuse across the alveolar/capillary interface to dissolve into the blood. At the same time, carbon dioxide leaves the blood and enters the alveolar space where it can be pushed out during exhalation. The balance of the amount of blood flowing through the capillaries and the amount of air inside the alveoli must be carefully regulated throughout the lungs (called ventilation-perfusion matching). If there is not enough blood flow the under-perfused alveoli are wasted space (called dead space). If there is insufficient air for the amount of blood that perfuses an area of the lung, the blood will not be sufficiently oxygenated and hence the overall blood exiting the lungs may have too low an oxygen supply to fulfill the cell’s needs. Oxygen does not dissolve well in water (the liquid part of blood is mostly water), so the amount of oxygen blood can carry in solution is very limited. Red blood cells (RBCs) bind oxygen, allowing the blood to carry much more oxygen in order to supply the body’s needs. In fact, about 98 percent of the oxygen in blood is bound to RBCs. Many diseases can cause an imbalance in the ventilation-perfusion match of the lungs. Diseases that prevent normal air filling of the alveoli include those that cause excessive air flow resistance in the airways (such as asthma or emphysema), those that “clog up” the alveoli (such as congestive heart failure which can cause fluid to build up in the alveoli or pneumonia which can cause infection and inflammation within the alveoli), as well as many other conditions. Diseases that prevent sufficient blood supply to the alveoli include blockage of the pulmonary arteries (such as pulmonary emboli) and many other conditions. Some diseases compromise the lungs in other ways, such as a collapsed lung. Many conditions can also affect the ability of oxygen to bind to RBCs. Even if the ventilation and perfusion of the lungs are normal, this may limit the amount of oxygen available to supply the body’s needs. Without proper lung function the body’s cells may not get sufficient oxygen and/or may not have an ideal environment to function. Taking good care of your lungs is important to a long and healthy life. So do not start smoking, and if you do smoke, work hard to quit. Regular exercise and a well-balanced, healthy diet are also key to keeping your lungs functioning normally. Jeff Hersh, Ph.D., M.D., can be reached at [email protected]. By Dr. Jeff Hersh More Content Now MailTribune.com By Dr. Jeff Hersh More Content Now Posted Feb. 20, 2015 at 8:24 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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