The chest cavity contains the lungs, the primary organs that filter air and supply oxygen to the blood. Inflammation in the chest cavity is due to an inflammation of the lungs or the bronchial tubes. This condition is related to bronchitis,...
A collapsed lung is caused when air or fluid enters into the chest cavity and disrupts the negative pressure that is necessary to keep lungs expanded. In order for the lung to re-expand, the air needs to be removed. The placement of a chest tube...
Chest tubes are used in critically ill patients to drain air, blood or fluid from the pleural space, which is the cavity that surrounds the lungs. The chest cavity is a negative pressure cavity, meaning it has a continuous vacuum within the...
A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, occurs when air enters the chest cavity, surrounding and compressing the lungs. Pneumothorax can occur spontaneously when an air leak develops in one of the lungs. A trauma that ruptures the chest wall can also...
Mesothelioma is a cancer that starts in the lining of the chest cavity or the lining of the abdominal cavity. The lining in the chest cavity covers the lungs and is called the pleura. Pleural mesothelioma is when mesothelioma forms in this tissue.
Deep breathing brings a huge quantity of air into your lungs. When this air reaches your lungs, it oxygenates the blood, which is then transported to your brain, muscles and organs. Normal inhalation occurs when the diaphragm descends and the...
Numerous conditions can cause pain when breathing. Pain that occurs when a person breathes may indicate a problem with the chest wall or the organs contained within the chest cavity, including the heart and the lungs. Pain when breathing may be...
Breathing works the diaphragm in tandem with the intercostal muscles. These are the muscles between the ribs and the abdominals. The diaphragm is responsible for 75 percent of respiratory energy and is a large, thin dome-shaped muscle that's...
Breathing is a mechanical process that humans perform automatically, meaning the muscles involved perform the action without conscious effort. Breathing is performed by the respiratory system, which consists of the lungs, trachea, bronchi and...
Pushups work on stability in your torso, spine and hip while strengthening your shoulders, arms and chest. There are levels of progression to help you get stronger and build endurance while maintaining your form, going from the most stable surface...
A diaphragmatic hernia is condition that typically arises at birth and occurs when an infant's diaphragm fails to fully develop while the baby is in utero. This type of hernia emerges when a portion of the stomach or intestine pushes up into the...
A hiatal hernia is a condition in which a portion of the stomach protrudes into the chest cavity through an opening in the diaphragm. The hernia occurs from weakening of diaphragm muscles that prevent the stomach from bulging into the chest. A...
Your respiratory system enables you to breathe. It is divided between the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The upper respiratory tract includes the structures outside of your chest cavity--the nose, pharynx and larynx or voice box. The lower...
Breathing is one part of respiration that can be compromised if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder including asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. Such illnesses interfere with your ability to inhale a sufficient volume of air through...
The lungs are two cone-shaped organs that lie on each side of the chest cavity. Thousands of tiny sponge-like air sacs called alveoli make up the lung tissue. This tissue fills the spaces between a network of branching, tree-like tubes and blood...
The respiratory system, which consists of the nose, mouth, trachea, larynx, lungs and diaphragm, functions to supply oxygen to the entire body. Through the process of breathing, air that contains oxygen enters lungs. The lungs promote the exchange...
A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, occurs when air enters the space surrounding the lung. Pressure exerted by the air pocket causes partial or complete lung deflation, depending on the size of the air leak. Penetrating chest and lung injuries and...
A pacemaker is a small medical device designed to regulate abnormal heart rhythms. Pacemakers produce a low-grade electrical current that stimulates the heart to beat. They have a number of clinical indications including tachycardia,...
Hiatal hernia is a weakening of the diaphragm that causes the stomach to move into the chest cavity. When the stomach moves into the chest cavity, it can cause pain and other symptoms that affect the stomach and esophagus. The signs and symptoms...
Stress, fear and anxiety are factors that can interfere with full, flowing breathing patterns. Physical problems like tension, headaches and even panic attacks are manifestations tied to your inability to breathe fully. Practicing abdominal...
The lymphatic system is composed of vein-like lymph vessels and lymph nodes. Certain structures, such as the spleen and tonsils, also contain lymphatic tissue. The lymph vessels contain a fluid called lymph, which flows throughout the body in a...
Muscular exercise increases your body's need for glucose and oxygen. Exercise also increases the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air sacs of your lungs. A change in the concentration of carbon dioxide in your blood stimulates a series of...
Your ability to breathe is largely a function of several key muscles that respond to chemical changes in your blood and nerve impulses from your brain's respiration center. Your breathing is under both voluntary and involuntary control, and...
The digestive system is set up to be a one-direction pathway: certain anatomical structures act as one-way valves along the way. One of these structures--the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES--is located at the end of the esophagus, just before...
Asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the airways, affects about 7 percent of the United States population, according to Merck.com. Pulmonary function tests provide information to physicians for an accurate diagnosis. Many symptoms...
Shoulder external rotation exercises can help prevent rounded shoulders, which can cause neck and shoulder pain. These exercises should incorporate your torso and pelvis to open your chest cavity and reduce poor posture. Fitness professional...
There are two major categories of chest wounds, blunt and penetrating, but there are a number of injuries to specific structures and organs within the chest. Chest wounds can range from a minor bruising of the chest wall to fatal injuries of the...
Within the skeletal system of the body, there are bones that are made of two layers of compact bone with porous bone between them. Referred to as flat bones, they either offer substantial protection to other organs, such as the skull, which...
Because breathing is an automatic action and necessary for the body to function, sometimes the attention to exercising the respiratory muscles is not the focus. As with any weakened muscles, eventually strain will exist on parts not intended to...
Pericarditis is an inflammation of the sac around the heart, and is related to illness and diseases like lupus. Learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatments of pericarditis in this health video.
Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium, the outer, fibrous layer of the heart. Learn more about pericarditis and the heart in this health video.
