Lungs are not pressurized like the tires of automobiles; they contain air at the same pressure as the surroundings (which is normally 24 pounds per square inch).
If the pressure in the lung is greater than atmospheric pressure, air will flow out of the lungs in order to equalize the pressure. This is called exhalation or breathing out.
A pneumothorax is air in the plural cavity. When a person takes a breath the lung cannot expand. This expatiation normal lowers the pressure in the lungs allowing air to move into the longs, without expatiation during inspiration the pressure does not change and air will not move in.
A collapsed lung is caused by air collecting in the space around your lungs. The lung cannot expand as it normally does due to the pressure caused from the buildup of air.
Literally "air in the thorax", or air in the chest (where it shouldn't be) When air leaks anywhere in the space between your lung and chest wall (normally filled with slippery fluid) it increases the pressure around your lung, and pushes on your lung. This leads to your lung collapsing in on itself, because the pressure required for it to inflate is much smaller than the one keeping it deflated. Usually, you only get a fraction of your lung truly collapsed.
The lung will collapse (atelectasis) because the negative intrapleural pressure gradient that keeps the lung inflated has is now at equilibrium with atmospheric pressure.
low air pressure
The muscles that expand the rib cage relax and let it fall back into place under its own weight. That leads to higher pressure in the lung that outside and so air moved from the high pressure to the low pressure out of the lung.
Inhalation is caused by a reduction in air pressure inside the lungs by increasing their volume through diaphragm contraction. Exhalation is cause by the decreasing lung volume upon relaxation of the diaphragm. The elasticity of lung tissue causes the lung to retract, increasing the internal lung pressure above atmospheric pressure and the air moves out.
Inspiration happens when the pressure inside the lungs is lower than the atmospheric pressure (outside) and air rushes into the lungs. Expiration is when the air inside the lungs is higher than the atmospheric pressure and the air rushes out of the lungs. If the intrapleural pressure (pressure within the pleura of the lungs) isn't maintained then the pressure in the lungs can't differentiate between inspiration and expiration and so the lung collapses.
vital lung capacity is how much air remains in your lungs after you exhale
I am not in the medical field. But if a lung collapses it means that there is air getting between the lung and the chest cavity creating pressure against the lung. A tube placed in the chest wall will relieve the pressure there. When the lung fills with air it pushes the air out of the tube. Then you can block the tube to give the chest cavity back the slight vacuum it had before. That is why your chest expands when you breate in. I hope this is right and I am not stepping on any toes out there.
A pnemothorax is basically when to much pressure or tension is put on the lung and it collapses. To fix the problem doctors will usually put in a chest tube attached to a suction machine, this will help reinflate the lung.AnswerA pnemothorax is basically when to much pressure or tension is put on the lung and it collapses. To fix the problem doctors will usually put in a chest tube attached to a suction machine, this will help reinflate the lung.