Lung Volume Flow Charts

Alpha-1 Lung Vocabulary

Airway Flow Charts

There are 2 major categories of lung diseases:

Obstructive In obstructive lung disease, there is a decrease in the air flow caused by a narrowing or blockage of the airways such as with asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis or from tumors forming.
Restrictive In restrictive lung disease, there is a decrease in the amount of air that is inhaled, because there is a decrease in elasticity or amount of the lung tissue (1).

Normal Air Flow	Mild Airway Obstruction	Severe Airway Obstruction

healthy lungs	asthma, emphysema, bronchitis	asthma, emphysema, bronchitis

Restrictive Airway Obstruction	Fixed Upper Airway Obstruction	Variable Extrathoracic Upper Airway Obstruction

Fibrosis, chest wall deformities	Tumors of the upper airways or trachea	Epiglottitus

References:
1. The University of Iowa website

Disclaimer
This site is not a substitute for genuine medical advice. The information provided by this site is for the education and support of people diagnosed with A1Ad and others wishing to know more about this condition. It is intended that this site will enable you to ask your own doctors the right questions about your condition.