Patient was educated on role of diaphragm in controlling respiration as follows:
- Diaphragm is the major muscle that aids the process of respiration.
- Under resting conditions, this is a dome-shaped muscle separating the chest and abdominal cavities, with the hollow towards the abdomen.
- Contraction of the diaphragm will draw the muscle into the abdomen and the dome shaped muscle flattens out during this process. This leads to an increase in the space of chest cavity.
- This increase in the space of chest cavity results in decrease in the air pressure inside the chest, in comparison to the external environment.
- Air flows into the lungs from outside, thus gradually increasing the air pressure in the chest towards the external environment.
- When the air pressure in the chest equals the air pressure in the external environment, flow of air into the lungs will stop.
- Gas exchange will take place in the alveoli of the lungs, with oxygen from the air in the lungs being taken up by the hemoglobin in the blood. Also, carbon dioxide released from the hemoglobin enters the alveoli of the lungs to be exhaled out.
- Under normal conditions, breathing out is due to relaxation of the diaphragm muscle back to original dome shape. This moves the muscle back into the chest cavity, increasing the air pressure in the chest cavity in comparison to the external environment
- This increase in pressure in the chest cavity will force the carbon dioxide out of the lungs.
- When the air pressure in the chest equals the air pressure in the external environment, flow of air out of the lungs will stop.
